In this #FreeFictionFriday, "Deficiency Agent," author Andrew Liptak follows a platoon of soldiers who receive counterintuitive commands from TION, an AI navigation system, and find themselves in a dangerous situation that sets human judgment against algorithmic authority. issues.org/futuretensef...

In this piece from the Climate Fiction Writers League,  our own Ed Finn and Joey Eschrich share a list of writing tips, tricks, and tools inspired by our latest publication, "Climate Imagination" Visit the link below to dive in! climatefictionwritersleague.substack.com/p/imagining-...

This week’s #FreeFictionFriday is ‘Welcome to Hillsville’ by Justina Ireland. The peaceful city of Hillsville is tucked comfortably into the bustle of suburban life until conversations about nuclear storage disrupt the daily routine. Read here: csi.asu.edu/story/city-o...

Join us for a free virtual event as part of the 2026 Learning Planet Festival, hosted by the Learning Planet Institute and UNESCO! Learn more and see the full program of events running from January 21-28 at learning-planet.org. Link to register here: asu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

What happens when an imminent threat becomes the centerpiece of culture? This question is at the heart of ‘Return to Sender’ by Sarena Ulibarri, our latest #freefictionfriday piece, and part of Our Radioactive Neighbors, CSI’s latest collection. Get a copy here! 🔗 : csi.asu.edu/books/radnei...

Join us in kicking off the new year with John Carpenter's Escape From New York, the first movie of 2026 in our History of the Future series! Find the link below for a dark, exhilarating action on Wednesday, January 21, at 7 PM, announced by Matt Bell. 🔗: www.majesticphx.com/movie/Majest...

Our Radioactive Neighbors is free to download, read, and share. Through science fiction, visual art, and essays by experts across fields, it provides resources to help communities imagine their futures and make informed choices about nuclear siting. Download here: csi.asu.edu/books/radnei...

Could football management be optimized by AI systems, removing sentimentality and winning matches with a witches brew of unconventional tactics? Read "Bonum Certamen", this month's Future Tense Fiction story by Issues in Science and Technology and author Andrés Martinez: issues.org/futuretensef...

Congratulations Class of 2025! As we look beyond graduation, the next steps can feel exciting and daunting. But don’t stress; the Center for Science and the Imagination at ASU is excited to share “Forge Ahead: A Creative Guide for Mapping Possibilities and Finding Direction.” csi.asu.edu/forgeahead/

Thanks to LitHub Magazine for hosting this roundtable conversation in support of our new book, Climate Imagination: Dispatches from Hopeful Futures. Read more at: lithub.com/on-the-urgen...

This #FreeFictionFriday is ‘A Lion Roars in Longyearbyen’, the story of the last natural lion left on earth. We follow the gripping hunt of the lion in a world where climate change has tipped the world on its head and humans have depleted the natural world. Click to read: slate.com/technology/2...

Last Thursday, we joined some of our imaginary friends for a virtual conversation exploring the deep connection between social sciences and science fiction, and how these stories can help shape our vision of better social policies. Use the link below to watch! 🔗 issues.org/event/what-i...

In a recent interview with Clarkesworld Magazine, futures-thinkers and editors @edfinn.bsky.social and Joey Eschrich explore the power of speculative fiction to shape how we imagine and respond to real-world challenges. Use the link below to learn more! 🔗 clarkesworldmagazine.com/finn-eschric...

This week’s #FreeFictionFriday features Driftless by Scott Dorsch; the story of a man named Raimond Olmstead. We follow his journey as he recounts his decision to stay with his memory-ridden house in the lonely country despite the apocalyptic storms that plague it. 🔗 csi.asu.edu/story/driftl...

Join us for a virtual discussion to mark the publication of Climate Imagination, featuring writers and thinkers from around the world sharing hopeful climate stories. Speakers include Manjana Milkoreit, @yudhanjaya.bsky.social, and Vandana Singh. 🔗 events.newamerica.org/hopefulclima...

Through speculative fiction, essays, and visual art, Climate Imagination: Dispatches from Hopeful Futures seeks to inspire a wave of narratives about what positive climate futures might look like for communities around the world. Read it at the link below! 🔗 csi.asu.edu/books/climat...

