Events
The SFWG sponsors, and its members participate in, many UF events, symposia, and conferences centered on science fiction, fantasy, and utopian studies. If you know of an event that isn’t listed below, contact Terry Harpold to have it added.
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | Calendar view
SFWG Events 2020
January–December. Asimov@100
SFWG and the Marston Science Library commemorate the 100th anniverary of the birth of American science fiction author and scientific popularizer Isaac Asimov.
SFWG Events 2019
July 26. Mr. Peabody & Sherman
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer film series concludes with Rob Minkoff’s 2014 animated time travel comedy Mr. Peabody & Sherman.
July 19. Fantastic Voyage
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer fim series continues with Richard Fleischer’s 1966 science fiction classic Fantastic Voyage.
July 12. Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer fim series continues with Ken Annakin’s madcap 1965 comedy of the early years of aviation, Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines; Or, How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes.
July 5. Ever After
The Florida Museum of Natural History resumes its “Creative B” summer film series, featuring entertaining fantasy and science fiction films and roundtable discussions by scholars, scientists, writers, and artists. As part of UF’s campus-wide celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, each of this summer’s films is associated in some way with the figure of the great Renaissance polymath. The series begins on July 5 with Andy Tennant’s 1998 film Ever After.
April 4. Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin
The first U.S. college campus screening of the feature documentary exploring the life and legacy of the groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy author.
SFWG Events 2018
November 6. “Technology, Fiction, and Our Future”
Author and entrepreneur Rob Reid on emerging technologies and the future of humanity.
October 30–31. Frankenread
Join us for campus-wide events celebrating the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s enduring science fiction masterpiece, Frankenstein.
July 27. Batman v Superman
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer film series concludes its homage to the “Masters of the Night” with Zack Snyder’s 2018 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
July 20. Nightwing
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer film series continues its homage to the “Masters of the Night” theme with Arthur Hiller’s 1979 film Nightwing.
July 13. Dracula
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer film series continues its homage to the “Masters of the Night” with Tod Browning’s 1931 film Dracula.
July 6. The Dark Knight
The Florida Museum of Natural History resumes its “Creative B” summer film series, featuring entertaining science fiction films and roundtable discussions by scholars, scientists, writers, and artists. In honor of the Museum’s ongoing exhibit “Masters of the Night,” this summer’s theme is… bats! The series begins on July 6 with Christopher Nolan’s 2008 film The Dark Knight.
March 1. Flora of Middle-Earth: Plants of Tolkien’s Legendarium
Walter S. Judd, Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the UF Department of Biology, discusses his new book Flora of Middle Earth: Plants of Tolkien’s Legendarium. Judd’s handsomely illustrated book gives a detailed species account of every plant found in Tolkien’s universe. Copies of the book will be available for sale and signing by the author.
SFWG Events 2017
July 28. Back to the Future
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer film series concludes with Robert Zemeckis’s 1985 blockbuster science fiction comedy Back to the Future. The evening’s events will feature a custom-built, street-legal replica of the film’s DeLorean time machine (complete with Flux capacitor and Mr. Fusion!) created by Terry and Oliver Holler of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
July 21. Time After Time
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer film series’ time travel + H.G. Wells themes continue with Nicholas Meyer’s 1979 film Time After Time.
July 14. The Time Machine
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s summer film series’ time travel theme continues with George Pal’s 1960 film The Time Machine.
July 7. Things to Come
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s resumes its “Creative B” summer film series, featuring entertaining science fiction films and roundtable discussions by scholars, scientists, writers, and artists. In recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Museum’s establishment, this summer’s theme is “future history + time travel.” The series begins on July 7 with William Cameron Menzies’s 1936 film Things to Come.
March 20. “Latin America in Space”
Rachel Haywood Ferreira discusses the Golden Age of Latin American SF, which coincided with the height of the Space Race and the emerging Atomic Age.
February 15. Mr. Eternity
Novelist Aaron Thier reads from his celebrated climate fiction novel “Mr. Eternity.”
SFWG Events 2016
December 11. “The World is Dying and We’re Filming It”
Fourteen original short films by the students of “Creating the Cinema of Climate Change.”
November 22. “Heavens on Earth?”
Carmen Boullosa, one of Mexico’s leading contemporary novelists, poets, and playwrights, speaks on Latin American science fiction.
November 18. “Octavia E. Butler’s Public Legacy”
Tarshia L. Stanley discusses the life and letters of American science fiction author Octavia E. Butler.
October 13. “Observation of Predation in Humans: A Lecture by Dr. Zira, Animal Psychologist”
Dr. Zira (Coco Fusco) interprets the predatory activities of human beings in post-industrial societies around the world.
July 29. Matango.
The FLMNH “Creative B” series concludes with Ishirō Honda’s 1963 tokusatsu horror film Matango.
