1st Global Conference Visions of Humanity in Cyberculture, Cyberpunk and Science Fiction 11 to 13 August 2003, Prague, Czech Republic Call for Papers (Please cross post where appropriate) Marking the launch of a new annual conference, research and publication series, this inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary project aims to explore what it is to be human and the nature of human community in cyberculture, cyberspace and science fiction. In particular, the project will explore the possibilities offered by these contexts for creative thinking about persons and the challenges posed to the nature and future of national, international, and global communities. Papers, short papers, and workshops are invited on issues related to any of the following themes: * the relationship between cyberculture, cyberspace and science fiction * science fiction and cyberpunk as a medium for exploring the nature of persons * humans and cyborgs; the synergy of humans and technology; changing views of the body * human and post-human politics; cyborg citizenship and rights; influence of political technologies * bodies in cyberculture; from apes to androids - electronic evolution; biotechnical advances and the impact of life, death, and social existence; the impact on individuality * gender and cyberspace: new feminisms, new masculinities * electronic persons, community and identity; cyberspace, cybercommunities, virtual worlds, and home worlds * nature, enhancing nature, and artificial intelligence; artificial life, life and information systems, networked living * Cyberpolitics, cyberdemocracy, cyberterror; old conflicts, new spaces: elections, protest and war in cyberspace; nationality and nationalism in cyberculture; the state and cyberspace: repression vs. resistance * cybercultures: the transnational and the local * boundaries, frontiers and taboos in cyberculture * cyberculture and orientalism * religion and spirituality in cyberculture, science fiction and cyberpunk * old messages, new medium: cyberspace and mass communication * cyberculture, cyberpunk and the near future: utopias vs. dystopias * technology vs. the natural? cyberculture and the green movement Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be submitted to the Joint Organising Chairs by Friday 9th May 2003. Full draft papers should be submitted by Friday 11th July 2003. Send proposals to: Christopher Macallister, University of Kent at Canterbury <cjm23@ukc.ac.uk> and Rob Fisher, Inter-Disciplinary.net <rf@inter-disciplinary.net> Papers should be sent as an email attachment in Word, WordPerfect or RTF; abstracts can also be submitted in the body of the email text rather than as an attachment. All papers accepted for and presented at the conference will be published in an ISBN e-Book. Selected papers will be developed and published in a themed hard copy book(s). Further details and information about the Cyberworlds, Virtual Reality series of projects can be found at http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/cwvr.htm For specific information about the conference, please go to: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/vhccsf03cfp.htm Graduate Program for History & Philosophy of Science Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel