The 9th Genre Fiction Symposium hosted on campus offered students a remarkable opportunity to engage with science fiction and fantasy not just as literary genres, but as lenses through which to explore cultural, political, and psychological themes.
The event featured prominent figures such as acclaimed critic John Clute and award-winning author Lavie Tidhar, as well as Hollywood filmmaker Charles Bunce, producer of the recent The Death of Snow White (2025), released on Netflix. The symposium was organised as part of faculty member Jon Mackley’s class, From Hellmouth to Hogwarts: British Fantasy and Horror in Literature and Film, but there were attendees from across the university.
For Yasmine Orrú, a Political Science student on a study abroad semester from John Cabot, the symposium was both a personal and academic milestone. Reflecting on her decision to participate as a student speaker, Yasmine explained, “I took public speaking previously, and I wanted to take this opportunity to help get over my stage fright. Also, since I was in John Mackley’s class, and he mentioned that this was going on, I wanted to know if I could have also joined in and talked as well.”
Her presentation, connecting Star Wars with Joseph Campbell’s seminal The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949), allowed her to combine personal passion with research and analysis. Yasmine shared that she enjoyed exploring the mythological influences in the narrative: “Star Wars is not only a space story… I found George Lucas took inspiration from a book about mythologies, which I found really interesting.” The symposium also provided a space for peer feedback, strengthening both her creative voice and public speaking skills: “Another reason why I came to this event is I wanted to also get feedback from the other speakers in not only speaking but also in writing.”
Neuroscience major and Clinical Psychology minor Rhys Crawford, a study abroad student from Tulane, approached the symposium through the lens of human behavior and psychology. While reflecting on his presentation analyzing the short story I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, Rhys told us, “I try to let my humor and quirks show – it makes the presentation more fun for me and more engaging for the audience. I also think about what would keep my attention if I were listening: pacing, energy, storytelling, and creating something that feels more like a performance than a lecture.”
Political Science student Anthony also found intersections between his academic focus and the symposium’s content. “Hearing Lavie Tidhar’s argument connecting English fantasy symbols and themes to periods of English political history was not only insightful but also clarifying… hearing another author establish these connections in another case study helped further solidify the concept in my head,” he said. For Anthony, the event offered a concrete example of how narrative and symbolism intersect with political and historical analysis: liberal arts learning in action. While Isha, Communications Major, professes not to be a sci-fi fan, she did tell us that it “intrigued” her (her words, I promise), and she wants to try reading more of it after listening to all the passionate speakers.
The symposium also hosted Hollywood producer Charles Bunce, whose newest film, The Death of Snow White (2025), just released on Netflix. He shared insights into production design and storytelling, telling us that the film is meant to contrast with Disney’s latest version. “Our thinking was, if you don’t want to watch the Disney version, come see ours instead,” he laughed. “But it was out of love. There are lots of nods in the film. It’s set up as an alternative to the trends in Disney films.” “Seeing independent filmmakers reinterpret these stories – especially now that many have slipped out of copyright – feels refreshing,” student Rhys told us, reflecting on Bunce’s talk. “Their darker, more experimental takes bring something authentic and liberating to stories that once felt untouchable. It’s a reminder that innovation often comes from the margins, and it made me think about the value of bold reinterpretation in any kind of storytelling, including presentations.” Bunce’s talk showed real-world creative problem-solving, project management, and attention to detail; skills applicable across industries from media production to research and communications.
Crucially, as our students reflected, they developed confidence in public speaking, strengthened analytical skills, engaged across disciplines, and connected theory to practice. Sci-fi and fantasy stories, from literature to Hollywood productions, remain crucial to fostering creativity, curiosity, and intelluctual versatality, as well as just being plain fun to make and discuss!
With thanks to our ambassadors Anthony Mata and Isha Tiwari for interviews, and Dom Alessio and Jon Mackley for organising the symposium.
