The Indian Association for Science Fiction Studies (IASFS) was established in 1998 on Isaac Asimov's birthday to promote research in science fiction (SF). Since then, IASFS has organized 14 national and 4 international conferences on SF topics like artificial intelligence, cinema, genetics, and more. The conferences have been held across various cities in India. IASFS also publishes the biannual Indian Journal of Science Fiction Studies and has held SF writing workshops and conferences in rural areas to promote SF among villagers and youth. With support over the past 22 years, IASFS has worked to advance research and popularization of SF in India.

1. Indian Association for Science Fiction Studies®
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
A Brief Introduction
Dr.Srinarahari
Secretary - General

2. The Beginning
 It is a matter of great pleasure to bring on record that in
1988, the magazine 2001 from New Delhi had an
interview with Isaac Asimov via satellite .
 This event was carried out by the team work of Mukul
Sharma (editor,2001), Chandan Mitra (coordinator), and
The Times of India Asst Editor Jug Suraiya.

3. II Wave
• I presume that this is the beginning of the II wave of the
World Science Fiction movement in India
• Exactly a decade later, Indian Association for Science
Fiction Studies was established on Asimov’s birthday.
• The year marks the completion of a century of the
publication of “Agosh” by J.C. Bose.

4. IASFS
• IASFS was established on January 2, 1998.
• Since then it has been promoting research work in
the field of SF.
• So far, the Association has organized 14 National
and 4 International Conferences. They were held
at Chennai, Coimbatore, Gandhigram, Gudiattam,
and Vellore in Tamil Nadu, Bangalore, Mysore &
Yellahatti in Karnataka, Varanasi in UP,
Aurangabad and Pune in Maharashtra State,
Kochi in Kerala state as well as at Pondichery.

5. International Conferences
• Indian Association for Science Fiction Studies has
organized 4 International Conferences
• in collaboration with the Department of English
at Bharatiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,
• Yeshwant Mohite College, Pune, Maharashtra,
• St. Teresa‘s College, Kochi, Kerala and
• Deogiri College, Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

6. Themes
• A few themes dealt in the previous conferences are
• Artificial Intelligence, Cinema and SF,
• "Science Fiction Film : Seventy Years of Synergy,
1926 to 2003",
• A Tribute to Kalpana Chowla, Fantasy,

7. Themes
Genetic Engineering, Hindi SF,
Indian Responses to World SF,
Indian SF in Vernacular languages,
Literary Criticism on Indian SF, Myth, Fantasy,
Popular Science, Genetic Engineering,
Robotics, Information Technology,
Nanotechnology,

8. Themes
Print versus Visual SF, Science and Science
Fiction, Time, Science Fiction Today, Science
Today, SF and Mainstream Fiction, SF Narration,
SF, SF the Human Aspect, Women in Science
Fiction, SF & Technology, Science and SF:
Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary
perspectives and others.

9. SF Writing Workshop
• IASFS had organized an SF Story Writing Workshop . It
was conducted by Eric Miller and story reading session by
respective SF writers.
Apart from arranging a video interactive conference with
the Scientists and SF writers in India,
A video conference was also established with Professor
James Gunn of Kansas, USA.

10. IJSFS
• The association is bringing out biannual Indian Journal of
Science Fiction Studies.
• It has been publishing Scholarly Articles, Short Stories and also
the Papers read at the conferences.

11. SF in Villages!
• India is a land of villages. In order to encourage
intellectual growth among the villagers and youth and to
provide an SF ambience, IASFS has moved to Rural
University, Gandhigram, near Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu
and also to
• Yelhatti, Bagalkot District, North Karnataka - a rural place
in India to introduce and to popularize SF among the
enthusiastic young people.

12. SF Conference at Yelahatti, Karnataka
Mukesh Khanna, Nagabharana,
Bhoosnurmutt, Bhelkar, Mallikarjun Patil and others.

13. Our Backbone

14. Back bone of IASFS

15. • By your support we have advanced for the last 22 years.