Letter from the Editor

Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Heather McHale, the new Managing Editor of the Journal of Science Fiction.

I am taking the reins from Monica Louzon. Monica was not just our founding editor who launched the journal and steered us through the first three issues; the Journal was her brainchild, and we’re sorry to see her go. In addition to her work on the JOSF, Monica helmed the Museum of Science Fiction’s wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to produce our first take-home exhibit (Catalysts, Explorers, and Secret Keepers: Women of SF), so backers of that campaign will hear from Monica one more time when they receive their print copies of the anthology very soon. It is a beautiful book with cover art by the talented Julie Dillon, and it’s filled with exciting works of short fiction by established authors and new voices alike. We are grateful to Monica for all of her hard work and organizational genius, both here at the JOSF and as the editor of the take-home exhibit.

Aisha Matthews, who has taken on the role of assistant managing editor, has also been hard at work planning for Escape Velocity, the Museum of Science Fiction’s annual convention. EV2017, which ran from September 1-September 3, was jam-packed with all kinds of great programming, including a robust literary track. Assisted by another of our editors, Jandy Hannah, Aisha put together a slate of lively, provocative panels packed with diverse, exciting speakers. We’re already looking forward to Escape Velocity 2018, which will take place next May 25-27. In addition to Jandy, we are supported by the rest of our editorial staff: Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay, Thomas Connolly, Barbara Jasny, and Melanie Marotta.

We have big plans for the JOSF for the upcoming year, starting with our first themed issue! The next issue of the Journal, scheduled for publication in early 2018, will focus on Afrofuturism. Check out our call for papers at the end of this issue, and spread the word to the scholars you know. We are also looking to expand our pool of peer reviewers—you can find details about that in the back of this issue as well.

This issue’s articles run the gamut from particle physics to art theory. Kristine Larsen makes the case for clearer, more public-facing communication from scientists in “ALICE and the Apocalypse: Particle Accelerators as Death Machines in Science Fiction.” Antoinette Lafarge examines the role of ekphrasis (descriptions of art) in the works of Philip K. Dick and William Gibson. Chris Mich investigates the role of alienness and hybridity in Robotech. And Morgan Luck explores five features of multiverse time travel narratives, in the hope that readers, writers, and other creators will be better able to identify (and avoid?) paradoxes in their stories. In other words, issue 2.1 showcases exactly what the JOSF wants to be: a forum for talking about sci-fi from a variety of angles and disciplines.

The need for dialogue between scientists and the public, has never been greater than it is today, and therefore the role of science fiction and sci-fi criticism is more important than ever. Thank you to all of our authors, editors, artists, and reviewers for making the JOSF a success!

— Heather McHale, Ph.D.

Managing Editor, MOSF Journal of Science Fiction