CFA: Exploring The Orville

*Call for Abstracts *

*Exploring The Orville *

*Edited by David Kyle Johnson and Michael Berry *

*McFarland Publishing *



Kindly submit by e-mail (preferably with a Word attachment) to:
*[email protected]*



*Please circulate and post widely.*

*Apologies for cross posting.*





Kindly submit by e-mail (preferably with a Word attachment) to:
*[email protected]*



Although it was first expected to just be “Spaceballs for Star Trek,” Seth
MacFarlane’s science fiction series *The Orville* has proved to be much
more. In a way, *The Orville* is a cross between *M*A*S*H* and *Star Trek*;
it intermixes serious social commentary and philosophical arguments with
one liners and comedy bits brought to you by well developed characters that
you come to know and love.



This new edited volume, *Exploring The Orville, *will aim to explore *The
Orville* both philosophically and critically. The first (primary) section
will include chapters that treat the series as a philosophical work—a piece
of art that is making philosophical arguments and providing social
commentary. Each chapter will be topical/ themed and could potentially (but
not exclusively) include chapters on the arguments that *The Orville* seems
to be making on the following subjects (using the mentioned episodes):



   -

   Gender and Transsexuality (“About a Girl”)
   -

   Feminism (“Sanctuary,” “Home,” “Firestorm,”)
   -

   Sexual Preference and Religious and Social Restrictions of It
   (“Deflectors”)
   -

   The Dangers of Religion (“Krill,” “Mad Idolatry,” “When The Stars Should
   Appear”)
   -

   Environmentalism and Climate Change (“When The Stars Should Appear”)
   -

   Technology/Human Relationships and Sexuality (“A Happy Refrain,”
   “Lasting Impressions”)
   -

   The Possibility/Dangers of AI (“Identity, Part I,” “Identity, Part II”).
   -

   Is Technology and/or Rationality the Solution to Society’s Problems?
   (“Mad Idolatry,” “Identity, Part I,” “Identity, Part II”)
   -

   The Logic of Time Travel (“Old Wounds,” “Pria,” “Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and
   Tomorrow” and “The Road Not Taken”)
   -

   Philosophical Skepticism/Epistemology (“Firestorm,” “Nothing Left on
   Earth Excepting Fishes,” “All the World is a Birthday Cake”)
   -

   Personal Identity (“Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,” “Nothing Left on
   Earth Excepting Fishes”)
   -

   Pseudoscience and Astrology (“All the World is a Birthday Cake”)
   -

   Cultural Moral Relativism (“About a Girl,” “Deflectors,” “Sanctuary,”
   “Krill”)
   -

   Morality and the Ethics of Care (“Into the Fold,” Blood of Patriots”)
   -

   Moral Compromise, Just War, and Peaceful Relations (“Krill,” “Nothing
   Left on Earth Excepting Fishes,” “Blood of Patriots,” “Sanctuary”)
   -

   Terrorism and Patriotism (“Krill,” “Blood of Patriots”)
   -

   Pornography Addiction (“Primal Urges”)
   -

   Reality TV, Social Media, and Online Shaming (“Command Performance,”
   “Majority Rule”)
   -

   The Dangers of a Pure Democracy (“Majority Rule”)
   -

   Parenting (“Into the Fold,” “Ja’loja,” “A Happy Refrain”)
   -

   Marriage, Divorce, and Romantic Relationships (“Old Wounds,” Tomorrow,
   Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,” “Cupid’s Dagger,” “A Happy Refrain,” and “The Road
   Not Taken.”)

The second section of the book will critically explore The Orville from a
media studies perspective, and could potentially (but not exclusively)
include chapters on the following topics:

   -

   Special Effects & Set Design in *The Orville*
   -

   The Comedy Stylings of *The Orville*
   -

   The Accuracy of the Science and Technology in *The Orville*
   -

   Comparing *The Orville* to *Star Trek*. (It is parody? Does it copy too
   many ideas?)
   -

   Comparison of *The Orville*’s Social Commentary to that in other Science
   Fiction Over the Years

Abstracts and subsequent essays should be substantial but clear and
accessible, written to engage the intelligent lay reader. Contributors will
receive a free copy of the book, once it’s published.

   -

   Submission deadline for abstracts (300-500 words) and CVs: September 1st,
   2019.
   -

   Submission deadline for drafts of accepted papers: December 1st, 2019.
   -

   Submission deadline for final drafts: April 1st, 2020.

   The schedule for final drafts is likely to adjust to allow authors to
   incorporate elements from the upcoming third season into their chapters.



   Kindly submit by e-mail (preferably with a Word attachment) to:
   *[email protected]*





Robert Arp, PhD
(703) 946-4669
[email protected]
robertarp.com

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