Science Fiction & Fantasy Lit - ENGS 040 Z1 - Course Syllabus

8/2/2019 Science Fiction & Fantasy Lit - ENGS 040 Z1 - Course Syllabus

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IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS IS THE SYLLABUS FROM LAST SUMMER (2011).

The basic workload and course focus/goals will be fundamentally the same, but theremay be some changes in the readings used. DONT BUY THE BOOKS BASED ON

THIS SYLLABUS!!!!!

English 40: Science Fiction and Fantasy Summer 2011

Jamie WilliamsonOffice: 304 Old Mill; 656-4139; Home 863-0140 (not after 9); e-mail

[email protected]

In this course we will be reading works of science fiction and fantasy literature, and

viewing films, from the nineteenth century through the contemporary period.

The two genres are grouped together here, despite being virtual opposites in certainkey respects, due to a publishing history which, particularly since about the 1920s and

particularly in the United States, has tended to lump them together. This in turn has re-sulted in cross-fertilization between the two, writers who have worked in both genres,and a considerable grey area of separation. Of the works we will be reading, for example,

Ray Bradburys SF The Martian Chronicles contains some elements which might be

more readily be associated with fantasy, while the inter-planetary backstory of Robert E.Howards The Tower of the Elephant might be more readily associated with SF. Ursu-

la LeGuin has written highly regarded work in both genres. At root, of course, both are

genres which posit circumstances which move beyond our consensus reality, which are

fantastic.However, the nature of the fantastic in either case is generally presented in very dif-

ferent terms. In SF, there is generally some conceptual rationale, often in the form of a

genuine scientific theory, which roots the fantastic in a credible premise. The drawingroom discussion of dimensions which opens Wells The Time Machine engages genuine

scientific speculation reflecting the time in which it was published (1895). Though Ray

Bradburys science is notably lacking in The Martian Chronicles, the idea of spacetravel was gaining theoretical credibility by 1950. In fantasy, the fantastic generally

appears in the form of magic, which, though it will evince a consistency in its manifes-

tations with a good writer, or even be given some systematic framework (this has grownincreasingly common in the days of Harry Potter, and can be seen in The Tombs of

Atuan), is in its workings a mystery. There is no practical theoretical information on what

gives Farmer Giles sword power, or how a dragon works, in Farmer Giles of Ham; the

magic in Jirel Meets Magic drifts towards the surreal. Needless to say, these are notabsolute rules and one can find plenty of exceptions to them.

These differences point to differing responses to broad ideological/historical develop-

ments in the Euro-American matrix over the past few centuries. SF is generally rooted inan imaginative, speculative response to the kind of scientific thought which grew up in

the eighteenth century, and is often future directed. Fantasy is an extension of an ima-

ginative response to the past of a kind which also grew up in the eighteenth century,which has often represented, in part, a reaction against the modern scientific worldview.

Once again, this rule is very loose and scarcely absolute.


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Our reading will, by intention, include work written and published at various points

from the second half of the 19th

century (The Golden Key and The Time Machine) to thelater 20th century (LeGuin and Philip K. Dick). We will be focussing on work written in

English, from Great Britain and Anglo North America. Films will range from the early

days of the talkies (The March of the Wooden Soldiers) to last year (The Imaginarium

of Doctor Parnassus).

TEXTS

The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury

The Golden Key, by George MacDonald

The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. LeGuin

Smith of Wootton and Farmer Giles of Ham, by J.R.R.Tolkien

A Maze of Death, by Philip K.DickThe Tower of the Elephant, by Robert E.Howard (on e-reserve)

Jirel Meets Magic, by C.L.Moore (on e-reserve)Liane the Wayfarer, by Jack Vance (copies will be provided)

Reading ScheduleJuly 5 course introduction; read/discuss opening chapter ofTime Machine; view an

episode ofThe Outer Limits.

July 6 finish Time Machine; we will view the 1960 film adaptation.

July 7 The Golden Key and Smith of Wootton Major; we will view Pans Labyrinth.July 12 The Martian Chronicles through September 2005: The Martian; we will

view the Twilight Zone episode entitled The Invaders.

July 13 finishMartian Chronicles; we will view Forbidden Planet. QUIZJuly 14 The Tower of the Elephant and Jirel Meets Magic; we will view Conan the

Barbarian.

July 19 The Tombs of Atuan through the chapter entitled Names; some late 60s/early70s music engaging SF/Fantasy motifs.

July 20 finish The Tombs of Atuan; video TBA. QUIZ

July 21 Farmer Giles of Ham and Liane the Wayfarer; we will viewMarch of the

Wooden Soldiers.

July 26A Maze of Death through Chapter Twelve; video TBA.

July 27 finishA Maze of Death; we will viewImaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

July 28 in-class essay.

COURSE LOGISTICS

Class sessions will be a mix of lecture, full-class and small-group discussions, oralpresentations, and film. (Please turn off your cell phones; you are welcome to use laptops

for in-class journal entries, but otherwise laptops should be closed.)

Individual class sessions will focus on the reading done for that day, and you are ex-pected to come to class prepared to discuss the reading (which of course means having

done it). BRING THE RELEVANT BOOKS TO CLASS.


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Work in addition to the reading An in-class essay on the last day of class Participation in a group oral presentation (3 per group)sign up tonight. Three quizzes: days noted on reading schedule. In-class focussed free writes.Grades

The foundation of the course grade will be divided three ways between the essay, theoral presentation, and the quiz average. The free writes will be graded check (a solid,

thoughtful reflection), check plus (a strikingly articulate and original reflections), or

check minus (a reflection which give little evidence that the reading has been done): acheck average will maintain the course average, a check plus average will raise the

course average one increment (ieB to B+), and a check minus average will lower the

course average one increment (ieB to B-).

Attendance is required: more than one absence may result in a lowered final grade;more than three will result in no credit for the course. Present means prepared, atten-

tive, and awake, and also on time.Lastly, quizzes must be done in class on the relevant days: no out of class make-ups.

Reading Journals

The reading journals will be divided into two parts:

1) A section written out of class, made up of one page entries, one for each book, andone for each film, and half page entries for the two short stories on e-reserve. It

should be evident from what youve written that you have in fact done the reading,

but beyond this there are no specific content requirements: the focus should buildon your own response to the bookyou might take a review approach, you

might focus on a particular passage that struck you, you might discuss a particular

theme, etc. IMPORTANT NOTE: A page means the equivalent of a 12 pointtyped, double-spaced page, with inch margins, from the top line of the page to the

bottom line of the page (350-400 words). You are welcome to handwrite these, but

make sure you take the size of your writing into account: if you average c.200words handwritten, the one page requirement becomes two pages, etc.

2) A section for entries written in-class. Unlike the out of class entries, these will bein response to particular questions which I will pose to the class, and will charac-

teristically take ten or fifteen minutes. Since people write at different speeds, thelength is ten or fifteen minutes worth. The questions will be exploratory and

interpretive, without a presumed single correct answer. These will be intermit-

tent and usually unannounced.In both cases, these are intended to be informaldont worry about copy editing or

revising; you are under no obligation to type, word process, or otherwise computerize the

in-class entries.The physical format is up to you: a looseleaf notebook, a spiral notebook, a folder,

whatever. However, a) they should be secured in some fashionI will not accept a pile


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Documents

Science Fiction & Fantasy Lit - ENGS 040 Z1 - Course Syllabus