Writer Sergey Lukyanenko to Moderate a Panel at the “Inventing the Future” Symposium
Science
fiction writer Sergey Lukyanenko will moderate one of the panels at the
International Science Fiction Symposium “Inventing the Future,” to be held from
November 4 to 6 at the Russia National Centre.
The
author of the famous Night Watch series noted that creating a positive
vision of the future in literature is much more challenging than developing a
disaster scenario.
“It’s
more important to offer hope, because it’s much harder. Inventing a
catastrophe, imagining a sad end for humanity, is actually quite simple. That
also makes sense, as science fiction often can predict negative scenarios and
warn people about them. But it is far more important — and far more difficult —
to paint a positive image of the future, a positive way of life for humanity.
If even 10% of science fiction discusses a good future and seeks ways to reach
it, that would already be great; it would already help,”
Sergey Lukyanenko explains.
Earlier,
Lukyanenko emphasized the importance of the Symposium, saying that science
fiction tries to envision important pathways for humanity’s development.
“We
live for the future. We live to make sure that our country grows and develops,
that our children and grandchildren live in a world that moves forward — to
outer space, to the stars — where human life becomes more interesting and
productive. Science fiction works to imagine new development areas and meanings
that are important for humanity,” he stresses.
The extensive program will
include expert sessions featuring representatives from the international
scientific and business communities, as well as cultural figures, dialogues
with government officials, and much more. Updates on the symposium can be
followed on the “Inventing the Future” website.