Ben Bamber has many talents. Remember he has a story in the Escape Velocity anthology. For many years Ben has been intellectually involved in the need for our society to be more self-sufficient and environmentally aware. He has contributed articles and reviews to architect journals on the topic. Now he has started a website devoted to not only raising awareness but to prepare us for action in the event of possible futures. You just might have the right stuff to contribute to Ben’s website to help with this mission. Check out http://www.futuretowns.com/
On a similar theme, the journal Futures is seeking science fiction short stories that help us to consider possible scenarios for business and society. Dr Gary Graham sent me the following:
FUTURES
Special Issue:
Exploring
Future Business Visions Using Creative Fictional Prototypes
Edited: Dr. Gary Graham, Leeds University
Business School
Prof.
Vic Callaghan, Essex University School of Computer Science and Electronic
Engineering
Dr.
Anita Greenhill, Manchester Business School
Call for Papers
Although the guest
editors share the premise of legendary Science Fiction (SF) writer Isaac Asimov
(In Joy Still Felt, 1980, Doubleday) that predicting the future is a losing game,
Brian David Johnson’s books (Science Fiction
Prototyping: Designing the Future with Science Fiction[1] (Morgan & Claypool,
2011)) & Screen Futures (Intel Press, 2010) offer a revised vision of the
future of management theory/practice in which fictional creations shape
tomorrow’s world of technological innovation. Johnson introduced the concept of
science fiction prototyping in CS’10 “The
1st International Workshop on Creative Science: Science Fiction
Prototyping for Engineering and Product Innovation” (Kuala Lumpar, 19 July
2010). The SF prototyping process creates science fiction based on science fact
with two main goals. First SF prototypes advance the development of business by
envisioning the impact of future science or technology on people, culture and
wider systems. The second goal of SF prototypes is to offer a possible
management vision for the future that is based on science and reason. This idea
of creating art from science (and vice versa) is not new to the Futures
readership, but there is a need for management theorists to begin directing
their intellectual focus away from predicting the future and to start
developing business visions for all our futures. Therefore the purpose of this
special issue is to invite high quality papers which explore the use of
fictional creations to motivate and direct research into new business visions
and applications (e.g. new products, designs, concepts, identities, brands,
business models, value chains, strategic environments and lifestyles). In
particular we call for science fiction prototyping articles which first,
develop a fictional short story or a series of short vignettes based on an
existing business concept(s) and second, present future theoretical
propositions and applications. Some examples of Science-Fiction Prototypes
(mainly from the science and engineering domain) can be found at
http://www.creative-science.org. It is our intention that the peer-reviewed SFPs
published in this special issue of Futures will consist of futuristic scenarios
written by authors drawn from a diverse set of disciplines including: business,
architecture, humanities, creative arts, media production (films & games)
plus science and engineering. We aim to make the special issue a central
imaginative interdisciplinary facility in exploring potential managerial
futures.
Topics:
We welcome
contributions from a diverse set of disciplines ranging, for example, from business,
through humanities to the sciences. Our only proviso is that the stories should
have an obvious connection between the subject matter and how it shapes future
business models. We are less interested in evolutionary changes and more
interested in ideas than may radically transform the business vista. However,
that said, we also are looking for stories that are plausible, and grounded in
rationality.
Submission guidelines:
Deadline for
submission: 29th February 2012.
Please email your
submissions to g.graham@leeds.ac.uk; vic@essex.ac.uk; a.greenhill@mbs.ac.uk
Clearly mark on your
email subject “FUTURES SUBMISSION”
Author guidelines for
your manuscript presentation can be found at the following web address:
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30422/authorinstructions
[1] Refer to the Graham
forthcoming review in the Times Higher Education Supplement, August 12, 2011.
UPDATE** article on the BBC News site about the above Intel Tomorrow Project – still use the contact via Gary Graham
science42fiction 