Ian P. MacDonald

Ian P. MacDonald is a core faculty member in the Department of English, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, African literature, and postcolonial theory. His academic work bridges speculative genres with critical literary inquiry, particularly focusing on Afrofuturism, Africanfuturism, and the intersections between science fiction and historical narrative.

His research interests include:

• Speculative Fiction and Fantasy
• African and Diasporic Literature
• Postcolonial Literature and Theory
• Utopian Literature
• Globalization and Cosmopolitanism
• Historical Novel and Science Fiction

MacDonald’s recent and forthcoming publications reflect a strong engagement with how speculative fiction reimagines history, memory, and identity. His work frequently analyzes African and diasporic authors who use science fiction and fantasy to explore exile, technoculture, and decolonial futures. Themes of cosmopolitanism, spatial belonging, and historiographic critique recur across his scholarship, particularly in journals like Science Fiction Studies, Utopian Studies, and Literary Geographies.

His co-edited volume, Science Fiction and the Historical Novel: Days of Future Pasts (Liverpool UP, 2024), contributes to ongoing critical dialogues initiated by Fredric Jameson, examining how contemporary works blend speculative and historical modes to reflect on the future as a form of historical projection.

While no specific scientific awards or fellowships are listed, MacDonald’s publication record in top-tier journals and university presses indicates significant scholarly recognition. He has not disclosed information about research grants or advising relationships in the provided text.

He received his doctorate from Columbia University, where he focused on African literature and postcolonial theory, laying the foundation for his current interdisciplinary research program.