Just Utopias

Next week I’m heading to the Current Research in Speculative Fiction 2026 conference to talk about change-the-world literary criticism.

As autumn turns to winter it’s time for me to summarise what I’ve read and thought about fungi this season.

I’ve been reading a lot about fungal fiction and the fungal turn recently.

The CRSF annual conference took place on 3-4 July 2025.

Mushrooms are a big thing right now in speculative fiction.

What’s the crossover between land work and utopia?

Let me take you behind the scenes on the video I recorded this morning for the upcoming Current Research in Speculative Fiction conference.

Last week, in the council chamber within the main building of Cardiff University surrounded by portraits of venerable white men, I attended a day long workshop on decolonial research led by Dr Leon Moosavi.

We went on a family trip to Cheddar Gorge and Caves and I was, like most visitors who have been in the show caves over the past 187 years I’m sure, very impressed by the rock formations.

A word at the outset of this report to note there will be spoilers for the Broken Earth trilogy by N.