International Relations in Science Fiction
Course Description
What can imagined futures teach us about the political dynamics of the real world? This seminar explores foundational questions in international relations theory—power, anarchy, cooperation, perception, and systemic change—through the lens of contemporary science fiction. Students will examine how science fiction authors envision political life under radically different technological, environmental, and social conditions, and how these fictional worlds illuminate core concepts in global politics.
Each week pairs a major theoretical or empirical work in international relations with a science fiction novel or story that grapples with similar themes. Readings include work by Mearsheimer, Wendt, Keohane, Jervis, Finnemore & Sikkink, and Gilpin, alongside fiction by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Becky Chambers, Arkady Martine, John Scalzi, and others. Topics include survival and conflict under anarchy, the formation and breakdown of international regimes, the diffusion of norms, misperception and miscalculation, and the governance of shared space.
Designed for students with no prior background in political science, this course offers an introduction to international relations theory while inviting critical engagement with the genre of science fiction as a site of political imagination and critique.
Meet the Instructor: Amanda Kennard
“I study how citizens, firms, and political institutions shape efforts to decarbonize the global economy—and how climate change is likely to reshape governance in the future. I’ve always been fascinated by international politics, a curiosity sparked by traveling when I was younger and by watching too much of The West Wing. My research focuses on understanding how political and economic systems respond to environmental challenges, and I enjoy exploring these questions through both academic analysis and speculative fiction.
“I’ve been a lifelong fan of science fiction and love how the genre helps us think through big political and philosophical questions—what makes a just society, how civilizations rise and fall, and how technological change reshapes power. In this seminar, we’ll use science fiction as a lens to explore international relations, using storytelling to deepen our understanding of how the world works—and how it might change in the future.”
Of related interest
