Science and Fiction
Narrating in the Age of Post-Truth

Science and fiction have long been positioned as opposites, with science regarded as the domain of objective truth, grounded in empirical data and rigorous methodologies. However, science is not an isolated construct; its meaning and influence are shaped by the way it is narrated. Facts alone do not dictate change—rather, their cultural framing determines how they resonate within society. The effectiveness of science in shaping public perception and policy depends not only on the validity of its claims but also on its ability to be told in ways that render it compelling and persuasive. Conversely, theory-fiction disrupts the conventional premise-conclusion model, blending speculation with critical thought. It refuses strict distinctions between reality and fiction, proposing an alternative form of knowledge production. Rather than rejecting science, it questions how knowledge is framed, suggesting fiction as a tool to engage with complexity beyond linear argumentation. In our so-called post-truth era, where fact and fiction blur, this tension becomes critical. If science relies on narrative, and theory-fiction destabilizes truth claims, how do we reconcile these forces? Could post-truth, often seen as a crisis, instead prompt a new way of understanding reality?

Host: Serenella Iovino

Serenella Iovino is a leading voice in environmental humanities and ecocriticism. She explores landscapes and bodies, literary ecologies and artistic resistance, non-human animals and other-than-human beings, pollution, environmental justice, and the creative agency of matter.

Reza Negarestani

Reza Negarestani is an Iranian philosopher and writer, known for pioneering the genre of theory-fiction with his book Cyclonopedia: Complicity With Anonymous Materials (2008). Currently, he directs the critical philosophy programme at The New Centre for Research & Practice.

David Quammen

David Quammen is an American science writer. A correspondent for National Geographic, he is the author of nature essays exploring topics such as biodiversity and wildlife extinction. He gained worldwide recognition with his book Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic (2012).