“‘We, in Some Strange Power’s Employ …’: Science Fiction and the Aesthetics of Energy Transition,”
Affiliation of Author, Researcher, or Creator
School of the Arts
Department
Writing, Literature and Publishing
Author(s)
Wendy Walters
Resource Type
Article
Publication, Publisher or Distributor
ISLE
Publication Date
2024
Brief Description
lack speculative fiction is an important cultural site for the estrangement of energy infrastructures, a place where oil’s hegemonic ideologies can be questioned and undone. Samuel Delany’s 1968 story,“We In Some Strange Power’s Employ, Move on a Rigorous Line,” dwells in both the promise and the dangers of strange power, depicting an ideal future where Global Power for all has created vast social benefits and equality. Focusing on the struggle of a small group who refuse this power, the story raises critical questions about the emotional attachments to oil-based energy systems and the violent ideologies of freedom they generate.
Keywords
Energy Humanities, Black Speculative Fiction
Preferred Citation Style
MLA
Peer Reviewed
1
License Agreement
1