“Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and philosophers of today, but the core of science fiction — its essence — has become crucial to our salvation, if we are to be saved at all.”  Isaac Asimov

 Deletion the open access online forum in science fiction studies will publish original ‘think pieces’ every month of approximately 1200-1500 words. Committed to writing about science fiction in all its forms and modes of operation, Deletion will invite contributions from those writing about science fiction from a literary, philosophical, artistic, scientific, aural, televisual, games, and cinematic context.

Deletion will also solicit papers from the leading scholars in science fiction studies, organise and be open to regular ‘special editions’, and will accept and encourage non-standard submissions such as creative pieces. Submissions can also take the form of 2-3 minute podcasts or video blogs.

Deletion’s work will be framed around the following questions; what is science fiction today; what are its social, cultural and political functions; what forms does it take and what are the relationships in and between those forms; and how does creative practice best interpret contemporary science fiction?

Deletion will be led by scholars from Deakin University, Melbourne, who will form its ‘inner’ editorial board, alongside an international advisory board, comprising leading scholars in the field.

The first edition of Deletion will be a special invitation edition, where its key questions will be explored from an inter and cross-disciplinary perspective by renowned science fiction scholars and practitioners.

An open call for papers and creative pieces for publication in Deletion is now open. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

Children in contemporary science fiction;

Environmentalism;

Scientific understanding and science fiction;

Haptic science fiction;

Robotics;

Literary dystopia;

The suburban artwork of Gregory Crewdson;

Independent science fiction cinema;

Fictions of science in games;

Surveillance;

4-D science fiction cinema;

Philosophy and science fiction;

The Alien messiah;

Case studies: authors and auteurs;

Costume and design in science fiction;

Transhumanism;

Science fiction installation art;

Ethics and morals;

Whiteness in science fiction;

Music video and futurism;

Cult science fiction;

Science fiction poetry;

Special affect;

Eugenics;

Armageddon;

Romance in science fiction;

Science fiction music;

Time travel;

The urban, the rural;

Sex in science fiction;

Papers (of 1200-1500 words in length) should be emailed as a word attachment to the following addresses:  Sean Redmond: s.redmond@deakin.edu.au and Chris Moore: c.moore@deakin.edu.au

Submissions for creative work will be dealt with on a case by case basis; please contact Sean Redmond: s.redmond@deakin.edu.au and Chris Moore:c.moore@deakin.edu.au with your initial expression of interest.

Deletion will go live at 1 minute past 1am on the 1^st October 2013 (EST). Details of its URL will follow in September.

Sean Redmond

Leon Marvell

Chris Moore

Elizabeth Braithwaite

Trent Griffiths