In the field of Complexity studies, one of the characteristics of a complex system is that it will often show sudden discontinuities, tipping points after long periods of apparent stability. For those of us interested in the way societies adapt and evolved, it might be something of a comfort to think that radical change is indeed a possibility, regardless of how dominant and intrusive the current status quo seems to be.
This isn’t a particularly unique insight, but it comes up whenever I start thinking about the way new trends bubble up out of nowhere and are sometimes able to leave a trace after the inevitable denouement. I like to think that the resurgent interest in the genre of AfroFuturism is one such trend – one that will leave a more interesting world of genre fiction, media and even technology in its wake. Read more…