Liam Young

I have always been fascinated by the stories we tell about our world and how they shape our understanding of what is possible. This curiosity led me from studying international relations at the LSE to literature at Birkbeck, and now to my doctoral research at Loughborough University.

My career has been a blend of politics and writing. I have worked as a political advisor and a trade union strategist, grappling with real-world policy challenges. As a writer, I've contributed to national outlets analysing our ever-shifting political landscape. These experiences have given me a firsthand look at how narratives shape policy and public opinion - a perspective that now informs my academic work.

At its heart, my research is driven by a simple question: how can we better imagine - and therefore create - the world we want to live in?

Suprvisors:  Professor Sian Adiseshiah and Dr Guy Aitchison

Liam Young's research project, titled "Crash Culture and the Speculative Imagination” examines the intersection of contemporary speculative fiction and post-2008 economic thought. Young argues that speculative fiction published after the 2008 financial crisis has shifted its focus from exploring future possibilities to grappling with contemporary realities, particularly economic and social challenges.

The research aims to analyse how post-2008 speculative fiction reflects, resists, and digests the minor renaissance in left economic thinking that emerged during this period. Young's study will focus on works published in the UK and North America, examining their engagement with themes such as economic inequality, power structures, and alternative economic models.

Young's interdisciplinary approach combines literary analysis with political theory and economic thought. He plans to examine how these narratives critique centralised economic systems, envision alternative local economic control, and offer insights into the real-world issues of inequality and loss of agency.

The project's objectives include outlining key components of 'crash culture,' establishing how speculative fiction engages with these themes, and understanding what the genre reveals about centralised and decentralised economic systems and their impact on culture.

Alongside his thesis, Young plans to produce a podcast titled 'Fiction and Futures,' featuring conversations with speculative fiction editors, reviewers, academics, and reading group members. This public engagement component aims to communicate the research to a wider audience and contribute to public policy debates.

By bridging literary analysis, economic theory, and public policy, Young's research seeks to offer fresh perspectives on how contemporary culture imagines - or struggles to imagine - alternatives in the post-2008 era.