In science fiction, justice can prevail, and no one needs money. But dystopias can also unfold, and the world as we know it can grow darker. Science fiction opens the door to the wildest and most thought-provoking thought experiments. Ever since The Blazing World (1666) by Margaret Cavendish, books in the genre have wreaked havoc on humanity, nature and society. We have encountered societies without racism, societies without children, classless societies and societies inhabited by robots.
Meet three enthusiastic readers of science fiction and hear them discuss what makes the genre so exciting, and why it has taken so long for it to be taken seriously by the general literary readership.
Sarah Adekoya recently published the novel Når ild ser, a story about a group awakening within an increasingly polarised class society. Author and critic Marjam Idriss has spent much of the past year immersing herself in the science fiction genre and writing about it for Vinduet. Catrine Knudsen has long been interested in the ethical questions explored by the genre and has examined some of these themes in her own books.
After the conversation, there will be a reading of “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, a short story by Ursula Le Guin. The text is used in philosophy teaching at universities in the USA and is great fun to discuss!
Sarah Adekoya (2001) was born and raised in Tromsø. She now lives in Bergen, where she studies medicine at the University of Bergen. Over the past couple of years, Adekoya has been NRK’s reviewer of fantasy literature. Når ild ser is her first book.
Marjam Idriss (1992) grew up in Sola and Jåsund in Rogaland. She has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a master’s degree in medieval literature from the University of Cambridge. She made her debut with Jannikeevangeliet in 2017 and worked for several years as an antiquarian bookseller in south-east London.
Cathrine Knudsen (1970) has previously published five novels. Manuell (2014) was her first book with Pelikanen publishing house and was described by critics as a definitive breakthrough. In 2017, Knudsen received the Stig Sæterbakken Memorial Prize for a body of work with “convincing literary qualities, originality and the courage to create its own projects”. Since then, she has also published Den siste hjelperen, Kjærlighetsfragmentet and Kvinner jeg ikke har kjent with Pelikanen.
The event is part of Kapittel – Stavanger International Festival of Literature and Freedom of Expression, taking place from 16–20 September 2026. More information, the programme and tickets can be found at Kapittel’s website. At some events at Sølvberget and during the Kapittel Festival, photographs and video may be taken for documentation and use on social media.