Join us this Friday at 6:00 PM at the Arizona Science Center for Science with a TWIST! This 21+ after-hours experience brings you a night of stellar science fiction, cosmic costumes, and out-of-this-world presentations from our own Bob Beard and Nina Miller! 🔗 tickets.azscience.org/137251/142512

Join us on Thursday, December 4, at 10 AM for a virtual conversation exploring how fiction can help shape our vision of better social policies. Moderator @edfinn.bsky.social will join @drkarenlord.bsky.social , @annaleen.bsky.social , Malka Older, and Craig Calhoun. asu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

This week's #FreeFictionFriday response essay, "Can We Cool Down Data?" by @theuniverse.bsky.social , explores the innovative possibilities of DNA-based digital data storage and reflects on why seeking cooler, more resilient storage alternatives is essential. issues.org/futuretensef...

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday feature, writer E.G. Condé introduces us to veteran operator Alvaro and his passionate trainee Li. When their employer's systems suddenly fail and the city is plunged into darkness, the two decide to take matters into their own hands. 🔗 issues.org/futuretensef...

Don't miss "Edge of Tomorrow," at 7 PM MST on Wednesday at Tempe's Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill! Before the film, enjoy a discussion with @tedpavlic.bsky.social , a professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence. 🔗 www.majesticphx.com/movie/Histor...

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday pick by @bpladek.bsky.social , Chase, a risk analyst, has built his life around predicting everything that could possibly go wrong. But his partner, a passionate activist, has built hers on the belief that things can go right. 🔗 issues.org/futuretensef...

Join us for the explosive finale in our History of the Future series with Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow! Grab your tickets from Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill and join us in exploring this thought-provoking thriller on Wednesday, November 19, at 7 PM! 🔗 www.majesticphx.com/movie/Histor...

After ten weeks of reflection, storytelling, and creative exploration, participants shared their imaginative visions of futures grounded in community, creativity, and service to others. Congratulations to our 5th cohort of graduates, and deep thanks to our partners for their continued support!

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday pick, "Symphony for the Boo Hag" by Deji Bryce Olukotun, a group of children ventures into an abandoned musician’s home, searching for lost instruments, but instead finds an ally who helps them reimagine what it means to make harmony. www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4qsb4...

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday response essay, investigative journalist Alice Driver reflects on Gabriela Damián Miravete's "Coser y Cantar," examining the growing intersection of human labor and automation. 🔗 issues.org/futuretensef...

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday feature, "Coser y Cantar" by Gabriela Damián Miravete, we follow aspiring designer Trix as she chases her dreams to Los Angeles. But after uncovering deep-rooted corruption in the factory where she works, Trix is forced to take a stand. issues.org/futuretensef...

Join us for a free virtual event on Monday, October 27, at 11:00 AM MT to celebrate the launch of Sound Systems and reflect on pathways towards conceptualizing and shaping the future of orchestras. Guests include DJ Spooky, Deji Bryce Olokuton, and Ashley Lauren Frith 🔗 asu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

This week's #FreeFictionFriday pick, "The Baker of Mars" by @karlschroeder.bsky.social follows Myrna, a chef serving settlers colonizing Mars. Relocation seems promising, until a visit with a friend reveals the expansion is quickly draining the planet's aquifers. www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3ipli...

Continuing our commemoration of Black Speculative Fiction Month, the Center for Science and the Imagination has compiled a collection of Black voices and art celebrating the diversity of the speculative fiction genre. Watch, listen, and read at the link below! 🔗 csi.asu.edu/black-futures/

In a recent interview for the Siemens Xcelerator Community, author and Professor @edfinn.bsky.social joins David Erhard and Bill Johnston in examining the critical role that imagination plays in helping us solve complex, modern-day challenges. 🔗 community.xcelerator.siemens.com/public/video...

Join us on October 16 at 6:30 PM for a special screening of THE B.A.T.U. Project: ADAM THE FIRST. After the showing, stay for a conversation with Afrofuturist scholar Ingrid LaFleur and assistant professor of Space and Society, Professor Timiebi Aganaba. 🔗 asuevents.asu.edu/event/batu-p...

Join us on October 16 at 1:30 PM for a discussion with scholar Ingrid LaFleur! Drawing on Afrofuture principles, LaFleur will guide participants in understanding how ritual, imagination, and ethical foresight can become tools for conjuring new possibilities. 🔗 asuevents.asu.edu/event/being-...

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday feature, "Bigfeet" by @thekibosch.bsky.social , a group of scientists successfully brings an extinct species back from the dead: the elusive Bigfoot. The main problem? It never actually existed in the first place! 🔗 slate.com/technology/2...

