Blog Post 4: The Revolution Will Be Digitized

What’s at stake in speculation?

This reading critiqued the practice of speculative fiction, its benefits and its potential aftermath on our futures. Just as any new technology does need to think through the repercussions it will have on society, speculative and science fiction does also need to consider its impact on the world. Speculative and science fiction help humanity think or even imagine a world that is still not implemented, but it does push the human ability to make that fantasy into reality. It is the world that is imagined and thus, potentially its impact on this world too is simply imagined. What needs to be rightfully done while even speculating the impact of speculative and scientific fiction, is try to think ethically for the communities and push boundaries that do not harm humanity of the future generations.

Plasmodial Properties

This read summarizes Octavia Butler's research on slime molds, in relation to organization and decentralization. The writer informs the dilemma of the differentiation nature of these slime molds can introduce themes of capitalism by creating an environment of competition, while the complete avoidance of this difference can confuse the power dynamics that exist. This world of slime molds, is Butler's idea of speculative fiction that summarizes non-hierarchical and decentralized societies, through feminist and queer notions. Throughout the read, one can draw a range of similarities from slime molds queer properties like unicellular and multi-cellular structures,non-hierarchical socialities, adaptability and organizing capabilities. In this sense, slime mold behavior reflects semi-queer notions of collective and nonhierarchical social formations.