Science Fiction im Feuerwehrzentrum: Von Androiden, Windmächten und neuen Welten
An android that splits a circle of friends. An apartment block that the wind drives out to sea. A student who finds the way to a distant planet. Three authors, three disturbingly close future visions – presented on an evening full of explosive material at the Weinheim Fire Department Center.
Sebastian Schmidt: “Powerschaum”
In a near future: Sascha is sitting alone in a boutique. His friends have locked him in there because he is supposed to have committed a crime for which they demand accountability. Some time ago, they had a new member join their circle of friends. The android Charly lived as a "test run" with Sascha's friend Jan and brought him financial ease. Initially, he contributed new ideas for activities, seemed surprisingly approachable, and was liked by everyone. Only Sascha remained skeptical and did not trust Charly, "who was not a human." It was less his technical physique that triggered discomfort than the highlighting and deepening of societal gaps and abysses that reproduce within the circle of friends. The readers know from the beginning that things will end badly, but what actually happened then? How did the escalation occur? And what role did Sascha play in all of this? Striving for a permanent present in his narration, he writes “right now” a retrospect that not only recapitulates the events of recent past but also recalls his own childhood. A complete picture emerges through descriptions of the precarious situation with his wife Elodie and the children, as well as the friendship circle shaped by diverse social backgrounds. Sebastian Schmidt's debut novel Powerschaum is Science-, but even more so, Social-Fiction.
Sebastian Schmidt, born in 1983, grew up in and around Heidelberg. He writes prose, poetry, and essays. As a member of the network Other Writers Need to Concentrate, he critically engages with the topic of care work and writing. Texts by the author have been translated into Czech, French, and English. Sebastian Schmidt lives in Würzburg.
Patrick Beck: “Windheim”
Suddenly, the wind tore the block loose, driving it out to sea. No one could escape anymore; this happened in the middle of the night while we were asleep. We slept, and for us, the block remained standing in its foundations. It was a strange experience for us when it became light, and we looked out the window and realized that only the sea was around us, no land in sight, just water, waves, wind. And then it became clear to us that we were drifting in the middle of the sea, that we were in a house in the middle of the sea... The idea for this book originated in Marseille. The sky was radiant blue, and the Mistral blew for several days. Such a strong wind over such a long time – that was new to me. The wind was so strong that the ferries to Chateau d’if did not operate – the fortress where the Count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned. One had to be careful not to trip over one's own feet; the wind pushed one foot in front of the other. Marseille is also the city of Le Corbusier's Cité Radieuse. A living machine that one need not leave – equipped with a restaurant, school, shopping level, etc. Wind and living machine merged into an idea by themselves. A strange wind traps the residents of an apartment block for years.
Patrick Beck: Born in 1975 in Zwickau, after studying law and stays in Leipzig, Speyer, and London, he lives in Dresden. Poetry, essays, drama. Patrick Beck has already published in the LLV: Swantegard (audio piece), I built a house of light (novel).
Rolf Thum: “Elysium – The New Earth”
The planet “New Earth” seems to be a true “Elysium,” as five intelligent species have lived on it in harmony and at a very high technological level for millennia: communication via telepathy is part of everyday life for its inhabitants. On our “Old Earth,” however, the year is 1980; there is neither internet nor smartphones, but people are just pleased about the first computers.
The I-narrator of the story, a student from Heidelberg, who we only learn the nickname “Rolli” of, accidentally finds in a scientific paper on astrophysics the map of a distant planet that looks exactly like the map of his fantasy world from childhood. Did this world perhaps not originate from his imagination but rather from reality? But how does one get there, given that traveling through space to distant stars seems (so far) impossible? He meets the author of the aforementioned paper, who tries to convince him credibly that there is indeed a way to the other planet and that Rolli must have been there in his childhood. In fact, this way emerges again, where a cat plays a not insignificant role.
Rolf Thum was born in Heidelberg in 1952. After studying and obtaining his doctorate at the University of Heidelberg in the field of mineralogy/geology, he worked for a while in industry and in a development project. Later, he was a research coordinator for the universities of applied sciences in Baden-Württemberg. Since 1993, he has had his own publishing house, focusing on travel literature. He is married and has two daughters. Rolf Thum lives in Hockenheim.
Entry from 6:30 PM
Hallo, ich bin Maya.
