How Imaginary Worlds Teach Us to Care for This One

(Note: This episode was originally released under the old podcast title "This is the End: Pop Culture & Collapse." As of July 2025 the show is now titled, "Strange Days, Here We Come: Pop Culture, Dystopia & Collapse.")

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Sørina Higgins, a professor of English literature at Signum University. We discuss how speculative fiction can teach us to take care of our planet, both ecologically and societally.

Authors and works discussed include: Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars, Octavia Butler's Kindred, Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, and superhero fiction. (**NO SPOILERS** for any works.)

Real world topics discussed include: climate change, racial and economic justice, terraforming, space colonization, permaculture, regenerative agriculture, and small scale activism.

Dr. Higgins also tells us about TexMoot 2022, a speculative fiction conference that is currently seeking submissions for papers and round table discussion prompts from the general public (not just academics). Check the link below!  
  
LINKS:

TexMoot 2022: Call for Submissions
http://texmoot.org/call-for-papers  

  

TexMoot 2022 general info
https://signumuniversity.org/event/texmoot-2022/  

  
Register for TexMoot 2022:
https://registration.signumuniversity.org/events/texmoot-2022/  

  
Signum University
https://signumuniversity.org/
  
SorinaHiggins.com
https://sorinahiggins.wordpress.com/
  
Daily Choices
https://sorinahiggins.wordpress.com/daily-choices/

 
Sørina Higgins' author page
https://amzn.to/3rEDrEY 
    
Sørina Higgins on Twitter
https://twitter.com/SorinaHiggins

  

Signum University on Twitter
https://twitter.com/SignumU

  

ENJOY THIS PODCAST?

• Tip us on Ko-Fi
  https://ko-fi.com/popmythology
  
  
• Support us on Patreon
  https://www.patreon.com/popmythology