News!

Upcoming Event:

IASFS is pleased to inform you that Japan Association for South Asian Studies, Center for Science Fiction Keio University and Japanese Science Fiction Writers’ Associaiton are jointly organizing an online event on Saturday March14, 2026: 15:00 hours IST in which the hosts wish to have an interaction of the Japanese SF team with Indian SF on the topic: Indian Science Fiction. The Indian team of twenty members have proposed to take part in it.

Latest NEWS on Record:

25th Annual/10th International Science Fiction Virtual Conference was on December 07, 2025 at 12.00 hours IST. Details are provided under the menu “Conferences”: Please find the Brochure, Program list and the link for watching the video/s of the full event.

Kalpabiswa, IIM, & DoE Jadhavpur University Kolkata, have jointly organized an event entitled Survivology 2025 focusing on climate Fiction from December 19-21.

Twelve Esssays on Indian SF have been published in Chinese Magazine: It is reported that Hugo winning Chinese magazine Zero Gravity issue 23, edited by Arthur Liu has the essays of Indian SF written by Soham Guha, Sumit Bardhan, Dip Ghosh, Tarun Saint, Santu Bag, DrArvind Mishra and Dr. Srinarahari Mysore.

German Magazine InterNova: International Science Fiction October 2025 issue # 7 Edited by Michael K Iwoleit, especially entitled “Empires of the Spirit Science Fiction from India” contains the stories written by Pragya Gautham, Archana Mirajkar, Savitha Srinivas, Smita Potnis, Meghashri Dalvi, Rohan Dhoundiyal, Charu Thapliyal, with non-fiction article entitled: Indian Science Fiction: A Brief Review by Drs. Srinarahari & Arvind Mishra. Please click the link: https://internova.worldculturehub.net/2025/10/05/october-2025/

The menu Tributaries provides the details about the program “Seeding for the Growth of ISF”.

Please Browse the menu Tributaries to read the Report Workshop on “How to Become Competent with AI?”

The Menu “Library” provides the “Guest of Honour” talk by Dr.Srinarahari during the British National Science Fiction Convention Levitation 24/Eastercon 24 which was held from March 29 to April 1, 2024. at Telford, UK. Please click for the details of the event: https://eastercon2024.co.uk/home/

Dr Sara Pini (she/her/hers), Teaching Tutor , Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Italy, Adjunct Professor, IUAV University of Venice in collaboration with Dr. Emily Midkiff (University of North Dakota) is seeking contributions for an edited volume provisionally entitled AI in Contemporary Youth Literature and Film: Essays from Around the World, which aims to provide a wide geographical overview of AI from a literary-cultural, possibly interdisciplinary, perspective that is not limited to a Posthumanist approach. As the title suggests, the volume will focus on contemporary children’s and Young Adult fiction and films, produced in Anglophone and non-Anglophone countries. It would be great if the call circulated among the IASFS members – and if some of them were interested please click here for details: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=68a24e3559&view=att&th=1973b3404df62a6a&attid=0.1&disp=vah&safe=1&zw

Publication of SF Scholarly papers

IASFS has outsourced the task of publication of chosen Science Fiction scholarly papers of the conferences. They are published by University Publication Division; Central University of Kerala, Thiruvanantha Puram, Kerala. State. Special issues are published titled as Silver Lining volume 1, 2, 3…The association is indebted to the Chief Editor Dr. Sowmya Murugesh and her entire team for bringing out a science fiction special issues.

https://universitypublication.in/volume-1-issue-6-1-special-issue-science-fiction/

IASFS celebrates its 24th birthday: Proceedings of the Zoom Cloud Meeting:

Indian Association for Science Ficiton Studies (R) had organized a Zoom Cloud Meeting with its fans and distinguished guests to celebrate its 24th birthday on on 02.01.2022 at 11.15 hours IST.

1.The celebration was in the form of arranging the release of Two Science Fiction books:

Silver Lining: An anthology of Indian SF short stories: Volume 1. The anthology is unique in accommodating stories in English, and Indian languages Hindi, Marathi and Telugu: Volume 1. The first book is an anthology of short stories authored by Dr.Ravi Kopparapu, USA; Seeema Kulkarni, Kaula Lumpur, Malaysia; Vohra, Diu & Daman; Dr.Sophia, Imphala, Manipur; Dr.Ranjan Garge, Aurangabad, MH, Dinakar Charak, Bangalore, Karnataka and Aadram Naik, Rajasthan. The anthology is edited by Drs. Sowmya Murukesh and Priyalekha. The introduction is by Dr. Srinarahari.

