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CFP Do Ancient Egyptians Dream of Electric Sheep?

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dubsartur:
https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2020/12/21/do-ancient-egyptians-dream-of-electric-sheep-the-reception-of-ancient-egypt-in

--- Quote ---Date: 9 July 2021

Registration: estimated £10, £5 students/unwaged

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) – a milestone in the history of the science fiction genre – the eponymous scientist is horrified when the creature he has assembled from assorted body parts is successfully animated. ‘A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch’, Frankenstein relates. This comparison – between a figure who represents the potential disastrous consequences of cutting-edge scientific enquiry and the bodies of the ancient Egyptian dead – is one that recurs later in the novel. Having dispatched his creator, the creature’s ‘vast hand’ is described as ‘in colour and apparent texture like that of a mummy’. Nearly two centuries later, Roland Emmerich’s Stargate (1994) also depicts ancient Egyptian bodies in settings infused with a futuristic aesthetic; alien entities acquire human forms in order to extend their lifespans, while sarcophagi are reimagined as regeneration chambers.

Science fiction has undeniably contributed to creating an image of ancient Egypt, and yet it is only starting to be addressed by Egyptological scholarship. Literature, theatre, film, television, comics, and video games all present images of Egypt that have had an enduring impact on perceptions of Egypt by the public. Nevertheless, and despite the involvement of experts in contributing to or shaping these cultural products – in Stargate’s case, in professional Egyptological consultation with regards to written and spoken Ancient Egyptian – the ways in which Egyptological scholarship informs science fiction in particular still remain to be explored. How might Egyptologists engage with this material beyond judging its historical authenticity? And to what extent can science fiction contribute to scholarly discussions of ancient Egypt?

The aim of this workshop is to explore the reception and reconstruction of Egypt in science fiction, fostering a dialogue among Egyptologists, cultural historians, literary scholars, and creative practitioners. The organisers are keen to receive abstracts from scholars coming from a variety of academic perspectives and diverse backgrounds, and who are interpreting science fiction in its broadest sense, including those informed by ancient Egyptian understandings of science.

The organisers seek proposals for 15-minute papers, which should be sent in the body of an email to Dr Leire Olabarria [L.Olabarria@bham.ac.uk] and Dr Eleanor Dobson [E.C.Dobson@bham.ac.uk] by 28 February 2021. Abstracts should be a maximum of 250 words and should be accompanied by a short biographical note.
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I sent an email about it but did not get a reply or see it in the latest Exilian newsletter.

Jubal:
Sorry, that's my bad - Leafly was busy so I had to finish the newsletter, and I've had a cold the last few days and haven't been keeping up with checking emails properly. :( My apologies!

That does look very interesting - I have an idea for a paper, too, but I don't know if I have the time to write or present it...

dubsartur:
The first thing that strikes me is that even though weird fiction in general and SF in particular is fascinated with the ancient world (Jason Colavito, The Cult of Alien Gods ...) its hard to think of Egyptian themes in SF (which is a genre of prose written by people who published in the United States between 1939 and 1975).  Key writers like L. Sprague de Camp or Harry Turtledove used Egyptian themes in their historical fiction but not their SF as far as I can recall.  Turning ancient Egyptian astronauts into a SF movie and TV series was really unusual!

Its easier to think of an important story with Hittite themes ("Omnilingual") than Egyptian.

Jubal:
I'd usually take a muuuuch broader definition of SF! But I see what you mean.

I guess one case par excellence to look at in a wider definition of Science Fiction are things like the Necrons, who have a very clear Egyptian theme. I suspect there's a lot more tangential referencing when one looks into casual use of e.g. glyph systems, pyramids, pharaonic imagery around rulers, etc. The pyramids-aliens-space trope is definitely one that's seen a lot of use.

dubsartur:

--- Quote from: Jubal on January 03, 2021, 12:07:03 AM ---I'd usually take a muuuuch broader definition of SF! But I see what you mean.

I guess one case par excellence to look at in a wider definition of Science Fiction are things like the Necrons, who have a very clear Egyptian theme. I suspect there's a lot more tangential referencing when one looks into casual use of e.g. glyph systems, pyramids, pharaonic imagery around rulers, etc. The pyramids-aliens-space trope is definitely one that's seen a lot of use.

--- End quote ---
The Necrons appeared pretty recently in the Wh40k-verse, didn't they?  Like the past 10 or 15 years?  Around when the Tau were introduced?

Glyphs and pyramids often draw on Mesoamerican and Mesopotamian archaeology, like in "Red Nails" (which has a laser wand, carnivorous stegosaurus, and mesmerism so the line between fantasy and SF is fuzzy) or "At the Mountains of Madness."

Light novels (for fascistic understandings of 'entertaining') by Baen often have a "god-king" trope which is vaguely inspired by stereotypes about Egypt.  Karl August Wittfogel's hydraulic despotism comes up in Niven's "What can you say about Chocolate-Covered Manhole-Covers?" but I can't recall it being a major trope in worldbuilding like historical cycles, the Fall of the Roman Empire, or ideas about feudalism.

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