Imaginarium II Dystopian Hope

Tickets available through the British Fantasy Society.

In a time when mainstream media spews out news that seems darker than the dystopian volumes on our shelves, hope might seem far-reaching… utopian even. However, in reality, hope is not the antithesis of dystopia, rather, it can be the effect of – a consequence of – or even an inevitability of it. After all, as Ursula K. Le Guin tells us in The Farthest Shore, “To see a candle’s light one must take it into a dark place.” If mainstream media demands us to face the darkness they paint, Imaginarium II’s response is to seek the candles lit through the speculative fiction of hope, which burns brighter each day.

Join us in exploring diasporas as a rich source of heroes in speculative fiction; how ESEA creatives are making and using opportunities out in the wild; and the interconnectedness of dystopia and hope.…