Michael Hagearty
Institute Communications and Public Affairs
As an assistant
professor in the School
of Literature, Communication and Culture (LCC), Lisa Yaszek’s
specialty is science fiction. This week, she has planned
multiple events and symposia that involve vampires, cyborgs
and cyberpunks, introducing art and film exhibits as
well as presentations from local scholars, science fiction
writers and artists from Cartoon Network’s “Adult
Swim.”
“We specifically chose the theme of ‘Monstrous
Bodies in Science, Fiction and Culture’ because
it allowed us to demonstrate how the research we do
in LCC connects with Georgia Tech’s dedication
to scientific and technological development,” she
said. “We tend to think about bodies
as autonomous, self-contained entities. However, new sciences and technologies
both challenge and transform our experiences with all kinds of bodies on a
daily basis. As humanities scholars, LCC faculty and
students are interested in demonstrating
how artists think about and represent the kinds of scientific and technological
issues that our colleagues elsewhere at Georgia Tech grapple with on a daily
basis.”
Yaszek also oversees a research lab centered around
the Bud Foote
Science Fiction Collection, named for
the emeritus professor who donated his
personal science
fiction collection — some 8,000 items — to the Institute following
his retirement in 1999.
“The mission of the Science Fiction Lab is twofold,” she
said. “First,
the Lab provides students with an opportunity to conduct independent research
in one of Tech’s most unique resources. Second, students who work
in the Lab aim to heighten public awareness about the Collection by publishing
their
research results online after a rigorous process of peer review and revision.
We hope that this research portal will demonstrate Georgia Tech’s
ongoing commitment to science fiction studies, and that it will be a useful
resource
for everyone interested in learning more about science fiction.”
Foote’s
death earlier this month, she said, will most certainly cast a shadow over
some of the events, but his spirit will remain forever present in
the legacy he left behind.
“I’m particularly saddened by this because we originally conceived
of the ‘Monstrous Bodies’ symposium as a way to showcase the kind
of scholarly work Bud began twenty-five years ago when he established the first
science fiction class at Georgia Tech. This was one of the first accredited college-level
courses on science fiction, and in many ways it was the cornerstone of my department’s
ongoing commitment to the study of the fantastic in the arts. I’m sorry
Bud won’t be there in body to witness the fruit of all his labors, but
we are determined to make this symposium a real celebration of his life nonetheless.”
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