Curate Category: Sci-Fi

First Nations speculative fiction takes us to other realms and distant planets while tackling home truths. This panel will talk celebrating diverse worldviews, surviving and thriving beyond apocalypse, reframing timelines (and time) and much more. An event for those that revel in the art of world building across science fiction, fantasy and mystery. Join First Nations panellists John Morrissey, Jacob K Gallagher and Lisa Fuller as they fly us to amazing places and ask big questions about the future.
 
In partnership with AIATSIS.

Jaclyn Moriarty comes from a very bookish family. She did her English thesis on Roald Dahl, has written a swag of acclaimed books and is in Canberra to sprinkle her fairy dust combo of magic, heartache and warmth. Roll up speculative fiction fans! Would you sign up to The Agency around the corner to travel back in time? Join us for this special conversation between Jaclyn and Garth Nix about the sheer delight of books as portals to other worlds.

Do you have what it takes to survive? This powerhouse trio of writers will help you decide, as they discuss what the future might look like, from space travel, sentient beings, and distant planets to life on Earth but re-imagined by these gifted futurists. Charlie Jane Anders, Garth Nix and Barbara Truelove hosted by Kaaron Warren will have you soaring through the stars in search of a better life somewhere out there…

Afterwards, stay on with members of The Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild to talk about all things speculative, and to learn about the strong writing community here in Canberra.

In partnership with The Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild.

Deep fakes, curated companions and killer drones… could AI become so intelligent it is game over for humanity? What are the benefits and pitfalls of AI? What might it do to our sense of self, our creativity and what it means to be human? Join researchers and writers Toby Walsh, Ange Lavoipierre and Waleed Aly for a conversation we need to have.

Billionaires are racing to colonise Mars and mine the Moon, and we’re told its humanity’s destiny. Philosopher Ben Bramble thinks it’s something closer to madness. In this provocative session, he dismantles the promises of the new space age – backing up humanity, saving the Earth, securing our future – and argues the most extraordinary world available to us is the one beneath our feet. In conversation with science and technology historian David Munns.