For forty-five years, Social Alternatives has included fiction to probe socio-political issues. This issue brings fiction to the fore. Consistent with some earlier special issues (2021, 2013, 2009), we also include analysis of fiction as part of our commitment to a multidisciplinary platform for critical alternatives to oppressive norms. And in celebrating 45 years, our focus was necessarily broad. Social Alternatives believes that multiple mediums are beneficial in the promotion of public debates. Fictional representations of socio-economic and political concerns generate imaginative solutions to our current conditions. The founders of Social Alternatives consider fiction fundamental for the sharing of rigorous and fresh perspectives in the collective effort to navigate contemporary issues.