The second book Aliens Aur Palayith Manavatha is a Hindi SF novel by Harish Goyal, Ajmir, Rajasthan. Both the books were released by Dr.Sowmya Murukesh the Chief Editor, University Publication, Sri. Sankaracharya U of Sanskrit, Kalady, Kerala. For other details please visit: http://www.universitypublication.in;

2. This was followed by a discussion held with the esteemed members present under the chairmanship of Dr. Srinarahari during this virtual meeting regarding the planning for the 21st Annual/6th International SF conference on July 17,18 & 19, 2022. The days of the conference will be flexible if the menus for the event are more in number. The meeting was concluded with the following resolutions as proposals for future action:

a. To invite the organizations for collaboration and collectively organize the proposed conference.

b. Presently, it is planned to hold the conference on virtual mode but to hold the inauguration and valedictory functions on normal (offline) mode following all the covid 19 precautions like restricting the audience and guests to less than 20 in number in a large conference hall. Arrangements would be made for live streaming of the events.

c. To celebrate the Indian Science Fiction Day (Bharateeya Vaignyanik Katha Diwas) /Dr. Jayanth V Narlikar’s birthday on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 as a major event combied with valedictory function in the normal (offline) mode following the same rules applied for inauguration function.

d. The details of the Registration process and the planning for the proposed conference would be finalized with the willing collaborating institutions/companies/webmasters/sponsors/donors/philanthropists/academicians/Colleges/Universities/ Science departments/ members of the advisory board/board of directors and others during the ensuing proposed meeting with them.

e. To invite for the submission of an abstract (100 words) for all the paper presenters, guest speakers, the chairperson of proposed panel discussion sessions with a brief profile in a span of 30 days from the date of official announcement of the proposed event.

f. To submit the pre-recorded videos of the 10 minute paper presentations; guest lectures of 20 minutes; Special lectures/ Keynote address of 40 minutes duration in editable format in a span of 60 days of the official announcement of the event.

g. Subjected to the receipt of the videos within the stipulated dates, the duration of each language session slots like English, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, Oriya, Gujarathi, Kannada, Urdu, Telugu, Malayalam and others. If the numbers are large, arrangements will be made for organizing parallel sessions.

h. Presently, univeristypublcation.in; is ready to proofread, suggest corrections needed to make it perfect, edit, monitor, and publish the accepted papers in e-book format with a nominal charge if an agreement is signed by the respective author (English and all other Indian languages under one umbrella).

Silver Jubilee

Having established on 02. 01.1998 the association has completed 25 years in the year 2023. This is to express our humble gratitude to you (authors, critics, columnists, media persons, publishers, editors, research scholars, organizing committee members, members of the advisory committee,paper presenters, chairpersons, self-authored story readers, anchor persons, chief guests, distinguished invited guests, guest speakers, panelists, moderators, host organizing institutions, heads of the departments, research supervisors,members of the technical team, collaborating institutions, sci-fi fans, participants, performers, supporting staff, members of the house keeping force, life members, conveners, coordinators, reporters, lensmen, supporters and well wishers) who have nurtured the association till this day.

Regional Office

IASFS Bangalore being the Registered Head Quarters of Indian Association for Science Fiction Studies has now established fully authorized authenticated regional office at Pune, Maharashtra state, India until further notifications. It is functioning from June 1, 2025 for the convinences of the aspirants.

IASFS Pune is headed by the Director Mr. Raghavendra Vanjari and its team members Executive-Secretaries Ms. Hemalatha S and Ms. Neha Jain.

Next Conference:

Our attempts during the past two years in approaching a few of the host institutions who could organize the offline conference in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and West Bengal were proved futile.

Hope and Optimism are our Science Fiction Mantras which have never failed so far. We are proposing to organize the 26th Annual/ 11th International Conference Science Fiction Offline Conference shortly at Cuddaluru Tamil Nadu. Please watch for the date in this section.

