Since Tasavvur’s last issue, the world has been abuzz with discussions about the power and perils of new Generative AI technologies, and the Speculative Fiction community is no exception. From large publications struggling with an influx of AI generated submissions that are hard and time-consuming to screen, to debates about the ethics of using tools like Mid Journey to generate accompanying art, people entrusted with encouraging creativity are in a bit of a dilemma.
If one attempts to summarize the sentiment, we can see some hope, some fear, and a lot of uncertainty, which in all likelihood is driven by the higher rate of change than we have seen with other technologies in recent years. While it may seem hard to imagine, many path-breaking technologies have gone through a similar trajectory of adoption, and one of the most beautiful fictional representations of this phenomenon is in an Urdu story called Shaitaan Ka Charkha (“Devil’s Spinning wheel”) by Asif Farrukhi, that captures the excitement, pride and mortifying fear experienced by different members of a family when they first encounter the radio.
Irrespective of how things unfold in the future, we can say with a lot of confidence that at least today, no Generative AI tools can match the creativity and ingenuity of the stories this issue includes. While Swati Singh’s wonderful story Romi’s Rebellion shows the impact of climate change on future Bombay through the eyes of a jealous sibling, Lucy Zhang’s Burning the Ocean is a beautiful tale about the elements of nature and the sentiments of protection and belonging. A similar yet more familial sense of belonging is also a part of P.S. Anali’s Conspiracy of The Hair-Shaped Cardamom Bun, which highlights social stigma for differently-abled, through an exploration of senses, dimensions and settings so rich that it’s a treat to read. Last, but definitely not the least, is Diana Romany’s dark fantasy And the Andromeda will Eat the Milky Way about a weird house and people so connected, that you’ll be pausing at least few times to let the incredible transformations in the story sink in completely.
In the end, to illustrate how South Asian Speculative Fiction has transformed, the amazing Jaideep Panday talks about Mrs AbdulQadir — probably the only woman publishing Horror novels back in 1940s.