Our new book, Sound Systems, features speculative fiction and art, alongside essays from musicians, music educators, arts leaders, activists, and scholars, including thinkers from the fields of civil engineering, learning science, and public health. 🔗 csi.asu.edu/books/sounds...

In a recent article for Doing Well News, @edfinn.bsky.social joins @miaaarmstrong.bsky.social in examining climate anxiety. The conversation explores the concept of a "protopia," and the role imagination plays in helping turn our anxiety into action. doingwellnews.substack.com/p/climate-an...

Join us at Tempe's Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill on Wednesday, October 15, at 7 PM for a showing of "The Matrix Reloaded." This standalone screening will feature a talk by Rizwan Virk, bestselling author of The Simulation Hypothesis. Interested in tickets? www.majesticphx.com/movie/Realit...

Join us in commemorating Black Speculative Fiction Month at Arizona State University! This series of events on October 16 explores how artists, scholars, and cultural leaders use speculative storytelling to imagine more just and inclusive futures. 🔗 asuevents.asu.edu?searchText=b...

Don't miss Mars Attacks! at 7 PM MST on Wednesday at Tempe's Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill! Prior to the film, join us for a discussion with @deschscoveries.bsky.social, a Professor of Astrophysics in the School of Earth and Space Exploration. 🔗 www.majesticphx.com/movie/Histor...

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday pick, "Scent of the Freetails" by @Deji Bryce Olukotun, we're introduced to Raj, a man visiting his sister-in-law's off-grid community with his family. But the town of La Estrella has garnered quite a reputation, leaving Raj with concerns. issues.org/scent-freeta...

Happy Black Speculative Fiction Month! We're celebrating with a series of lectures and events with Afrofuturist Ingrid LaFleur, exploring how artists and scholars use tools of imagination to engage with diverse perspectives and possibilities for a better world. 🔗 asuevents.asu.edu?searchText=b...

Get ready for a night of Martian madness for the third showing of our History of the Future film series, "Mars Attacks!" Grab tickets from Majestic Theaters and dive into this stellar cult classic with @deschscoveries.bsky.social on Wednesday, October 8, at 7 PM! www.majesticphx.com/movie/Histor...

In a recent interview with the Center for Science and the Imagination, Brenda Cooper joined us on Zoom to discuss her latest collection of speculative fiction and share insights into her lifelong fascination with the future and the role of imagination in shaping it. 🔗 csi.asu.edu/ideas/from-s...

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday response essay, urban planner and CEO Kate Gordon discusses the world presented in Pippa Goldschmidt's "The Way Out," exploring how we emotionally distance ourselves from disaster until it's at our doorstep. Use the link below to read! issues.org/futuretensef...

In this week's #FreeFictionFriday pick, "The Way Out" by @pippagoldschmidt.bsky.social, we're introduced to Drover, a solitary researcher who spends his time carefully monitoring bat heart rates, flight patterns, and behavior, to help predict oncoming natural disasters. 🔗 issues.org/futuretensef...

Check out the latest episode of @progressntwrk.bsky.social "What Could Go Right?", in which CSI Founding Director Ed Finn joins Zachary Karabell and Emma Varvaloucas to discuss the intersection between sci-fi and real-world science in our daily lives. 🔗 theprogressnetwork.org/podcast/turn...

🤖Can today’s science fiction become tomorrow’s guidebook for change? 🎙️TPN founder Zachary Karabell & TPN exec. director Emma Varvaloucas sat down with @edfinn.bsky.social the visionary behind @imaginationasu.bsky.social & academic director of Future Tense, to talk about it link.chtbl.com/PxqfcV-v

Catch Ghostbusters at 7 PM MST this Wednesday at Tempe's Majestic Neighborhood Cinema Grill! Before the film, enjoy a discussion with Jenna Hanchey, a senior global futures scholar and assistant professor at the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication. 🔗 www.majesticphx.com/movie/Histor...

In this week’s #FreeFictionFriday feature, “Out of Ash,” by futurist and sci–fi author Brenda Cooper, Washington’s governor relocates and builds a new state capital after historic Olympia is flooded and destroyed. The only problem with New Olympia? No one’s moved in! 🔗 slate.com/technology/2...

Get ready for another showing in our History of the Future film series with the 1984 classic Ghostbusters! Grab your tickets from Majestic Theaters and dive into this supernatural comedy with @jennahanchey.bsky.social on Wednesday, September 24, at 7 PM. 🔗 www.majesticphx.com/movie/Histor...