The mission of the Heinlein Studies Area of the Popular Culture Association (PCA) is to support and encourage ongoing critical dialogue and comprehensive academic inquiry into Robert A. Heinlein, his work, and his influence.

The Heinlein Studies Area invites papers, panels, artwork, and multimedia presentations to be part of the a new area of the PCA. Presentations from a variety of academic and critical perspectives and disciplines are welcome and should be suitable for a 15 to 20-minute reading/presentation time limit.

Suggested topics of exploration include (but are not limited to):

Heinlein-related presentations are encourage from all academic areas, including:

Artwork can be representational of (or inspired by) Heinlein-related themes, characters, works, or other aspects of the Heinlein universe. Artists will present and discuss their work at the conference. Digital images or photographs may be requested by the area chair prior to the conference. Proposals for artwork and multimedia presentations will be evaluated on an individual basis. AV equipment will be available but must be requested in advance.

Please e-mail inquiries or 250-word abstracts and working bibliography (optional) to Lisa N. Edmonds, Heinlein Studies Area Chair, at rahstudies@yahoo.com. Deadline for abstracts and proposals is October 15, 2004. Prospective panelists will be contacted via e-mail. All submissions will be acknowledged upon receipt.

For more information on Heinlein, the area, previous paper topics and panels, and current publications, visit the area website: www.geocities.com/rahstudies. This website will be continually updated with new information and guidelines. You may also visit the Heinlein Society website: http://www.heinleinsociety.org.

For more information on the PCA/ACA conference, visit the website: http://www.h-net.org/~pcaaca/.