Course Description
A special topic in science fiction not otherwise offered in the English curriculum. Topics and instructors vary from semester to semester.
Athena Title
Topics in Science Fiction
Prerequisite
Two 2000-level ENGL courses or (one 2000-level ENGL course and one 3000-level ENGL course) or (one 2000-level ENGL course and one 2000-level CMLT course)
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students in the class will learn to think critically about science fiction, considering it not as a lesser genre geared toward a limited audience, but as a diverse genre that challenges readers to examine the state, the prospects, and the very nature of the human condition. They will be able to outline the ways in which science fiction is always in dialogue with the present in which it is written, as well as to view works of science fiction in the context of the rapid social and technological changes that humanity has experienced from the industrial revolution to the information age. Students in the course will also develop their abilities to think critically, argue persuasively, and write vigorous college- level prose. At the end of the course, students, having read a substantial body of literature, will be able to discuss the assigned works (orally and in writing) with critical sophistication, to read and interpret other works from the genre, and to converse with fellow students about texts and issues related to the subject matter of the course.
Topical Outline
The choice and sequence of topics will vary from instructor to instructor and semester to semester. The topics will consist of selected works by various authors, to be read outside of class and discussed in class, examined individually and comparatively in the context of the times and the circumstances of their composition and reception. Because the course will change from semester to semester, students are encouraged to refer to the English Department website for information concerning the course content for a specific semester. Sample topics might include the following: — Afro-Futurism — Alien Encounters — Cli-Fi (fictions of climate and climate change) — Feminist Science Fiction — Futurisms — Golden Age Science Fiction — Indigenous Science Fictions — Multimedia Science Fiction — Nineteenth-Century Science Fiction — Race and Racism in Science Fiction — Queer Science Fiction — Science Fiction and the Cold War — Science Fiction and Fan Cultures — Science Fiction and Literary Theory — The Science Fiction Short Story — World Science Fiction — A focus on a particular SF author (H.G. Wells, Octavia Butler, Philip K. Dick) Periodically during the semester, students will perform a number of graded tasks, including some combination of tests, critical essays, and in-class writing assignments. Assignments may also include class presentations and/or research outside of class.