In 1998, the London publishing house Quartet Books published More Brilliant Than The Sun. Adventures in Sonic Fiction by Kodwo Eshun. Today, the concept of Sonic Fiction is applied in the fields of music theory, sound studies, cultural studies, experimental music, sound art and even political theory. “Sonic Fiction is a tool for anyone who wants to write about music, culture, for people passionate about club culture, artists, thinkers and activists.

Sonic fiction is not a label to be applied taxonomically, but rather a vessel that is triggered by sensations moving from the outside to the inside, objects in which music materialises”. These are the words of Holger Schulze, professor of musicology at the University of Copenhagen and coordinator of the Sound Studies Lab. In this episode of What Do Sounds Want?, together with him and Giada Della Bontà, we retrace the history of the notion of Sonic Fiction and its implications. Last but not least, we go back to Steve Goodman and his sonic fiction Astro-Darien.