Oftentimes, we as academics celebrate the successes of a completed work, but there is so much more that goes into a novel, film, or theatrical piece that deserves recognition and discussion throughout the entire creative process. The idea behind this new event stemmed from this notion, that we should be able to acknowledge and engage with the development, experimentation, and challenges that occur along the way, not just the polished final product.

The inaugural event was centered around Dr. Justin O. Johnston’s work in progress, Helio Fictions. The work focused on three theoretical structures: solar punk, solidarity, and declinism. According to Professor Johnston himself, the analysis of each was “part literary criticism” and “part speculative framework.”

He shaped each of the aforementioned literary frameworks as similar genres, each with a different primary focus. The discussion investigated how solidarity explored the energy break as we move on to cleaner forms of energy. Instead of mentioning or focusing on the clean energy revolution, tying those ideas to the incredibly artistic genre of solar punk. Johnston then dug further into Solairty’s socio-economic relevance, mentioning how “imagining the end of the world is easier than planning a better world.”

The feasibility of a better world remained a constant in the discussion, especially when discussing the third and final theme, declinism. Professor Johnston asked the audience how fictions of societal collapse feel far more feasible than ones of progress and how a “medium future” seems like a far more possible future than a happy one. 

The talk ended with an examination of these three themes and their effects on future societal views of utopia, especially with the rising threat of climate change. Professor Johnston’s exploration of these themes and ideas reminds the audience to engage with these utopian and dystopian ideas and analyze them as they parallel our future.