“Observing the Future: Systems Theory Meets Science Fiction”

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “Observing the Future: Systems Theory Meets Science Fiction”

Journal: Kybernetes
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Submission deadline: 15 January 2027

Overview

This special issue—published by Emerald Publishing—seeks to build a novel interpretive bridge between systems theory (specifically the work of Niklas Luhmann and second-order cybernetics) and science fiction (SF). While sociological readings of SF are common, this issue invites scholars to analyze SF narratives as "society’s laboratory," utilizing system-theoretical concepts to interpret how these narratives model social evolution, functional differentiation, and technological integration.

Key Research Themes

• Systemic Hypertrophy & Dystopia: Analyzing how SF literature depicts the "hypertrophy" of specific social subsystems (e.g., the totalitarization of politics or the economization of life) and the resulting societal dysfunctions.

• Non-Human Autopoietic Systems: Examining the depiction of artificial intelligence, alien consciousness, and their "structural coupling" with human society through a cybernetic lens.

• SF as Self-Observation: Investigating science fiction as a function of the art system, allowing society to observe its own evolution, paradoxes, and latent possibilities.

• Systemic Crises: Applying systems-theoretic readings to ecological collapse, environmental challenges, and the fragmentation of public discourse as depicted in speculative fiction.

Submission Details

• Submission window: 01 April 2026 – 15 January 2027.

• Submission portal: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/kyb

• Special Instructions: During the submission process, ensure you select the special issue title from the "Please select the issue you are submitting to" drop-down menu.

Guest Editor

• Michal Roch Kaczmarczyk, University of Gdańsk (michal.kaczmarczyk@ug.edu.pl)

Why This Issue Matters

In an era defined by rapid AI development and increasing systemic interdependencies, science fiction serves as a unique narrative space to simulate complex social dynamics. This special issue—published by Emerald Publishing—aims to test the explanatory power of systems theory against the imaginative rigor of science fiction, providing a unique platform for interdisciplinary research that explores how our society observes its own future.

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