Dr. Christopher A. Shinn Office Hours: Tues. & Thurs. 1pm - Georgetown University 3pm; or by appt. Tuesdays 8:25pm – 11:15pm (New North 422) 640 Mass. Ave. C231 e-mail: [email protected] Summer 2016 phone: (202) 687-7435

SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY (BLHV 257-40) 3 CREDITS – CRN: 15556

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course will investigate the concept of the future within a global cultural imagination, examining a wide range of literary and cinematic genres in science fiction & fantasy. We will address scientific issues that pertain to the evolution of space and time; the interface of humans and machines; security, technocracy, and militarization; financial speculation, calculation, and risk management; cyberspace and cybernetics; globalization and the biosphere. The class will read a short selection from earlier science fiction writers—H. G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick, among others. We will consider how classic works of sci-fi speak to contemporary concerns about the science of geophysical disasters, the destruction of the environment, financial Armageddon, pandemics and contagions, governmental control and the chilling prospects of nuclear war and global terrorism. Other topics will encompass Afrofuturism, utopia and dystopia, myths and legends, epic quests in historical and fantasy novels and Japanese anime. We will be watching a series of documentaries and also screening films from the U.S. and Japan. Other writers will include Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ted Chiang and J. R. R. Tolkien.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Upon completion of the course, students should be able to:

 Provide a broad outline of the history of modern science fiction, noting in particular the impact of classic authors such as Mary Shelley, H. G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick and Octavia Butler, among others.  Explain the roots of sci-fi and fantasy in classic pulp fiction magazines, including Amazing Stories, New Worlds, Tales of Wonder, Astounding Science Fiction, and Analog, among others.  Define science fiction by describing its critical significance to other key terms such as “speculative fiction,” “genre fiction,” “fantasy,” “magic realism,” “utopia,” “dystopia,” “apocalypticism,” “post- apocalypticism,” “biopolitics,” “governmentality,” and “panopticism.”  Connect science fiction in a concrete and detailed manner to traditional topics in time travel; exploration of outer space and extraterrestrial life; the threat of nuclear war; robots, androids and cyborgs; artificial intelligence; utopia and dystopia; apocalypse and post-apocalypse; governmental and corporate surveillance; mythic and religious visions; and the science of future predictions.  Situate sci-fi stories in their unique historical contexts, drawing upon a critical awareness of the times (e.g. the antebellum South, the Second World War, the Cold War era, the Cuban Missile Crisis and post-9/11).  Apply critical theories advanced by Fredric Jameson, Michel Foucault, David Deutsch, and others.  Draw critical comparisons and contrasts between earlier modern science fiction and current issues regarding climate change, the threat of nuclear proliferation, terrorism, global financial collapse and the evolution of robots, among others.  Demonstrate a basic working knowledge of the science of global warming, the nuclear threat, the order and security of global financial markets, robotic engineering and the changing concepts of space and time.  Give a broad overview of the history of Afro-Futurism and its specific connections to visual art, music, literature and other cultural mediums.  Address the distinctiveness of the fantasy novel (and fantasy in film—e.g. Japanese anime), offering key examples from literary history and connecting fantasy to myth, magic, religious allegory and folklore.  Link science fiction and fantasy to philosophical and ethical questions about the nature of consciousness and perception, metaphysics, being and nothingness, evolution, death and immortality.  Analyze literary works effectively in terms of close reading and be able to think critically and intertextually.

REQUIRED TEXTS:

Butler, Octavia. Kindred. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2004. ISBN: 978-0807083697

Murakami, Haruki. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. NY: Random House, Inc., 1991. ISBN: 9780679743460

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit. NY: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2012. ISBN: 9780547844978.

On Blackboard: H. G. Wells’s The Time Machine; writings by Ted Chiang, Brenda W. Clough, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Theodore Sturgeon, Robert A. Heinlein and Philip K. Dick; selected articles, book chapters, and critical essays by Fredric Jameson, Mark Dery, Alondra Nelson, Sheree Renée Thomas, P.W. Singer, Kevin Kelly, David Kyle Johnson, W. Christopher Stewart, Charles Taliaferro and Craig Lindahl-Urben. Recommended Readings: Understanding Contemporary Science Fiction: The Formative Period, 1926-1970, by Thomas D. Clareson (selections are available on Blackboard).

