Techno-Humane Futures in the Global South: Lessons From Professor Shonku

Abstract

Introduction: Science fiction (SF) is often perceived (as reflected in the titles of various critical anthologies) as imagining the future (Vinova, 2012) and projects the consciousness … path to purposeful evolution (Lombardo, 2017) by designing the future (Johnson, 2022). SF is about the non-actual state of affairs that does not exist in the real scientific world, but it may stimulate technological development and promote research agenda (Kirby, 2013). Overruling any objections of consumerist supra-fantasy and doubts of romantic impracticalities (Michaud and Appio, 2022), today's SF is perceived to play a catalytic role in stimulating the imagination of innovators (Black and Barnes, 2019; Zheng and Callaghan, 2018). No wonder smartphones could go back to Star Trek's (Roddenberry, 1966-69) communicator; tablet computers to Arthur C. Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey (2000); self-driving cars to Issac Asimov's I, Robot (2018); telecommunication and videoconferencing to Star Trek (1966–69) and Blade Runner (Scott, 1982); bionic limbs to The Six Million Dollar Man (1973–78); enhanced humans with cybernetic implants to the anime Ghost in the Shell (Sanders, 1995) or Deus Ex (Storm, 2000).