SFE20715 English: Science Fiction: The Future as History (Autumn 2016)
Facts about the course
- ECTS Credits:
- 10
- Responsible faculty:
- Avdeling for økonomi, språk og samfunnsfag
- Course Leader:
- Robert Lewis Mikkelsen
- Teaching language:
- English
- Duration:
- ½ year
Table of contents
The course is affiliated to the following study programme
May be taken as part of the bachelor programme in Society, Language and Culture.
Teaching semester
English extension course: 1st semester (autumn)
Bachelor's Programme in Society, Language and Culture: 3d or 5th semester (autumn)
Content
The student's learning outcomes on passing the course
KNOWLEDGE
The student
- is familiar with the historical and literary context of Science Fiction (SF).
- can trace the connections between SF and its contemporary trends and issues.
- understands how SF may provide social and political criticism of the time in which it is written, as well as envisage future developments.
SKILLS
The student
- understands how SF makes use of the fields of history, literature and science to create its unique visions.
GENERAL COMPETENCE
In an age in which the pace of technological change is increasing, this course provides the student with tools to evaluate and manage the impact such developments have on our societies and our individual perspectives. In all these activities, the student will be encouraged to explore the rich world of SF through the choice of literature and films.
Teaching and learning methods
Students are expected to be well prepared for the lectures and take an active part in them.
Workload
Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam
Exam
A written paper with oral examination
Students will be assessed on the basis of a 3000-4000 word paper on a topic chosen in consultation with the course lecturer. The paper must be analytical and research-based with a bibliography and footnotes. The written paper has to be approved for a pass result before the oral exam.
Students then will sit for an oral examination (approx. 30 minutes) based upon the submitted paper and the course curriculum. The oral exam may adjust the final result by one step up or down on the A-F grading scale.
If a complaint is filed, the written part will be reassesed. In the case of a changed result a new oral exam will be arranged.
Course evaluation
Reading list
Last updated May 18th 2015.
Novels:
The Time Machine, H. G. Wells (1895)
Brave New World, A. Huxley (1932)
Foundation, Isaac Asimov (1951)
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Le Guin (1969)
Blood Music, Greg Bear (1985)
Short Stories:
'There Will Come Soft Rains', Ray Bradbury (1951)
'Flowers For Algernon', Daniel Keyes (1959)
'Eutopia' by Poul Anderson (1967)
'Story of Your Life', Ted Chiang (1998)
"Evil Robot Monkey", Mary Robinette Kowal (2008)
Films:
Required :
2001, A Space Odyssey, 1968
Blade Runner, 1982
The Matrix, 1999
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004
District Nine, 2009
Theoretical and Historical Texts:
Science Fiction, Roger Luckhurst (2005)
Compendium selections from:
Anatomy of Wonder; A Critical Guide to Science Fiction, (2004) Neil Barron
Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory, (2004, 3d) eds. Andrew Bennett & Nicholas Royle
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, (1993) eds. John Clute & Peter Nicholl
Understanding Contemporary American Science Fiction, The Age of Maturity 1970-2000, Darren Harris-Fain (2005)
The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction, (2003) eds. Edward James & Farah Mendelsohn
The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, (2001) ed. George Mann
The History of Science Fiction, Adam Roberts (2005)
A Companion to Science Fiction, (2005) ed. David Seed