GH 101: Science Fiction As Social Criticism Review for Examination #1 200 Points

GH 101: Science Fiction as Social Criticism Review for Examination #1 [200 Points]

Your first examination consists of two parts: a matching section and two short essays. Instructions for each section appear below.

Part I: 25 Matching Items @ 2 Points each for a total of 50 Points.

When you enter the classroom, the following list of stories in their assigned order will appear on the screen. My experience is that seeing where each story came in the sequence helps students to associate titles with specific content.

Stories in Assigned Order

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells “Twilight” by John Campbell “Vintage Season” by C.L. Moore “All You Zombies” by Robert Heinlein “Start the Clock” by Benjamin Rosenbaum “Martian Odyssey, A” by Stanley Weinbaum “Arena” by Fredric Brown “Story of Your Life, The” by Ted Chiang “Vaster Than Empires and More Slow” by Ursula K. Le Guin “Slow Life” by Michael Swanwick “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler

You will be given the following matching key. To complete Part I, simply place the correct letter of the alphabet on the line before each quotation.

A. “All You Zombies” by Robert Heinlein B. “Arena” by Fredric Brown C. “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler D. “Martian Odyssey, A” by Stanley Weinbaum E. “Slow Life” by Michael Swanwick F. “Start the Clock” by Benjamin Rosenbaum G. “Story of Your Life, The” by Ted Chiang H “Twilight” by John Campbell . I. “Vaster Than Empires and More Slow” by Ursula K. Le Guin J. “Vintage Season” by C.L. Moore K. Time Machine,The by H.G. Wells

Here are two sample matching questions: _____ 1. They should be in Rome by now. Watching Charlemagne’s coronation at St. Peter’s on Christmas Day a thousand years from now.

_____2. It’s a shock to have it proved to you that you can’t resist seducing yourself. Part II. Two Short Essays @ 75 points each for a total of 150 points.

We covered two thematic areas according to Heather Masri’s designations: “Time” and “Alien Encounters.” Your task will be to decide which two assigned stories in each area most successfully developed the designated theme, and write a commentary on each of the two stories justifying your choices. Of course, each of your essays must begin with a statement explaining the criteria that you used to select the two stories and then proceed to discuss each story in turn before stating a conclusion. Here are your choices for each essay:

Choose two of the following stories for your essay on “Time”: “Twilight,” “Vintage Season,” “All You Zombies,” “Start the Clock,” and “The Story of Your Life.”

Choose two of the following stories for your essay on “Alien Encounters”: “A Martian Odyssey,” “Arena,” “Vaster Than Empires and More Slow,” “Slow Life,” and “Bloodchild.”

You may consult Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts while writing the two essays. You are also required to bring to class a typed opening paragraph for each of your two essays. This typed paragraph should introduce the subject of your essay, including the two stories and their authors, and define the criteria for judging the stories that you have developed. These criteria should function as the thesis of your essay, and the following paragraphs should apply the criteria to your selected stories. Of course, each short essay will end with a brief conclusion regarding quality time or alien encounter SF stories.