Laura's research interests include the rise, subversion, and fall of genre conventions and boundaries, particularly in speculative fiction; continuities and congruences that run from the earliest Victorian-era speculative fiction through to current writers' work; the use of speculative fiction as social commentary; speculative performance writing; and artistic collaboration, including internet-facilitated projects. Her publications and presentations include: "It Has Ever Been Thus: Science Fiction as the Message Bearer". Science Fiction: A Review of Speculative Literature (forthcoming). "The Role of Speculative-Writing Pedagogy in Inspiring Works of Hope and Resilience", presented at Finncon, Espoo, Finland, July 2022. "Towards a Pedagogy of Speculative Fiction Writing" (with Dr. Sean Williams), presented at the 2020 World Science Fiction Convention, Wellington, NZ, July 29-August 2. Download a PDF of the slides. "Redemption, Integrity, and Heroism: The Case for Hopepunk in the Current Dystopia", presented at the 2019 World Science Fiction Convention, Dublin, Ireland, August 15-19. Download a PDF of the slides. Review: "Economic Science Fictions, edited by William Davies". Fafnir — the Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research, vol. 6, no. 1, 2019. Review: "Wulfsyarn by Phillip Mann". Science Fiction: A Review of Speculative Literature, vol. 19, nos. 1+2, 2018. "Allowed to Be a Hero: Disruptive Diversity in Victorian Genre Fiction", Proceedings of the 2018 Hawaii Science Fictions and Popular Cultures Conference, Kona, Hawaii, September 13-16. "Estrangement: The One True Genre", presented at the 2017 World Science Fiction Convention, Helsinki, Finland, August 9-13. "Uncertain Borders: The Rise and Fall of Genre?" Science Fiction: A Review of Speculative Literature, Volume 18, Number 1, pp. 20-67 (2016) (download). "Genre Boundaries: The Beginning of the End?", presented at the 2015 annual conference of the Popular Culture Association of Australia and New Zealand, Wellington, June 30-July 2. "Uncertain Borders: The Rise and Fall of Genre?", presented at the 2012 World Science Fiction Convention, Chicago, Illinois. "Hidden Heroes: Radio's Role in Emergencies", presented at the 2004 Commercial Radio Australia national conference, Broadbeach, Queensland. "Orange on the Scene: the SES Media Officer Program", presented at the 2003 Australian Disaster Conference, Canberra (with Peter O'Neill); paper also published in the Australian Journal of Emergency Management, March 2005 (peer-reviewed). Her practice-led research has included readings and full productions of speculative performance writing, including radio plays, operas, stage plays, and performance poetry. She co-produced with composer Houston Dunleavy the innovative project The Cabinet of Oddities: a performance of new musical compositions linked with new writing and artwork from some of Australia's best-known speculative-fiction practitioners, who provided work of exceptional quality and range. The producers matched the writers and artist with composers to work collaboratively on a performance piece. The resulting pieces were performed by four top-level flutists, including the internationally regarded Peter Sheridan, specialist in low flutes. The Cabinet of Oddities received two performances: in Canberra in October 2015, in conjunction with the Australian Flute Festival; and in Melbourne in September 2016, as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. For information about editing services, click here.