Course Description	Course Objectives
Course Materials	Grading
Weekly Schedule	Journal and Presentation

Required Texts:
Science Fiction: Texts and Contexts ed. Heather Masri Bedford St. Martins. 2009
A Science Fiction Novel of your choice or a short (minimum 1000 words) sci-fi story you will write; a name/title must be submitted to me by September 16.

Description:
English 3720 is a special topics course for which we will study science fiction. Although the general public thinks of science fiction (SciFi) primarily as a phenomenon of escapist movies and television shows, there is also a large body of well written SciFi which qualifies as good literature. Indeed, C. S. Lewis, Ursula LeGuin, and Orson Wells are considered among the great writers in English, and they have contributed to science fiction. The book will acquaint us with a bit of the history of American SciFi, we'll study specific major works (novellas and short stories), and become acquainted with how science fiction acts as a metaphor for large cultural and political concerns. If you choose, you may write a short sci-fi story in place of making a presentation on a novel.

Course Objectives

• To interpret and enjoy works of Science Fiction
• To define Science Fiction preparatory to analyzing it as literature.
• To observe connections between contemporary science fiction and culture
• To participate in the discussion about such texts
• To analyze different elements of Science Fiction as a literary genre
• To increase awareness and understanding of human nature, human problems, and the solution of problems expressed in such texts.
• To appreciate what science fiction tells us about the hopes and fears, ignorance and knowledge of our present-day society.
• To consider how different philosophical or scientific perspectives can add to how a story entertains us.

Writing Requirements and Grading:

• An objective midterm                         10%
• a final exam (essay)                            20%
• a presentation                                    15%
• novel or sci fi story you create              5%
• a biweekly journal                               50%

Journal Assignment:
The text is divided into six sections representing some major types of science fiction. At the end of each of these sections are pieces written by three renowned critical writers that address the major focus of that section. These pieces vary in difficulty of ideas and in their connection to the texts in the section. Rather than assign a large paper to be written at the end of the course, I am asking you to select one piece from each "critical contexts" section to read and, every two weeks, to submit a paper that will summarize its major ideas, and apply them to an analysis of one or two of the stories in the section. The syllabus will contain a link to my comments on each of the critical pieces. Your paper will be a minimum of 500 words and a maximum of 1000 (roughly two to four pages). We will not discuss the critics in class, but you are welcome and even encouraged to ask questions in class any time you have completed reading a critic.

Presentation
This class will build on the exchange of insights and viwpoints among class members, so development of your speaking skills is central to its (and your) success. I will ask you (in groups of 2) to give an introductory presentation of about 10-15 minutes on a writer listed on our syllabus. Your presentation should typically serve as a point of departure for further discussion and must be accompanied by a typed handout that you distribue in the class period before your report. This way we can all think through your report in advance and formulate helpful questions and responses. The handout should not exceed two pages (one sheet, front and back) and should contain the following information

-title of presentation/name(s) of presenter(s)                  -a summary of your major ideas and theses
-text(s) you expect your fellow students to study         -the sources/web sites you have consulted 

An "official" sigh-up sheet for these presentations is posted on my door. To enhance your leaning (and, let's be honest, to kill two birds with one stone), I encourage you to build upon your oral report for one of your biweekly journals. Use the class as a testing ground for your ideas!

Note:
The omission of any major assignment or a significant part of an assignment will merit an E for the course. This includes missing more than 1 of the journals required.

Flu Emergency Instructions: In the event of an extended campus closure I will continue to provide instruction and interaction via email and my online syllabus. My email address is dkrantz@weber.edu; you can expect an email message from me on Monday and Thursday of each week during the closure. The message will contain a Word file attachment that will provide a supplement to the syllabus links, directions for any written assignments and readings, and any other relevant information. You are to complete assignments during that same week and submit them as an attachment (if you have Microsoft Word) or pasted into an email message back to me by the following Saturday evening. Tests and exams will be postponed until students are able to return to campus unless the closure extends beyond three weeks. In that case I will send an email message containing a link to a Chi Tester assessment with specific instructions for completing the assessment. It is imperative that you provide an email address linked to an email account that you plan to access on a regular basis and which has adequate storage capacity for transmitting documents. I will collect your email address and verify its availability during the first week of class. Please let me know by the end of the first week of the semester if you do not have access to a computer and/or the Internet from your home.