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IASFS congratulates:

  1. Ms. Savitha Srinivas IPS one of the prolific contemporary Kannada SF writers for earning her promotion as Deputy Inspector General of Police, Additonal & Additonal Commandant General, Home Guards & Ex-officio Additional Director, Civil Defence, Bangalore.
  2. Mr. Dip Ghosh for having represented India at the 81st Worldcon held at Chengdu and partook in a number of sessions dealing with varied themes.
  3. IASFS congratulates Dr. Shantala for bagging the Dr. Girijamma Award for her 3019 AD Science Fiction novel which scientifically predicts the life, ambience and the sea changes in our Universe in a span of 1000 years from now!
  4. Shwetha Taneja’s THEY MADE WHAT? THEY FOUND WHAT/ has been longlsited in another award (Multiple awards)- Valley of Words Award (Best Author in young adult category).
  5. Mr. Dinker Charak for the new venture: https://notionpress.com/read/the-neutrinos-are-coming-and-other-stories;
  6. Mr. Harish Yadav has bagged one of the prestigious awards: Indian Magic Award 2022!
  7. Dr.Ranjan Garge multi-talented SF author is accredited the most prestigious award “Mentor for Entrepreneurship Development” by City & Guild London Institute.
  8. Ms. Savita Devi Kushwala for her earning Ph.D Her Dissertation is on “Imagination and Realityin Hindi Science Fiction with special reference to the works of Devendra Mewadi, Arvind Mishra, Shukdev Prasad, Rajeev Ranjan Upadhyay, and Zeashan Zaidi.
  9. Indian Physics Association, Pune has conferred the Chiplunkar Science Award to Dr. Ranjan Garge a retired Principal and Science and Science Fiction writer from Aurangabad for the year 2023. This prestigious award is instittued for the outstanding achievement for Science communications. The awardees are Dr. Jayant V Narlikar, Mr. Subhodh Jawadekar, and Mr. AP Deshpande during yesteryears.
  10. Mr. Devendra Mewari the prolific Hindi SF writer is awarded the Sahitya Academy Award under juvenile literature.
  11. Dr.Arvind Dubey has received the honor of publishing Laut Auo Neeno by Vignyan Prasar.
  12. Periodicals in Regional Language Kutuhali in Kannada has also been awarded by Vignyan Prasar.
  13. Ms. Kalpna Kulshresta Leading Hindi Science Fiction Writer a resident of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh has won the Science Popularization for Children award for the prestigious “Jagpati Chaturvedi Award”. The award had carried a cash prize of One Lakh Rupees and a citation which was given by the Honorable Chief Minister of Uttara Pradesh.
  14. Dr. Shanatala and Mrs. Sapna Katti (Both of them are the stalwarts of the contmporary Women SF authors in Kannada langauge) are the recipients the best science fiction writers in the Science Reporter SF story competition.
  15. Dr.Srinarahari is the recipient of Education Excellence Award 2021 for his outstanding Contribution to Education Community.

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21st Conference:

The link for the video of “Seminar on Science Fiction” hosted by Marathi Vidnyan Parishad Mumbai, as a part of the IASFS 21st Annual/6th International Science Fiction Conference of July 2022 is now available on YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/Ut_8d3i3gCI;

  1. The link for the video of “About the Conference” by Dr. Srinarahari is available on YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/6vMgcHIxZAw;
  2. The link for the video of “Recent Trends in Indian/South Asian Science Fiction”(panelists: Dr. Vandana Singh; Dr. Superno Banerjee; Mr. Dinker Charak and Mr. Sumit Kumar Bardan; Moderator: Mr. Gautham Shenoy) is available on YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/JdlRyi7yqMI;
  3. The link for the video of “Keynote Address” by Mr.Harish Goyal: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17HzVQHRj-kxRtFTpNdxPp05kt8w3ovwN/view?usp=sharing;
  4. 19th Evening session “Seminar on Science Fiction” video link is available. Courtesy: MaViPa, Mumbai.
  5. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZVxc-BY2ieApKFa0V1Vcj_9-XXJ2SguE/view?usp=sharing;

Erratum: Please read GLA University, Mathura, Uttara Pradesh, India instead of Ganeshi Lal Agrawal University, Mathura where ever it appears.

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