Call for papers on the ordinary language of science fiction
A new special issue of a journal devoted to ordinary language philosophy and literary studies is inviting submissions on the language of science fiction. The editors are seeking papers that examine how the genre negotiates meaning through everyday usage, metaphor, and the kinds of language games Wittgenstein once described.
Science fiction has always been a literature of ideas, but it is also a literature of sentences. From the clipped dialogue of starship crews to the strange idioms of distant colonies, the genre builds worlds through the texture of its speech. Contributors are encouraged to think about how these linguistic patterns do philosophical work.
The call emerges from a recognition that ordinary language philosophy has much to say about how we read and interpret speculative worlds. Australian scholars working at the intersection of analytic philosophy and literary studies have been particularly active in this area, with researchers at the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne producing recent work on Wittgenstein and stylistics.
Submissions are welcome from both established and emerging scholars. Graduate students, independent researchers, and creative writers with a critical practice are also encouraged to apply. The deadline is approaching, and full details follow below.
Theoretical frameworks
Theoretical approaches drawing on the later Wittgenstein are particularly welcome. Papers might address family resemblance, rule-following, or the relationship between grammatical investigation and the reading of fiction. Recent work on Wittgenstein's concept of language games in literary analysis has shown how productive this vocabulary can be when applied to narrative form.
The editors are also interested in papers that engage J.L. Austin's work on performative language, Stanley Cavell's writing on literature and the everyday, and the broader ordinary language tradition. The aim is not to apply a single method but to explore the conceptual resources that ordinary language philosophy offers for thinking about the strangeness of speculative worlds.
Languages of the future
Science fiction has long invented new words and repurposed old ones. Slang, jargon, and the slow drift of meaning all belong to the genre's toolkit, and the call invites papers that pay close attention to these small shifts. Australian science fiction has produced particularly rich examples, from the dense technical vocabulary of writers like Greg Egan to the colloquial warmth of Margo Lanagan's prose.
Contributors might also consider how regional idioms shape the futures imagined in the genre. A paper on Aussie vernacular in dystopian fiction, or on the use of matey colloquialisms in off-world mining colonies, would sit comfortably within the issue's scope. The everyday Australian voice, often overlooked in Anglo-American criticism, can illuminate the local texture of imagined worlds.
Case studies and canonical texts
The editors welcome case studies of individual authors, texts, or subgenres. Possible subjects include the bureaucratic language of Le Guin's Hainish novels, the slang of cyberpunk, the invented dialects of utopian fiction, or the rhetoric of artificial intelligences in contemporary works. Papers that bring obscure or marginal works into conversation with mainstream criticism are especially encouraged.
A paper might also treat science fiction in translation, exploring how ordinary language shifts when a fictional vocabulary crosses cultural borders. The journal is open to comparative approaches and to studies that engage with the reception of translated works across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
Submission requirements
Manuscripts should be between 6,000 and 9,000 words, including notes and references. Submissions must follow the journal's house style, which uses author-date citations and is broadly compatible with Chicago and Harvard conventions. A separate abstract of around 300 words should accompany the full paper.
Authors should also include a brief biographical note of 100 to 150 words. The journal uses double-blind peer review, so identifying information should be removed from the manuscript file. Submissions are accepted via the journal's online portal, and queries can be directed to the editors at the address listed on the call for papers page.
Timeline and review
The deadline for full submissions is 15 March 2026. Abstracts will be reviewed first, and authors will be notified by 30 April 2026 whether their full paper is invited. Final manuscripts are due by 31 August 2026, with publication expected in early 2027.
The review process typically takes twelve weeks. Authors who wish to receive a decision before the Australian winter break should ensure their abstracts are submitted well in advance, as the editorial team is conscious of the local academic calendar and the constraints of semester loads at universities across the country.
Editorial background
This special issue is edited by a team with experience across philosophy, literary studies, and creative writing. The issue builds on previous work published in the journal, including essays on Cavell, the poetics of the ordinary, and the philosophy of science fiction. It is part of a continuing effort to bring ordinary language philosophy into conversation with genres that have too often been ignored by mainstream analytic aesthetics.
The journal is hosted by OLP and Literary Studies Online, an academic blog and resource hub that publishes news, reviews, and curated bibliographies. Readers interested in further background can browse the site's archive of posts on Wittgenstein, Stanley Cavell, and the philosophy of literature.
Submissions are now open, and the editors look forward to receiving your work. If your research sits at the intersection of ordinary language philosophy and speculative fiction, this is an excellent opportunity to share it with an engaged scholarly readership. Please consult the full call for papers on the journal's website for formatting templates and additional guidance before submitting.