Deadline: 30 Nov 2026
Contact: D.E. St. John, University of Alabama in Huntsville
Email: dej0009@uah.edu
Speculative literature, whether it be in the form of novels, poems, short stories, films, plays, games or television programs, often depicts the plight of the extraterrestrial. Following the spirit of the ASLE 2027 conference theme, this proposed seminar seeks to expand the scope of the term “extra-terrestrial” to include not only alien life from outside the Earth’s atmosphere, but to also encompass life that is “without” or “separate” from land. In this way, “extraterrestrial” becomes a helpful lens through which to acknowledge both the terror and the vibrancy of land itself, separated from the burden of nation-state apparatuses, as well as the posthuman entanglements of subject and environment.
Seminar organizers seek academic papers, presentations, and works-in-progress that in some way interrogate or rethink the association between the subject and land. We are interested in ideas that:
• Discuss speculative genres, such as Science Fiction, Cli-Fi, Weird Fiction, Fantasy, Eco-Horror, and Magical Realism.
• Explore boundaries between the human, non-human, and “alien,” broadly construed to include animals, monsters, evolved humans, post-humans, and mythical creatures.
• Incorporate voices from around the globe, particularly from areas traditionally underrepresented in academia.
Reflections on public demonstrations, humanities projects, and art performances are also welcome.
The seminar organizers currently consist of two non-tenure earning faculty and a graduate student from a research-intensive state university in the southeastern United States. We are seeking abstracts from graduate students, tenured or tenure-earning faculty, and independent scholars. Once assembled, this seminar will still need to receive final approval form ASLE organizers.
To apply, please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words and a biographical statement of no more than 150 words to dej0009@uah.edu by November 30, 2026.
Posted on September 22, 2026
