Speculative Whiteness

Powerful and terrifying essay on the alt- and far- right’s obsession with fascist and authoritarian utopias in science fiction.  This was nominated for a 2025 Related Work Hugo.  I normally don’t read much non-fiction these days, but I decided to read these nominees, and I’m glad I did.  This study was very eye-opening.  The basic premise is that the fascists and white supremists had found a place in science fiction that supports their idea that only white people have the forethought for space travel and scientific innovation.  Grounded in early science fiction, which was exclusively a white boy’s club, they revel in the ideas that many authors were parodying, criticizing, and ironically depicting.  They ignore the endings where the hero topples or subverts the ruling governments or corporations.  This a la carte reading, which in my opinion is so like the a la carte reading of the Bible by evangelical Christians, is what authenticates their belief that the world belongs to them and only by ethnic cleansing can humanity move to the next level of evolution.

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