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

All papers with the exception of the final research paper and the take-home midterm exam must be submitted in hard copy only to the professor at the beginning of class on the due dates as listed on the syllabus. A copy of the student’s class presentation (PowerPoint and handout) must also be submitted to the professor electronically through e-mail prior to the assigned day for the presentation. The submissions for the Afrofuturism Project must be submitted to the professor electronically via e-mail attachment no later than one day prior to the assigned day of class (see week four). Failure to turn in work on time will result in a lowering of one’s grade one step each day beyond the due date (one step means a lowering of one’s grade, for instance, as follows: “A-” to “B+”; “B+” to “B,” etc.). Student will be expected to devote at least 4 hours of reading each week or spend 2-5+ hours on writing assignments.

Students will be asked to attend each class meeting promptly and participate actively. Active participation requires completion of the assigned readings before they are to be reviewed in class and joining in small and larger group discussions on the materials. Attendance and participation are required. Please note that three absences will result in a failure for the course. The student's success depends upon the level of engagement one brings to the course, and one's grade will subsequently reflect the quality and effort each student demonstrates throughout the semester and the proficiency of one’s comprehension of the materials. The student will be asked to give a class presentation, write two short essays, complete a take-home midterm exam, develop an Afrofuturism Project and write a final research paper or take the final exam. The total percentage of the student’s grade will be determined according to the following scale:

20% First Essay 20% Second Essay 10% Class Presentation 5% Afro-Futurism Project and Short Writing Assignment 20% Take-Home Midterm Exam 25% Final Exam or Final Paper

**The documentation for your research papers must follow the MLA, APA or the Chicago (Turabian) format. The choice of format and documentation depends on the methods and topic of your paper (see The Little, Brown, Compact Handbook for a brief explanation on the rules of proper documentation).

FINAL LETTER GRADES:

Based on the scores and percentages above, your point totals will determine your final grade according to the following criteria: 93% and above A 90% – 92% A- 87% - 89% B+ 83% - 86% B 80% - 82% B- 77% - 79% C+ 73% - 76% C 70% - 72% C- 67% - 69% D+ 60% - 66% D 59% and below F

WRITING CENTER — Students that would benefit from additional assistance in their writing should visit the Writing Center (http://writingcenter.georgetown.edu) in the second floor of Lauinger Library. Please take advantage of this service in developing your analytical writing skills.

INCOMPLETE POLICY — No incomplete grades will be given for the course. In the event of an extreme circumstance such as a death in the family, serious illness or other major problem, you may request special consideration to the general rule above.

LATE POLICY — Students are expected to turn in all class assignments by the specified due date. You must bring the professor a hard copy of the assignment; do not send your paper electronically, or the paper will not be counted. The student’s grade will be lowered one step (“A-“ to “B+” or “B-“ to “C+,” for instance) for each day that the assignment has not been received after the due date. Should you experience any difficulties in meeting a deadline, it is your responsibility to contact the professor before the due date to make arrangements for an extension so that you will not be penalized. Once a new due date has been set, the student must abide by the agreement that has been made.

TURNITIN.COM—Students acknowledge that by taking this course all required papers must be submitted for a Textual Similarity Review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be added as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers in the future. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject to the terms of use agreement posted on the Turnitin.com site.

PLAGIARISM—The sources for all information and ideas in your assignments must be documented, following the style rules of the American Psychological Association. In addition, all quotations must be identified as quotations, using quotation marks and indicating the source of the quotation, as mandated by APA style. Anything less than these standards is plagiarism. APA style is not taught in this course; a summary of APA style is available at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ In accord with university policy, all incidents of suspected plagiarism or other Honor Code violations will be reported to the Honor Council without fail. If the Honor Council finds that a student has plagiarized or has violated the Honor Code in any other way, the student will receive a grade of F for the course.

DISABILITIES—If you are a student with a documented disability who requires accommodations or if you think you may have a disability and want to inquire about accommodations, please contact the Academic Resource Center at 202-687-8354 or [email protected].

EXTREME WEATHER, EMERGENCIES, AND INSTRUCTIONAL CONTINUITY—During inclement weather or other emergencies on a day when we are scheduled to meet face-to-face, check the university’s Web site or call (202) 687-7669 for information on whether the university is open. If the university is open, this class will meet. If the university is closed, this class will meet through distance means such as online videoconferencing; check your e-mail for a message from me on how we will proceed in that situation. Due dates for written assignments submitted through Blackboard will not be changed due to campus closings. The university recently has acquired the capability to send text messages and recorded messages about emergencies to cell phones and other mobile devices. Sign up on MyAccess.