July 26. “Wanderers – An Evening of Short Science Fiction Film”
Short science fiction films created by individuals and teams of filmmakers from six nations, curated and presented by Terry Harpold. Digital Worlds Institute, Norman Gym, 624 SW 12th Street, Gainesville, FL 32611, 7–8:30 PM.
July 22. The Thing from Another World.
The FLMNH “Creative B” series continues with Christian Nyby and Howard Hawks’ 1951 science fiction horror classic The Thing from Another World.
July 8. Mothra.
The Florida Museum of Natural History will resume its annual “Creative B” summer film series, featuring entertaining science fiction films and roundtable discussions by scholars, scientists, and artists. To celebrate the installation at UF of several large insect sculptures by artist Nobuho Nagasawa, this summer’s series begins on July 8 with Ishirō Honda’s 1961 kaijū film Mothra.
March 15. “Pumzi: A Screening and Conversation with Wanuri Kahiu”
ICC’s Spring 2016 events conclude with a public screening of Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu’s science fiction short film. Set in an East African subterranean society “35 years after World War III, the ‘Water War,’” Pumzi (2009) tells the story of a female scientist’s effort to envision a new way of relating to the outside world, believed to be void of all life. The screening, which begins at 5 PM in the Ustler Hall Atrium, is free and open to the public.
February 24. “Gender in Cuban Science Fiction”
Cuban science fiction author Michel Encinosa will give a lecture in English on “Gender in Cuban Science Fiction,” beginning at 4 PM, in 215 Dauer Hall. The lecture is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided.
Earlier in the day Encinosa will meet with students in Dr. M. Elizabeth Ginway’s “Latin American Science Fiction” course. That informal conversation about his work and science fiction in Cuba today is free and open to the public and will take place from 12:50–1:40 PM in FLT 117. Discussion will be in Spanish.
February 17–18. “Imagining Climate Change: Science & Fiction in Dialogue”
The second installment of this international, interdisciplinary colloquium (see below, Fall 2015) will bring noted climate scientists and science fiction authors and scholars to the UF campus to discuss the effects of climate change on the physical environment and the human imaginary. Speakers include Tobias Buckell, Christian Chelebourg Jay Famiglietti, Yann Quero, Jeff VanderMeer, and UF faculty from the Departments of English, Entomology and Nematology, Geological Sciences, and Spanish and Portuguese Studies, the College of Journalism and Communications, and the Center for African Studies and UF Water Institute. For more information see the colloquium WWW site: http://imagining-climate.clas.ufl.edu.
SFWG Events 2015
October 22–24. “How to Talk About Horror”
The 15th annual conference of the English Graduate Organization opens a scholarly space to discuss all that is frightening and unsettling. Conference keynote speakers include Stephanie Boluk of the University of California, Davis, and Maisha Wester of Indiana University. For a complete program of events see the conference WWW site.
October 8–10. “Imagining Climate Change: Science & Fiction in Dialogue”
The first installment of this international, interdisciplinary colloquium (see above, Spring 2016) will bring noted climate scientists and science fiction authors and scholars to the UF campus to discuss the effects of climate change on the physical environment and the human imaginary. Invited speakers include Andrea Dutton, Jean-Marc Ligny, and Nathaniel Rich, and UF faculty from the Departments of English, Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and Religion, and the Center for African Studies, the UF Climate Institute, and the UF Water Institute. For more information see the colloquium WWW site: http://imagining-climate.clas.ufl.edu.
July 24. One Million Years B.C.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s “Creative B” free film series continues in an sf vein, with Don Chaffey’s 1966 dinosaur and cavegirl epic One Million Years B.C.
July 15. Wanderers
The College of the Arts’ “Creative B” summer film series includes a evening of short science fiction films from around the world.
July 10. Them!
The Florida Museum of Natural History will resume its annual “Creative B” summer film series, featuring entertaining science fiction films and roundtable discussions by scholars, scientists, and artists. This summer’s series will kick off on July 10 with Them!, Gordon Douglas’s 1954 film about giant ants attacking Los Angeles.
March 16–17. “After the Curtain: Post-1989 Fantastic Fiction in Poland.” Paweł Frelik, Marie Curie Skłodowska University, Poland
On March 16, Professor Frelik will give a public lecture on contemporary Polish fantastic fiction. On March 17, he will lead a lunchtime seminar on Central and Eastern European science fiction and film.
February 26–27. “James Joyce, Science Fiction, Cultural Studies & Other Modernist Wonders”
This two-day symposium (February 26–27, 2015) brings together former UF undergraduate and graduate students, major scholars, and other special guests to celebrate the career and continuing legacy of UF Professor of English Emeritus and internationally renowned James Joyce scholar, Brandy Kershner.
SFWG Events 2014
October 1. “International & Minority Science Fiction in a Global World”
The inaugural SFWG workshop focuses on the importance of sf from global cultures and subcultures as a creative and scholarly context for discussions of artistic, ethical, and political issues of our time.
