University of California, Riverside
Beyond the Bindings of Speculative Fiction
Through UCR’s Speculative Fictions and Cultures of Science program, researchers are expanding our understanding of a traditionally Eurocentric field by adding new, diverse perspectives
O ne of Michael Pfirrmann-Pugh’s favorite childhood memories is time spent with his mother watching the crew of the starship Enterprise “boldly go where no one has gone before” on “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” A love for all things science fiction was further nurtured by the many books the two would read together, including works like “Crystal Singer” from Hugo award-winning author Anne McCaffery and Michael Crichton’s iconic novel “Jurassic Park.” But it wasn’t until he was introduced to the pioneering work of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler during his undergraduate studies at UCLA that a passion for the genre fully took hold.
“At that moment, I thought, ‘Oh, finally! We actually see Black people in science fiction!’” he said. “This opened up a new world of authors for me, and I have not looked back since.”
Michael Pfirrmann-Pugh, a graduate student in the SFCS program, is focusing his research on Black literary and cultural production. (UCR/Stan Lim)
Now Pfirrmann-Pugh is working towards a doctorate in English at UCR, with a designated emphasis in Speculative Fictions and Cultures of Science, or SFCS. A rare gem within English departments across the United States, the SFCS program was founded in 2013 as an academic unit complementing UCR’s extensive Eaton Collection of Science Fiction & Fantasy. Exploring the intersections among speculative fiction, science and technology studies, and traditions of speculative thought, the program offers both a designated emphasis at the Ph.D. level and an undergraduate minor.
Associate Professor of English andré carrington leads the SFCS program in collaboration with a steering committee comprising faculty members from the English; media and cultural studies; anthropology; philosophy; Black study; and society, environment, and health equity departments. This interdisciplinary structure enables graduate students to pursue interests in topics that cross the boundaries of science and technology studies and the humanities.
“At that moment, I thought, ‘Oh, finally! We actually see Black people in science fiction!’”
“It’s a way to link together courses they want to take in multiple departments, form relationships with faculty in other disciplines, and define their own research,” carrington said. “Every student who pursues this emphasis does an independent study on a topic of their choosing that can extend their interest in science fiction, fantasy, or science and technology studies beyond coursework, reading, games, or entertainment.”
Pfirrmann-Pugh’s research centers on Black literary and cultural production, including film, comic books, television, and animation, with his current research looking at Black hair as part of a character’s persona. His dissertation will focus on Black queer fiction from the 1990s to the present. Pfirrmann-Pugh is also the first graduate student to teach a course on Black superheroes. Modeled after a course developed by award-winning graphic novelist and UCR media and cultural studies professor John Jennings, who is also part of the SFCS program’s faculty, Pfirrmann-Pugh’s iteration of the class looks at comics and other mediums to analyze the ways in which Black superheroes are represented and viewed.
Now in his third year of the program, Pfirrmann-Pugh says pursuing the SFCS emphasis has given him access to a world of Black characters and superheroes that were missing from his childhood. With the goal of becoming a professor himself, he wants to make sure young people see more Black and ethnically diverse characters in popular culture.
“I hope this program helps scholars see the value of literature and culture as ways of playing out the lessons of history and our hopes for the future.”
“All my mentors said I had to be here. Now I know why. The Ph.D. program is great; we have fabulous professors,” Pfirrmann-Pugh said. “I chose this program because of the way we are able to dabble. Most Ph.D. programs don’t have something like this, and it offers a way to expand our knowledge and research.”
Beyond delving deep into their own niche interests, the program encourages scholars to explore the role of popular culture and speculative fiction more broadly, highlighting the ways in which these genres can serve as an imaginative testing ground for technological innovation, articulate hopes and anxieties about technological change, and mediate public understanding of science and its applications.
“These days, reality looks a lot like science fiction,” carrington said. “I hope this program helps scholars see the value of literature and culture as ways of playing out the lessons of history and our hopes for the future.”
Meet the Director
A n associate professor of English, andré carrington joined the UCR faculty in 2020 and became director of the Speculative Fictions and Cultures of Science (SFCS) program in 2023. Raised in suburban Maryland, he attended a small liberal arts college where he began forming lifelong connections with Black academics around the country through the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program. He went on to earn a doctorate in American Studies at NYU and then joined the faculty at Drexel University, where he published his first book, “Speculative Blackness: The Future of Race in Science Fiction” in 2016. In addition to teaching, carrington enjoys serving as an editor for journals and books, staying current on literature, participating in governance and professional societies, and planning national conferences. He is also an active birder, documenting hundreds of bird species in the wild, and has recently been delving into the field of sound studies. His forthcoming book, “Audiofuturism,” examines the role of race and genre in science fiction radio plays. Here he shares more about his research and career.
Were you a science fiction/fantasy fan growing up? If so, what were some of your favorite works? What inspired you to do research in this area?
Like many kids who came of age in the 80s and 90s, my entire household watched “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” I read comic books (“X-Men,” “Batman,” “Static”) and science fiction and fantasy novels ("The Chronicles of Prydain” by Lloyd Alexander, “The Martian Chronicles” by Ray Bradbury). I also grew up with older sisters who read Black women’s writing: Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Ntozake Shange. Going to college allowed me to connect my interests with a deeper understanding of society. American studies and Black studies have always combined questions about culture with questions about power and politics, and that was illuminating for me. When I was in graduate school, there were college courses and books about television, comics, science fiction, and fan culture, but there wasn’t much accounting for the whiteness of these fields, and there didn’t appear to be room for people like me to participate in them as a scholar. So I did what Toni Morrison advised: if the book you want to read hasn’t been written yet, you have to write it.
Your research intersects studies of both race and science fiction. Can you share a bit more about your work?
I study and write about the fantastic genres in literature and media with the understanding that racism, including chattel slavery in particular, has played an integral role in shaping the modern world. My writing and teaching harness the power of what we can learn from Black authors and artists. When I step into that tradition as a critic to say what I think about representations of Blackness, about the racial dimensions of different narratives and imagery, about the power dynamics involved in offering up different visions of the past and future, I’m always doing so as a Black American with a certain outlook formed by my personal history and my education.
Are there insights from your research that you’d like to share?
An important finding that guides my research is that racism, historically, has posed profound obstacles to Black people’s ability to make lasting impacts in any area of literature and culture. This means that the analogy we might draw between being pigeonholed or underappreciated as a white science fiction writer or publisher and being marginalized as a Black person in a racist society is a fundamentally insufficient way to understand culture. When Black people show up in any genre tradition, in any art form, we are always intervening in a conversation that the field might not even recognize it’s been having about race and racism the whole time.
What are some current projects that you’re excited about?
I’m finishing a book on science fiction radio plays — like the “War of the Worlds” — focused on adaptations of speculative fiction by Black writers. It will be the first book of its kind on this topic, and I’m going to talk about it everywhere I go. The title is “Audiofuturism.”
What are your future hopes for this genre?
I hope to see more people from all racial backgrounds making their living and enjoying their retirement through the work of fantastic and inclusive storytelling. I hope that the more we value the different kinds of work people do, the more we will see how vital it is to remove obstacles that prevent people from turning what they love into their life’s work.
Why is UCR a good place for you to teach and conduct this research?
First, my colleagues are tremendously supportive and respectful. Second, for my research, the Eaton Collection is an unparalleled resource. And ultimately, the freedom and quality of life that I have as a UC Senate faculty member are exactly the conditions I need to make a living doing something that invigorates me intellectually.