GEORGETOWN HONOR SYSTEM—All students are expected to follow Georgetown's honor code unconditionally. We assume you have read the honor code material located at www.georgetown.edu/honor, and in particular have read the following documents: Honor Council Pamphlet, What is Plagiarism, Sanctioning Guidelines, and Expedited Sanctioning Process. Papers in this course will all be submitted to turnitin.com for checking. Submitting material in fulfillment of the requirements of this course means that you have abided by the Georgetown honor pledge: In the pursuit of the high ideals and rigorous standards of academic life, I commit myself to respect and uphold the Georgetown Honor System: To be honest in any academic endeavor, and to conduct myself honorably, as a responsible member of the Georgetown community, as we live and work together.

POLICY ACCOMMODATING STUDENTS’ RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES— The following is university policy: Georgetown University promotes respect for all religions. Any student who is unable to attend classes or to participate in any examination, presentation, or assignment on a given day because of the observance of a major religious holiday or related travel shall be excused and provided with the opportunity to make up, without unreasonable burden, any work that has been missed for this reason and shall not in any other way be penalized for the absence or rescheduled work. Students will remain responsible for all assigned work. Students should notify professors in writing at the beginning of the semester of religious observances that conflict with their classes.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE:

Tues., May 24th Introduction to Science Fiction & Fantasy

Ted Chiang, “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” (Blackboard) Brenda W. Clough, “May Be Some Time” (Blackboard)

Tues., May 31st H. G. Wells, The Time Machine (Blackboard) David Deutsch, selections from The Fabric of Reality (Blackboard) SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE

Tues., Jun. 7th Octavia Butler, Kindred “Prologue,” “The River,” “The Fire” “The Fall,” “The Fight,” “The Storm”

Tues., Jun. 14th Octavia Butler, Kindred “The Rope,” “Epilogue”

Introduction to Afrofuturism: Visual Art, Literature, Music and Film: Mark Dery, “Black to the Future”; Alondra Nelson, “Introduction: Future Texts”; Sheree Renée Thomas, “Introduction: Looking for the Invisible,” Dark Matter (Blackboard) AFROFUTURISM PROJECT DUE

Film Screening: Ranald MacDougall’s The World, the Flesh, and the Devil (1959) Date & Location TBA

Tues., Jun. 21st Theodore Sturgeon, “Memorial” (1946) and “Thunder and Roses” (1947) Arthur C. Clarke, “If I Forget Thee, Oh Earth” (1951) Ray Bradbury, “The Million-Year Picnic” (1946); “There will Come Soft Rains” (1950)

Tues., Jun. 28th Robert A. Heinlein, “Blowups Happen” (1940) Philip K. Dick, “The Defenders” (1953); “Second Variety” (1953) Film Screening: Lucy Walker’s Countdown to Zero (2010) FIRST PAPER DUE

Tues., Jul. 5th Isaac Asimov, selections from I, Robot; “Introduction: The Robot Chronicles”; “Bicentennial Man” Kevin Kelly, “Better Than Human” P. W. Singer, Wired for War (Blackboard)

Tues., Jul. 12th Arthur C. Clarke, “The Nine Billion Names of God”; “The Sentinel”; “The Star”; “Rescue Party”; “The Lion of Comarre”; “A Meeting with Medusa” (Blackboard)

Tues., Jul. 19th Haruki Murakami, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Ch. 1-24 TAKE-HOME MIDTERM EXAM DUE

Tues., Jul. 26th Haruki Murakami, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Ch. 15-40

Tues., Aug. 2nd Film Screening: Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away (2001)

Tues., Aug. 9th J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Ch. 1-16 Charles Taliaferro and Craig Lindahl-Urben, “The Glory of Bilbo Baggins” David Kyle Johnson, “Tolkien’s Just War”

Tues., Aug. 16th J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Ch. 17-19 W. Christopher Stewart, “‘The Lord of Magic and Machines’: Tolkien on Magic and Technology” SECOND PAPER DUE

Tues., Aug. 23rd FINAL EXAM – Date & Location TBA

Wed., Aug. 24th FINAL RESEARCH PAPER DUE—1pm (Send electronic copy as an attachment to [email protected])