Science fiction is inseparable from the notions of time and motion. Although it examines the dynamics of society and culture, the genre doesn’t purport to be predict the future. Indeed, sci-fi examines modernity and endeavors to understand how the actions we take today stand to change our future world. The world is perpetually developing, and our ways of thinking follow suit.

All that said, sci-fi in Russia is in a bit of a rut. Many recent works have tended to grapple with recurrent themes and images, and over time, these old standbys have come to poorly fit the sci-fi imagination. For this reason, Sistema has decided to launch the sci-fi reboot program, through which they hope to redefine the genre and broaden its scope.

The theme of this year’s competition is immortality.

Technological and medical progress, in tandem with cutting-edge scientific practices, have brought us closer than ever before to the possibility of becoming immortal.

Our personalities, finances, experiences, emotions and everything else that makes us ourselves can now be saved in digitalized form – or even in original form and revived by AI.

Viewing these themes from a standpoint at the crossroads of art, culture and technology, is there any limit to what immortality has in store for us?

Submission deadline: 15 August 2018

Stage 1: We will begin with a literary competition. Drawing on the themes outlined above, write a short story in Russian (20,000-80,000 symbols, with spaces). Selected works will be published in a compilation in Russian and in English.

Stage 2: Five contestants will be shortlisted. The winner will take home RUB 500,000 in prize money, while the four runners up will receive RUB 100,000 each. Furthermore, we will provide illustrators and design professionals to support our winners by creating personal media projects based on their stories.

Criteria: We will assess each story on the basis of its plot and its vivid, science-based vision of the future.

For more information: Please email , and check out the official website: http://bf.sistema.ru/futuretense/ (English version coming soon)