The neoMONSTERS action is one of India’s first cross-genre, cross-media, cross-language study that theorizes SF monsters – especially zombies and aliens – within the context of 21st century India. This cutting-edge action led to multiple publications, workshops, panels, and podcasts that worked across the domains of theory and fiction, and academics and popular imagination. Its impact has been felt across academic and general audiences, as evidenced by the traction it has garnered. Moreover, its theoretical findings can now provide a base for further forays into India and its contemporary science fictional monsters.
Please see below for results:
Publications
1. “Zombies and India: The neoMONSTERS Epidemiology”. The Journal of Popular Culture. 56(2), 2023
2. “Genre-Zombies and Zombie-Genre: Science Fiction, India and the Undead”. Foundation: The International Review of Science Fiction. 145/54(2), 2023.
3. “AI, Wars, and Climate Change: India's Future(s) in Three Hindi “Large Short” Films”. Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts 34(1), 2023.
4. “Altars of Alterity: The Curious Case of Aliens in India's Science Fiction.” Altered Space: Essays on the Global Transformation of Science Fiction. Edited by Gary Westphal. McFarland (Forthcoming, 2024)
5. “Rendezvous with Rama (Rajya): The Golden Past in India's Anglophone Science Fiction”. The Routledge Handbook of CoFuturisms. Edited by Dillon, Lavender, Chattopadhyay and Taylor. Routledge (2023).
6. “Control+Alt+Delete Humanity: Shovon Chowdhury's The Competent Authority .” Uneven Futures: Strategies for Community Survival from Speculative Fiction. Edited by Yoshinaga, Guynes and Canavan. MIT Press (2022)
7. “The Day After Tomorrow in Bengaluru: Environment, Global Climate Change and Dystopia(s)”. Science Fiction in India: Parallel Worlds and Postcolonial Paradigms. Edited by Khilnani and Bhattacharjee. Bloomsbury (2022)
8. “The Recipe for Good Indian Science Fiction: Technology, Politics and Religion.” Worlds of Difference: Arab and Muslim Science Fiction. Edited by Elzembely and Aysha. McFarland (2022)
Conferences (attended/co-organized)
1. VICFA22: Presented a paper “Event, Content and Intent: Extraterrestrials in Contemporary Indian SF” at Virtual International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts, USA (October 7–9, 2022).
2. DiGRA India 2022 Conference: Videogames, Science Fiction and India (Nov. 26-27, 2022) (online)
3. SFRA 2022: Co-organized Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA) “Futures from the Margins” Conference (CoFutures), Oslo (June 27-Jul 1, 2022)
4. CoF 2023: Co-organised “CoFutures Conference 2023: Community Speculations and Technopolitics (June 15 – 17, 2023). (online)
5. Indian SF Writers’ Convention 2023: Co-organised a 5-day convention with workshops, panels, roundtable discussions, dialogues, and conversations with leading SF writers from India (March 01-05, 2023)
6. Monster Conference 2022: Presented a paper “The Zombie Mob: India and the Undead” at Monsters Conference 2022 (Sep 6-9, 2022). University of Reading and University of Western Australia (online).
Workshops (participated/co-organized/conducted) - 6
Panel discussions/talks/keynotes/lectures delivered -10
NeoMONSTERS Podcasts: 4
#1: Zombies in Delhi? A Conversation with Mainak Dhar (2022)
#2: Zombie/Toke? A Conversation with Jugal Mody (2022)
#3: Love/Monsters. A Conversation with Rashmi Ruth Devaasan (2022)
#4: Monsters in Bangla Science Fiction. A Conversation with Dip Ghosh (2022)
Bibliography: co-compiled, secondary texts of Indian SF along with the CoFutures team
Exhibition: Co-curated the “Futurings Art” Exhibition, SFRA, University of Oslo (June 27-Jul 1, 2022)
Co-edited volume: 1 (under production, currently in talks with Routledge)
Short film: 1 (currently in post-production phase)
