TRANS*TOPIC

Trans*topic thinking approaches the perpetual changes of life in post-normal times through a fusion of trans*ecology, future thinking and multispecies theory, proposing a frame inspired by Octavia Butler's proposition that 'the only lasting truth is change.' Taking up Butler's proposition trans*topic thinking anchors the lived trans* experience of trans*ition as an ongoing, iterative and life-long experience rather than a contained phase with an identifiable conclusion. This rejects binary frames of colonial temporalities and offers cycles and spirals of adaptation instead of beginnings or endings, each moment informing and seeding the next without a sense of hierarchical progression.

The public imagination, shaped by colonial and capitalist ideologies, tends towards the limitations of binary thinking, inevitably casting forward towards visions of utopic or dystopic futures for the earth. Trans*topic proposes instead to highlight futuring as a state of perpetual emergence and refuses any proposition for ultimate outcomes or conceptual conclusions. In the place of utopia, dystopia, and the affirmative but still arguably static protopia, trans*topia is proposed as a temporal collapse, a queering of time that draws past, present, and future into a practice and mode of analysis that envisions not a static place but a dynamic way of being, thinking, and doing.

 It is not confined to a specific destination but instead exists in the fluidity of trans*ition, embracing the ongoing processes of becoming that define the complexity of our world. Trans*topia invites us to engage with the present moment and its myriad possibilities, acknowledging the interconnectedness of past experiences, the immediacy of the present, and the trans*formative potential of future options. It is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of existence and a celebration of the continuous dance of change.

Situated in post-normal times, Trans*topic thinking proposes an alternative approach to thinking about trans*itional times and experiences, particularly within future thinking. Rather than relying on binaries such as utopia and dystopia or seeking a conclusive endpoint, trans*topic thinking encourages a non-linear and non-teleological approach that embraces the complexity and ambiguity of change. This approach recognises that change is a constant process and that the future is not a fixed endpoint but an ongoing and emergent process shaped by various factors, including human and non-human agency, environmental conditions, and social and political contexts.

In this sense, trans*topic thinking invites us to remain open to multiple possibilities and to embrace the uncertainty and indeterminacy that come with living in trans*itional times, asserting the trans*ition as a mode of being, creating and a position worthy of staying within. It emphasises the importance of remaining attentive to the ongoing trans*formation work and how our actions and choices shape the world around us.

Drawing from trans* ecology, Trans*topic thinking seeks to disrupt the anthropocentric practices of futures and asserts any future as an inherently interspecies affair. Gesturing towards the myriad non-human agents inhabiting human bodies, worlds, affairs and systems, it centres a deep consideration of the human as one species amongst 8 million. It looks towards the ancient genius of the animal, fungal, atmospheric, molecular and geologic morphology of earth, celebrating the opportunity to learn from their survival and adopt perspectives that recognise that change is an ever-present, ongoing process influenced by an array of factors, encompassing human and non-human agency, environmental conditions, and the intricate interplay of social and political contexts. A process of relational, multibeing, polytemporal becoming that shoots, rots and reseeds through the cacophonous convergences of diverse planetary systems. This intersectional and multispecies approach encourages us to view trans*itional times holistically, understanding that the complexities of gender, ecology, and societal structures are intricately interwoven.

Proposing trans*topia as a conceptual, fluid terrain and a space where diverse lives intersect, influence one another, and move collectively into uncharted possibilities. In the context of post-normal times, where change is a constant, trans*topic thinking offers an alternative approach. It encourages a non-linear and non-teleological stance, inviting us to dwell within trans*itions and appreciate our world's cyclic processes. As a guiding ethos, it allows us to traverse futures, navigating the intricate interplay of human and non-human forces with an openness to diverse and trans*formative possibilities. Grounded in multispecies and intersectional ethics, trans**topic thinking recognises and celebrates the ongoing processes of becoming that define our complex world. To this end, trans*topic thinking engages purposefully with adding the asterisk, as Barad discussed in their text Trans*materialities (2015). Here, trans* both gestures towards ongoing emergent and diverse identities within the trans* experience and also an imperative to keep one eye on the margins as meaning continues to appear beyond the horizon of the known.