Retez, Riccardo: - Riccardo Retez, Ph.D. in Visual and Media Studies at the IULM University in Milan, is an Adjunct Professor in Television and Media History at the LABA of Florence, Italy, with a research focus on Social studies, Audience studies and Game studies. His doctoral research (IULM University of Milan, 2024) investigated spectator behavior on game live-streaming platforms according to social consumption phenomena. He obtained his Master of Arts degree in Television, Cinema and New Media at IULM University in 2019 and his Bachelor of Arts Degree at the LABA of Florence in 2017. He contributes to academic publications in international journals and volumes (Concrete Press 2020, Ludica 2020; Eracle Journal 2021, IFM 2021, Phoenix Papers 2022, Oxford Press 2023, Mimesis 2024) and works as curator of events concerned with contemporary visual culture. In this field, he has recently worked as project manager of festivals related to science fiction and its perception between academia and the public within Italian and American universities (IULM University, 2021-2022-2023, The University of New Mexico, 2023). His interest in the consumption of science fiction in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic emerged as a result of research conducted in the context of doctoral research in audience studies that has demonstrated a growing reevaluation of speculative fiction in the face of the recent pandemic.