II Belyaev Readings

On September 23, 2016 , Friday, in St. Petersburg, at the House of Writers, the Second Scientific and Literary Readings named after A.R. Belyaeva

The Belyaev Readings will be organized in the format of an international conference, which will take place over one working day as part of the annual Belyaev Literary Festival. Organizers are the St. Petersburg Union of Scientists and the Belyaevsky Foundation for the Support and Development of Literature. Co-chairmen of the organizing committee A. D. Balabukha and L. Ya. Borkin, members of the organizing committee M. G. Borisov, A. I. Ermolaev, A. B. Zheleznyakov, E. V. Kleschenko, A. I. Pervushin.

The objectives of the readings include consideration of a range of topics and problems related to the promotion of the scientific worldview and methodology of knowledge in science fiction and popular science literature, in the following areas:

1) history of science fiction and popular science literature;
2) research into the life and work of authors of science fiction and popular science literature;
3) aspects of the mutual influence of science, science fiction and popular science literature;
4) science fiction and popular science literature as an object of study for literary criticism and professional literary criticism;
5) the problem of scientific and scientific-technical reliability in modern science fiction;
6) the problem of the validity of futurological forecasts in modern science fiction and popular science literature;
7) the current state and prospects for the development of science fiction and popular science literature.

To include a report in the program of the Belyaev Readings, it is necessary to submit to the organizing committee, before September 19, 2016, the abstracts of the report, reflecting its content, relevance and novelty (font Times New Roman, A4 format, font size 12, single line spacing, volume up to 6,000 characters), indicating chosen thematic direction. A list of references for abstracts is provided upon request. In the text of the abstract you must provide information about the author (authors): place of work, academic degree and title (if any), membership in creative unions (if any), contact numbers and email address. Applications are accepted for no more than two reports. If the report will be accompanied by illustrations, it should be indicated what technical means will be required for this. Abstracts in electronic form must be sent to the official address of the organizing committee: info@sf-science.ru . A collection of abstracts will be published after the conference.

Partners of the Belyaev Readings are the St. Petersburg Union of Scientists, the Union of Writers of St. Petersburg, the Multinational Union of Writers, the Union of Writers of Russia, the Russian Union of Writers. Information partners - the newspaper “Troitsky Variant - Science”, the website “Fantasy Laboratory” (Fantlab.ru), magazines “In the World of Science”, “Universe, Space, Time”, “Machines and Mechanisms”, “World of Science Fiction”, “Science” and life”, “Popular mechanics”, “Chemistry and life”.

The first scientific Belyaev readings were dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Russian science fiction, Alexander Romanovich Belyaev, and were held in his homeland, Smolensk.

The official website of the Belyaev Readings is http://sf-science.ru . Contact email addresses of members of the organizing committee: executive secretary in Moscow - Elena Vladimirovna Kleshchenko ( klesch990@gmail.com ); executive secretary in St. Petersburg - Anton Ivanovich Pervushin ( antonpervushin@gmail.com ).