READING SCHEDULE

Readings are due the week for which they are listed.

Students with Disabilities: Any student requiring accommodations or services due to a disability must contact Services for Students with disabilities (SSD) in room 181 of the Student Service Center. SSD can also arrange to provide course materials (including this syllabus) in alternative formats if necessary.

Ethics: Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsification, accessing unauthorized course or test information, using unauthorized resources or breaching copyright law. Such dishonesty will result in an E for this course, and may result in charges issued, hearings held, and/or sanctions imposed.

Links to some useful definitions

• Cyberpunk; Cyberpunk and its authors
• Utopia (contains mention of anti-Utopia and dystopia and their distinction) Note the connections and applications Wikipedia makes to SF for these words.
• Speculative Fiction

Week 1
Monday Introduction to course; Check out Nova; Read the Introduction pp. 1-10.
Wednesday Consider these definitions of science fiction. What constitutes science fiction according to Masri? Which do you prefer and why? Sign up for presentations. "First come, first served." Critical Notes
Read Alien Encounters; pp. 17-52; Reading Guide; War of Worlds clip MP3;
Friday Alien Encounters: pp. 52-96; Reading guide; Decide if you will read de Beauvoir, Jung, or Fanon for your critical reading.

Week 2
Monday Alien Encounters: pp. 96-135
Wednesday Alien Encounters: pp. 135-161; Alien Encounter Presentation for story/writer
Friday First Journal Due; Alien Encounters: pp. 161-179; Artificial Life: pp. 194-195. Optional Reading The Sandman

Week 3
Wednesday Artificial Life: pp 221-282; Frankenstein ques.
Friday Artificial Life: pp 282-296; Decide if you will read Freud, Baudrillard, or Haraway for your critical reading.

Week 4
Monday Artificial Life: pp 296-331; Scholarly article on doubles in lit including Dick
Wednesday Artificial Life: pp 331-371
Friday Artificial Life: pp 371-415

Week 5
Monday Artificial Life: pp 415-427; Artificial Presentation for story/writer;
Wednesday Second Journal Due; Time: pp 478-503; Lit. Crit. on Sci Fi
Friday Time: pp 503-517; Escher and relativity-related prints

Week 6
Monday Time: pp 517-551
Wednesday Time: pp 551-596
Friday; Time Presentation for story/writer; Time: pp 596-614;Decide if you will read Sartre, Carr, or Kaku for your critical reading.

Week 7
Monday Time: pp 596-651
Wednesday Third Journal Due; Time: pp 651-664

Week 8
Monday ; Midterm Preparation
Wednesday Midterm in Social Sciences Testing Center
Friday Holiday

Week 9
Monday Utopias and Dystopias: pp. 702-748
Wednesday Utopias and Dystopias: pp.748-768; Utopia Presentation for story/writer;
Friday Utopias and Dystopias: pp. 768-811; Decide if you will read Arendt, Whyte, or Jameson for your critical reading.

Week 10
Monday Utopias and Dystopias: pp. 811-838
Wednesday Fourth Journal Due; Utopias and Dystopias: pp. 838-850
Friday Summary of and reflections on novel presented to the class; Sci-fi short story presented to class

Week 11
Monday Disasters and Apocalypses: pp.892-921; Reading Guide. Decide if you will read Eliade, Sontag, or Boyer for your critical reading.
Wednesday Disasters and Apocalypses: pp. 921-958
Friday Apocalypse Presentation of story/writer; Disasters and Apocalypses: pp.958-984; Reading Guide

Week 12
Monday Fifth Journal Due; Evolutions: pp. 1028-1052
Wednesday Evolutions: pp. 1052-1084
Friday Cyberpunk; Evolutions: pp. 1084-1110;Decide if you will read Gould, Minsky, or Johnson for your critical reading. Reading Guide

Week 13
Monday Evolutions: pp. 1110-1132
Wednesday Evolutions: pp. 1132-1161
Friday Evolutions Presentation of story/writer; Evolutions: pp. 1161-1175

Week 14
Monday Sixth Journal Due; Evolutions: pp. 1175-1203 Link to biochip Time article
Wednesday Catch-up period and paper reports

Week 15
Monday Catch-up period and paper reports
Wednesday Suggestions for final exam.
Friday Final Exam Practice

Final Exam: Wednesday, 12/9 at 8:30 am