I have to admit that the discussion of "the alt-right" in the present tense here made me skeptical at first. Apart from that, though, this is an interesting interview and looks like a worthwhile book.
Re: 'Speculative Whiteness: Science Fiction and the Alt-Right' by Jordan S. Carroll (2024)
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Q: As you explain in the intro, science fiction can serve as a “blueprint, warning, forecast, wish-dream, and counterfactual” (8). How does the alt-right, as part of its interpretive project, reconceptualize the purpose of science fiction? Can it be self-critical?
A: The alt-right often sees science fiction as a prefiguration of the destiny that white men must realize. They have a very crude view of culture: it either moralizes or demoralizes white people. They’re therefore only interested in science fiction insofar as it either inspires them to greatness or stands in the way of their greatness. For all their sophistry, it’s a very crude way of thinking, one that precludes any kind of critical self-reflection or openness to the kinds of thought experiments that science fiction so often affords.
Q: How is fascism connected with historical science fiction fandom?
A: We tend to think of fascists as outside agitators who are not real fans, but they have been here since the earliest days of fandom. The first major Neo-Nazi leader in the US was James H. Madole (1927-1979), who got his start in the science fiction community. In his writings describing the National Renaissance Party’s philosophy, he often drew upon science fiction images of a scientifically advanced cognitive elite who would rule the world and ultimately transcend their humanity to become “homo superior.” Instead of thinking of science fiction as inherently progressive, we need to think of it as an ongoing struggle between competing ideological tendencies. The left seems to be winning this war within literary science fiction, at least, but it was a hard-fought battle carried out over many decades.
https://sciencefictionruminations.com/2025/01/06/exploration-log-7-interview-with-jordan-s-carroll-author-of-speculative-whiteness-science-fiction-and-the-alt-right-2024/
#AltRight #fascism #SciFi #ScienceFiction #Asimov #Heinlein #AynRand #AtlasShrugged
