Socialist Science Fiction(s)

Technoscientific imaginings from Maoist China, Soviet Russia, and the future

Virginia L. Conn

I am a lecturer in the humanities at Stevens Institute of Technology. My work takes place at the intersection of comparative languages and literatures (Sinophone, Anglophone, Francophone, Germanophone, Esperantist, and Russophone literatures), science fiction studies, and science and technology studies, particularly those aspects of STS that investigate circulations of knowledge and biopolitics. My research interests include the co-constitution of science fiction and ideology, socialist teleologies, the ethics of progress, and nationalist technologies of embodiment. My dissertation examines socialist modernities by questioning how science fiction conscientiously harnessed utopian ideals of technological advancement as rational blueprints to shape the country’s citizens. I also work for the international division of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences--if you're more interested in demographic research than science fiction analysis, I can point you towards some books I proofed!

My CV

My (Viewable, Listen-able) Talks

My favorite androids and climate disaster:

"Solastalgic Androids: Sonically Repurposing the Environment with Junebug and Johnny" at the 42nd Annual ICFA Conference

I present about atomic visuality in the East German SF short story "The Eye that Never Weeps" (“Das Auge, das niemals weint”):

"Blinded by the Light: Atomic Visualities and the Boundaries of Perception" at the London Science Fiction Research Community "Beyond Borders: Empires, Bodies, Science Fictions" conference

Listen to me discuss the horizon of utopian possibilities under socialism with the Cosmonaut team:

"Different Horizons of Science Fiction under Socialism"

A complete video of my presentation on lian huan hua (连环画) can be viewed here:

"The Quotidian Utopia of China's Lian Huan Hua" at the Communism and Science Fiction Conference in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

I spoke to Andy Wilczak about my research on his Untenured Tracks podcast, available here:

"Science Fiction and Socialism" Episode 11

If you develop a time machine you can view all the other presentations I've given that are sadly lost to the audiovisual historical record.

My Copyedited Books and Papers

CASS Academic Division of Economics (中国社会科学院经济学部编). 2019. Aspects of China’s New Normal: Growth, Structure, and Momentum. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China).

Cai Fang and Zhang Chewei (蔡昉 and 张车伟), eds. 2018. China’s Labor and Population Issues Report No. 17. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China).

Cao Yuanzheng (曹远征). 2017. Strategies for Internationalizing the Chinese Renminbi. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China).

Liu Yingqiu (刘迎秋). 2016. New Interpretations on the Development of China’s Non-Governmental Enterprises. Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China).

Yang Dongping (杨东平). 2015. "Diversity and Reform: Preparing for a New Age of Education in China." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 18-47

Yue Changjun (岳昌君). 2015. "Survey Report on 2013 College Graduates' Employment Situation." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 48-73

Sun Baicai and Liu Yunpeng (孙百才 and 刘云鹏). 2015. "China's Educational Attainments and Educational Equality: Empirical Data from 2002 to 2012." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 74-103

Song Yingquan (宋映泉). 2015. "Trends in Preschool Education: Public Finance Investment, Development Trends, and Challenges to its Equality." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 104-156

Zhou Jinyan (周金燕), Yuan Liansheng (袁连生), Zou Xue (邹雪). 2015. "A Review and Evaluation of China’s Financial Investment in Education over the Past Two Decades." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 157-186

Xiong Bingqi (熊丙奇). 2015. "The Reformation of the National College Entrance Examination is Imminent." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 187-202

Liu Huquan (刘胡权). 2015. "A Practical Exploration into the Development of Small-Scale Rural Schools in the Post- “Revocation and Merging” Era." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 203-230

Zeng Guohua (曾国华). 2015. "Rebuilding the Government-School Relationship: an Exploration and Reflection." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 231-250

Yu Mingxiao (于明潇). 2015. "The Current Situation Regarding the Protection of Children’s Rights and Interests in China and Related Policy Suggestions." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 251-274

Xu Dongmei (徐冬梅). 2015. "Report on the Development of Reading NGOs in Mainland China since 2008." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 275-296

Cheng Pingyuan (程平源). 2015. "The 2013 Investigation into the Nationwide Schoolchild Suicide Epidemic." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 297-323

Zhang Tianxue and Gao Sha (张天雪 and 高莎). 2015. "The Current Situation and Development of Information Transparency in Local Educational Administrative Portals." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 324-343

Yuan Fangyan and Liu Huquan (袁芳艳 and 刘胡权). 2015. "From Homeschooling to Non-School Experimental Education." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 344-366

The 21st Century Education Research Institute. 2015. "Online Report on Public Satisfaction with Education in 2013." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 368-383

Ge Jianxiong (葛剑雄). 2015. "Educational Problems in China, China’s Problems with Education." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 451-462

Lang Xianping (郎咸平). 2015. "Financial Subsidies for Key Public Schools are China's Largest Inequity." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 463-468

Cheng Hongbing (程红兵). 2015. "Why I Chose Shenzhen." 2014 Blue Book of China’s Education (General Report): Chinese Research Perspectives on Educational Development, vol. III. Edited by Yang Dongping (杨东平). Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press (China)/21st Century Education Research Institute, 469-473

Cai Fang (蔡昉). 2015. The Middle Income Trap. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Feng Lei and Peng Changhong (冯雷 and 裴长洪). 2014. The Performance of Foreign-Invested Social Enterprises in China. Beijing: Chinese Institute of Finance and Trade Economics.

Niu Jialin (牛建林). 2014. "Provincial Disparities in Changes in Fertility and Related Implications," Chinese Research Perspectives on Population and Labor, vol. I, no. 13. Edited by Liang Fan (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press/Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 14-23.

Zheng Zhenzhen (郑真真). 2014. "Intergenerational Effects on Fertility and Intended Family Size: the Implications for Future Fertility Change in China," Chinese Research Perspectives on Population and Labor, vol. I, no. 13. Edited by Liang Fan (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press/Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 24-30.

Cai Fang and Zhao Wen (蔡昉 and赵文). 2014. "When Demographic Dividends Disappear: Growth Sustainability in China," Chinese Research Perspectives on Population and Labor, vol. I, no. 13. Edited by Liang Fan (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press/Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 60-70.

Cai Fang and Du Yang (蔡昉 and 都阳). 2014. "Wage Increase, Wage Convergence, and the Lewis Turning Point in China," Chinese Research Perspectives on Population and Labor, vol. I, no. 13. Edited by Liang Fan (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press/Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 125-135.

Cai Fang, Du Yang, and Qu Yue (蔡昉, 都阳, and曲玥). 2014. "Labor Market Vulnerability in Urban China," Chinese Research Perspectives on Population and Labor, vol. I, no. 13. Edited by Liang Fan (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press/Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 151-160.

Zhang Zhanxin (张展新). 2014. "Intensified Reform of the Labor Market and Abolishment of the Rural-Urban Divide," Chinese Research Perspectives on Population and Labor, vol. I, no. 13. Edited by Liang Fan (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press/Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 207-223.

Deng Xiangyu (邓翔宇). "PCNN Model Analysis and its Automatic Parameters Determination in Image Processing," Journal of Lanzhou Polytechnic College, 2012.

Liu Hong (刘宏). “Action Research on Reading by Strategies-based Instruction,” Journal of Lanzhou Polytechnic College, 2012.

© Virginia L. Conn. All rights reserved.

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