Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: The Bridge of Lost Desire - A Conversation with Samuel R. Delany

Daniel Shank Cruz in conversation with Samuel R. Delany, celebrating the U.S. launch of the publication of "Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985," edited by Andrew Nette & Iain McIntyre, published by PM Press. This event was originally broadcast live via Zoom and hosted by Peter Maravelis. This session was part of a weekend-long symposium exploring the radical currents of Science Fiction. It was presented by City Lights in conjunction with PM Press. You can purchase copies of "Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950 to 1985" directly from City Lights here: https://citylights.com/sci-fi-fantasy/dangerous-visions-new-worlds-radical/ Born into a distinguished Harlem family, Samuel R. Delany was a success at nineteen, changing the tone, the content, and the very shape of modern science fiction with his acclaimed novels and stories that bridged the apparent gap between science and fantasy to explore gay sexuality, racial and class consciousness, and the limits of imagination and memory. His vast body of work includes memoir, comics, space adventure, mainstream novels, homosexual erotica, and literary criticism of a high order. He has received numerous honors for his work including numerous Nebula and Hugo Awards, the J. Lloyd Eaton Lifetime Achievement Award in Science Fiction, the Kessler Award, and the Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award amongst others. His fiction includes Babel-17, The Einstein Intersection (winners of the Nebula Award for 1966 and 1967 respectively), Nova, Dhalgren, the Return to Nevèrÿon series, and Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders. Until his recent retirement he was a professor of English and creative writing at Temple University. Daniel Shank Cruz is an author and educator. Cruz is the author of "Queering Mennonite Literature: Archives, Activism, and the Search for Community" (Penn State University Press, 2019. Their research has merged queer theory with Mennonite studies producing illuminating and original work that explores the intersection of critical theory with gender studies and religion. This event was made possible by support from the City Lights Foundation: citylights.com/foundation/