Worldbuilding is essential in speculative fiction, as it ensures that readers are transported into vivid, believable realms. It helps to establish plausibility, facilitates the exploration of ideas, and enriches character development. Through richly developed worlds, speculative authors explore complex ideas and social issues, using hypothetical societies and technologies as allegories or thought experiments. Then, characters are planted into this world with their overall development shaped by the environment. Consequently, in this workshop, Toliver will encourage participants to unleash their creativity while addressing pressing global challenges. From envisioning advanced technologies to reimagining social structures, each participant will play a crucial role in shaping the collective narrative for a potentially brighter tomorrow. By the end of the workshop, participants will not only have co-created a compelling speculative universe, but will also gain insight into how speculative storytelling can inspire positive change in the real world.

Stephanie R. Toliver is an Assistant Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In her research, Toliver employs creativity and imagination as tools to confront systemic inequities and promote more equitable education environments. Specifically, her scholarship focuses on three main areas: (1) investigating Black storytelling as a mechanism of social critique and transformation; (2) examining the applicability of speculative fiction (i.e., science fiction, horror, fantasy, etc.) as a tool to assist Black youth in articulating and challenging social injustice; and (3) exploring the use of creative and arts-based literacy pedagogies to help pre-service English teachers develop strategies to address racial injustice in their future classrooms. She is the author of the award-winning book, Recovering Black Storytelling in Qualitative Research: Endarkened Storywork, and her academic work has been published in several journals, including Equity, Excellence, & Education; Journal of Literacy Research; and Teachers College Record. Her public scholarship has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Ms. Magazine, and Visible Magazine.