Seeding change: Feminist science fiction from Abya Yala

In October 2024, a group of artists and activists, many of whom had never before written science fiction, gathered in an online workshop to create stories that reimagined the future. They were encouraged to speak about their own struggles and territories, free from the constraints of patriarchal and colonial norms. The workshop, Una Bolsa de Semillas ("A Bag of Seeds"), was an experiment organised by digital rights organisation Coding Rights and feminist art collective Musea M.A.M.I. and facilitated by Lucía Egaña Rojas and Joana Varon to nourish new feminist sci-fi narratives, with support from an APC Women's Rights Programme Feminist TechJoy Grant. In the matter of a few weeks, these writers from different parts of Latin America shaped a collection of stories that aimed to disrupt the traditional forms of science fiction.

“The initiative was born from the need to envision technologies and futures rooted in the realities of Abya Yala (a term used by Indigenous and decolonial movements to describe the Americas),” co-organiser Joana Varon, of Coding Rights, said in an interview with APC. “We need stories that reflect the socio-political and environmental demands of dissident bodies.”

The project was ambitious: to regenerate science fiction narratives that moved away from Northern and patriarchal influences into speculative fiction by a diverse and international group of women and gender-diverse persons. As a result, a book was published representing the voices of authors from across Latin America. The book, launched on 23 April 2025, represents the fruits of months of collaboration, late-night revisions and collective work. It’s a collection of stories that speaks to the potential for decolonisation and the power of imagination to shape the future.

Building a collective narrative

By the time the workshop began, the organisers were already overwhelmed by the response. Over 150 applications arrived from 18 countries, showing how much need there is for inspiration on alternative futures. Selected applications came from people across the spectrum of sexual and gender identities, including trans, non-binary, lesbian and queer people, as well as Indigenous and Afrodescendant contributors, reflecting the richness of Latin American diversity.

“We were intrigued and positively surprised by the reach of the call for applications,” co-organiser Lucía Egaña Rojas reflected. “We then carefully selected a group of 11 participants from six countries, with backgrounds ranging from literary experience to grassroots activism.”

The writing process was an exercise in collective creation. Even though the participants came from different countries and spoke different languages, there was a shared vision of imagining futures outside the colonial and capitalist frameworks. The workshop was not just about writing in isolation; “it was about building a collective narrative,” as several of the participants described it.

Over the course of eight online meetings facilitated by Lucía and Joana, along with a one-off participation of science fiction author Gabriela Damián Miravete, the writers began to transform their personal and political realities into science fiction. Their stories ranged from speculative worlds grounded in ancestral knowledge to futures where colonial violence was overthrown through acts of resistance and dreams of vengeance. In the words of the organisers, the stories that emerged were “embodied narratives that took us on journeys into our political fictions,” referring to elements of local culture, memory and the power of communities.

“A bag of seeds”

The stories presented in the book “Una Bolsa de Semillas: Ciencia ficción en Abya Yala”, which is the final output of this project, offer imaginaries that grow from dissident bodies and territories. Some of them sketch future-presents grounded in precious memories of the past-present. Others transmute colonial and patriarchal violences into moments of dreams, where the daily dystopia is finally crushed. 

“By incorporating elements of the cultures of the territories we inhabit, these narratives take us on different journeys into our political fictions. The science invoked (the "sci" in "sci-fi") is one that acknowledges our local and ancestral knowledge and wisdom,” Lucía added.

The book represents the fruits of months of collaboration, late-night revisions and collective work. It’s a collection of stories that speaks to the potential for decolonisation and the power of imagination to shape the future. And yet, the work is far from over. The authors involved hope to use this book as a platform for broader discussions on feminist science fiction in Latin America and beyond, and to encourage even more diverse voices to join the conversation. Therefore, what follows is that now the organisers and authors are scheduling a series of book conversations to launch the book in different countries in Latin America (more information on the current schedule below). 

If you are based in Europe, the book, written in Spanish and with a few stories in Portuguese, is currently available for sale here. The European sales will support the printing and distribution of the physical book in Latin America, as all the income raised will be directly put back into the project.

To learn more about Coding Rights' work and get a copy of the book, visit their website.

This piece is a version of the information provided by Coding Rights as part of the project "Abya Yala Science Fiction: Crafting imaginaries for decolonial technologies", adapted for the Seeding Change column. Did this story inspire you to plant seeds of change in your community? Share your story with us at communications@apc.org

Cover image: Book cover, courtesy of Coding Rights.