On November 11, the Edgeryders nonprofit assocation is bringing me to Brussels for a day-long event called The Science Fiction Economics Lab, where I’ll be jointly keynoting with Edgeryders economist Alberto Cottica, a lifelong science fiction fan, about radical futuristic economic ideas for a more cooperative, sustainable future.
It’s a stage-setting exercise that then leads into an Extinction Rebellion workshop called “Reclaiming Utopia,” and the next day, November 12, will be a full-day workshop designing “fictional economies…t do not exist in fully realized form, but are nevertheless internally coherent and could, in principle, come to pass, and are radically different from the economy we do have.” It all wraps with a giant party on Nov 15 (“Because if we can’t dance, we don’t want your alt-economy”).
The event is running a crowdfunder to help defray costs, with copies of my novel Walkaway and other premiums for backers.
The maiden voyage of the Sci-Fi Economics Lab consists of four parts:November 11th: A double keynote lecture by science fiction author Cory Doctorow and economist Alberto Cottica, moderated by Kirsten Dunlop. The lecture focuses on the experience of living in a different economy would be like (Doctorow, drawing on his and others’ work, in particular Walkaway); a professional economist’s point of view on the viability of such a fictional economy (Cottica), and a discussion of the path to get from here to there (all three).
On November 11th, Reclaiming Utopia, a workshop where we learn how to mobilize ourselves for the more humane, fairer, greener economy we want. In collaboration with Extinction Rebellion.
On November 12th, a brainstorming session to create abstracts for contributions to economic theory and economic policy underpinning fictional economies. By “fictional economies” we mean economies that do not exist in fully realized form, but are nevertheless internally coherent and could, in principle, come to pass, and are radically different from the economy we do have.
On November 15th we throw a big party. Because if we can’t dance, we don’t want your alt-economy.
Sci-Fi Economics Lab [Edgeryders/Indiegogo]