"Environmental Science Fiction: Genre and Possibility"

Ecocriticism has indeed branched out to include literatures not typically associated with "nature writing." In an effort to continue this extension of ecocriticism into other genres, this roundtable will explore the contributions of science fiction (SF) to environmental thought and ecological understandings. 250-word proposals are invited for a roundtable discussion that will examine SF as a literature well-suited to express the concerns of environmentalism and to explore humanity's place in ecological systems. General ecocritical discussions of the SF genre--its rhetorical modes, its environmental history, etc.--are welcome, as are more specific studies of particular works.

Send proposals by December 15th, 2006 to Eric Otto, eco2@psu.edu. Inquiries welcome.

Conference website: http://www.woffordcollege.org/asle/