The Future Is Implausible:
A Masterclass on Speculative Fiction
with Ken Liu
Commencing countdown, engines on! Launch your ideas into a new dimension with author and futurist Ken Liu. Navigate the data-verse of your own stories and programme compelling narratives from the ground up. Walk through topics essential for the modern speculative fiction writer like technology as a language and the limits of speculation, all while you get a chance to download his methods and upload your own creations through hands-on exercises. This masterclass series is intended for intermediate and advanced fiction writers.
Registration closes 22 October 2025, 11.59pm SGT, or when full capacity is reached.
Course Information
Course Code: WS-KL
Duration: 1 to 2 hrs per session
Recommended For:
Intermediate and Advanced Writers
Dates
12 Nov, Wed
7.30pm to 8.30pm (1 hr)
15 Nov, Sat
11.00am to 1.00pm (2 hrs)
19 Nov, Wed
7.30pm to 8.30pm (1 hr)
22 Nov, Sat
11.00am to 1.00pm (2 hrs)
26 Nov, Wed
7.30pm to 8.30pm (1 hr)
29 Nov, Sat
11.00am to 1.00pm (2 hrs)
3 Dec, Wed
7.30pm to 8.30pm (1 hr)
6 Dec, Sat
11.00am to 1.00pm (2 hrs)
Venue
In-Person
30 Bencoolen
Singapore 189621
Please Note
- Each registration submission is for one participant only.
- Participants are required to attend all eight sessions.
- Registrants will undergo a selection process, and those selected must complete payment to confirm their placement.
- ACWP will maintain a waiting list once the maximum number of participants is reached.
- Shortlisted participants will be contacted for payment and confirmation.
Overview and Learning Outcomes
In this masterclass series, author and futurist Ken Liu will teach participants his approach to speculative fiction. Consisting of a series of 8 lectures/workshops ranging between 1 and 2 hours in length, this course will take students through a series of topics essential for the modern speculative fiction writer: the unique purpose of science fiction and fantasy (SFF), story structure, fiction techniques, the limits of speculation, technology as a language, worldbuilding, the role of AI in the arts, and so on. Through provocative lectures and hands-on exercises, students will not only hear about Liu’s approach to speculative fiction but actually practise the techniques and make them part of their own repertoire.
Who Should Apply?
Writers, including:
- Intermediate Writers: Writers who have chosen to pursue writing as a full-time or part-time career with serious, professional intent but are not yet published with a mainstream or recognized independent publisher.
- Advanced Writers: Writers who have published at least one book with a mainstream or recognized independent publisher, and/or have been published in at least one literary journal or anthology.
Participants will be selected by the Visiting Writer with assistance from the ACWP. A waiting list will be maintained.
Registration and Pricing
Course Pre-requisites
To sign up, please register at the link above and provide the following documents:
- A 500 word writing sample (in English)
- A short summary of your writing project (approximately 100 words)
- A brief biography (50 to 100 words)
Course Fees
- $200 for adults
- $100 for senior citizens aged 55 and above, NSFs, and unemployed individuals
- $50 for students from Singapore institutions, including undergraduate and postgraduate students
Fees are non-refundable.
For all other inquiries including financial assistance, please email us.
About Ken Liu
Ken Liu (http://kenliu.name) is the author of the Dandelion Dynasty, a silkpunk epic fantasy series, as well as The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories and The Hidden Girl and Other Stories. His latest book is All that We See or Seem, a techno-thriller starring an AI-whispering hacker who saves the world.
Photo © Lisa Tang Liu