Fafnir – Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research, Volume 3, Issue 1, pages 5-6.
Aino-Kaisa Koistinen, Jyrki Korpua & Hanna-Riikka Roine
Editorial 1/2016
After two successful years of Fafnir the journal, we present the first issue of our journal’s third year! Last year, we published nine peer-reviewed articles, three overviews, eight book reviews, three conference reports, and three lectio praecursorias (introductory lectures) from Finnish PhD defences.
We are also proud to introduce the new asset of our editorial staff, PhD Aino-Kaisa Koistinen (University of Jyväskylä), who replaces Päivi Väätänen as editor from this issue onwards. Aino-Kaisa, our expert (among other things) on science fiction television and film, gender and media studies, is a brilliant addition to our team. Once more, we would like to thank Päivi for her valuable contribution to setting this journal up, and for her skills as a precise and patient editor. Cheers!
This first issue of Fafnir’s third year concentrates on science fiction and the concepts and discussions around it. Furthermore, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek franchise by publishing an essay on the subject.
Esko Suoranta’s article “The Ironic Transhumanity of William Gibson’s The Peripheral”, presents an insightful reading on William Gibson’s novel The Peripheral (2014). The novel itself has been a subject to a lot of speculation, since it was Gibson’s long expected return to the genre of science fiction, which he had abandoned in the turn of the millennium. In his article, Suoranta focuses on posthuman and transhuman developments. For Suoranta, elements interpreted here are – for example – so-called metaphorical cyborgs, and the dystopian irony of Gibson’s science fiction.
Victor Grech’s essay, “Remixing of Individuals Results in Doomed New Persons in Star Trek”, celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise by analysing three episodes of the franchise that introduce a remixing of two separate physical individuals, such that the controlling mind becomes a single and seamless character. The chosen episodes are taken from the tv-series Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-69), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-99), and Star Trek: The Voyager (1995-2001), but Grech also refers to Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-94).
While Grech’s essay focuses more on the close analyses of the remixing of individuals in the episodes than on the franchise itself, Fafnir would like to congratulate the Star Trek franchise on its 50 year old voyage to the final frontier. There is no doubt that the original Star Trek, perhaps more than any other television series, has had an effect on our shared cultural imaginations of future worlds and technologies – not only in the United States but beyond. The ever-growing transmedia universe constructed around the franchise is also a telling example of our lasting fascination with Star Trek even today. Thank you, Star Trek, for the explorations of strange new worlds, and thank you for your boldness to go where no human has gone before!
In addition to the article and the essay, this issue includes a book review and a seminar report. In her review, Marjut Puhakka discusses James Burton’s ambitious work The Philosophy of Science Fiction, Henri Bergson and the Fabulations of Philip K. Dick (2015).
In his report “A United Effort of an Autonomous Island”, Jani Ylönen provides a fascinating view on the conference (or Academic Track) of Archipelacon, the Nordic science fiction and fantasy convention that was held in Mariehamn, Åland, in June 25-28, 2015. (We, on behalf of Fafnir, would also like to apologise for calling Mr. Ylönen Jari in our Editorial 4/2015. Sorry about that. Meā culpā.)
We hope that you enjoy this first issue of Fafnir’s third year! Our next issue will be published in June. It will be an excitingly international issue focusing on fantasy and speculative fiction. Meanwhile, live long and prosper, dear readers.