Worldcon is under way in Scotland – with the climate crisis a hot topic at the popular sci-fi convention.
Post-apocalyptic Earth is a staple of science fiction, with real-life warnings foreboding climate change will be “catastrophic for civilisation” unless urgent action is taken.
The World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) – which is taking place at Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus (SEC) until Monday – has put the crisis front and centre of its packed programme with a number of panels set to discuss the emergency.
Author Su J Sokol told Sky News it’s a “very important issue”.
Sokol – whose pronouns are xe/xyr – said: “At this point, people have been writing climate fiction for a very long time.
“One of the wonderful things about this genre is that it can help people think about things they need to think about.
“I mean, in science fiction you also read about pandemics a long, long time ago, and also about the possibility of nuclear war.
“All these kinds of things are devastations, so it’s a good way to sound a warning bell.”
Pic: Sky News
Sokol will be moderating The Spectrum of Climate Fiction panel on Friday evening.
Xe said even those not writing climate fiction will struggle to pen near-future sci-fi without referencing the environmental crisis.
Sokol explained: “You can’t write near-future fiction without trying to imagine what things are going to be like climate-wise, because it’s a reality.
“So, if you write your fiction and it doesn’t have it in it, it’s not going to seem realistic.
“It has to be pretty much in your story, unless you’re writing some very far-future fiction and some major change has tipped things in another direction. But they’ll have to explain what happened.”
The panel plans to discuss the various approaches to imagining and navigating future worlds with hotter temperatures, water scarcity, rising sea levels, crop failures, and the movement of climate refugees.
Sokol said: “Undeniably, the world is changing in terms of climate.
“I mean, even in the 20 years I’ve lived in Montreal, the climate has changed dramatically. And it’s frightening.
“It’s frightening to see that and to hear about all the extinctions and to think about the flooding and the fires. But there are different approaches to writing about these worlds.
“There’s the approach that says, ‘alright, I’m going to write a story that’s going to scare people into paying attention to this’. Or ‘I’m going to write a story that talks about possible technological solutions or lifestyle changes or political solutions’.
“Or ‘I’m going to write a story about how we’re going to try to get by in this worse situation’.”
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Sokol is originally from Brooklyn in New York but moved to Montreal in Canada around 20 years ago.
Xe has written three novels – Cycling to Asylum, Run J Run, and Zee – and has a fondness for “hope-punk”, a subgenre of speculative fiction that features characters fighting for positive change, radical kindness, and communal responses to challenges.
Sokol’s background is in law, but xe began writing around 12 years ago and has not looked back.
Xe said: “I love to read stories that think about not like the world as it is, but the world as it could be.
“Because I’m also an activist, I’m very invested in trying to help bring about positive social change.
“Science fiction, fantasy and all the speculative fiction genres can help us imagine a better world. Because if you can’t imagine one, you certainly can’t build one.”
Sokol has attended a number of Worldcons, including in Dublin, Chicago, Washington DC, and Helsinki.
Xe said it’s “really, really fun” to be with a community of people who share the same interests, as well as having the opportunity to participate and attend panels that discuss a wide range of issues.
Sokol said: “I just love to attend panels and meet other people.
“Sometimes you can meet authors that you really admire, or other people who just feel the way you do about this type of writing.”
Sokol believes most science fiction has some sort of political or social aspect to it and writers should not be discouraged by that.
Xe added: “So, what are you going to do? How are you going to tell a good story?
“Are people going to leave just feeling despair? Are they going to leave feeling like there’s something that can be done?
“Are people going to be shaken out of their complacency or not? These are things to think about.
“Your words are going to have an impact and you might as well be mindful of it and think about what that is.”
A Batmobile at Worldcon in Glasgow. Pic: Sky News
Worldcon began in New York in 1939 and has travelled the globe.
Glasgow 2024 is the eighth Worldcon to be held in the UK and the third in the Scottish city after 1995 and 2005.
Elizabeth Train-Brown and Tajinder Hayer from Lancaster University’s department of English Literature and Creative Writing. Pic: Sky News
This year’s programme includes talks, workshops, readings, panel discussions and entertainment.
Ceilidhs, fan tables and parties, an art show, costume masquerade, special displays and tours have also been arranged among a whole host of other activities.
Chris Mooney and Simon Proctor from Crossfire Gaming Club hope to sign up new members. Pic Sky News
Since arriving in Scotland, Sokol has visited Edinburgh and travelled to Skye.
Speaking about Glasgow, xe said: “I really, really love the vibe of the city.”