1 Science Fiction As a Worldwide Phenomenon
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The Imagined Wests of Kim Stanley Robinson in the "Three Californias" and Mars Trilogies
Portland State University PDXScholar Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Publications and Presentations Planning Spring 2003 Falling into History: The Imagined Wests of Kim Stanley Robinson in the "Three Californias" and Mars Trilogies Carl Abbott Portland State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/usp_fac Part of the Urban Studies and Planning Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Citation Details Abbott, C. Falling into History: The Imagined Wests of Kim Stanley Robinson in the "Three Californias" and Mars Trilogies. The Western Historical Quarterly , Vol. 34, No. 1 (Spring, 2003), pp. 27-47. This Article is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Falling into History: The ImaginedWests of Kim Stanley Robinson in the "Three Californias" and Mars Trilogies Carl Abbott California science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson has imagined the future of Southern California in three novels published 1984-1990, and the settle ment of Mars in another trilogy published 1993-1996. In framing these narratives he worked in explicitly historical terms and incorporated themes and issues that characterize the "new western history" of the 1980s and 1990s, thus providing evidence of the resonance of that new historiography. .EDMars is Kim Stanley Robinson's R highly praised science fiction novel published in 1993.1 Its pivotal section carries the title "Falling into History." More than two decades have passed since permanent human settlers arrived on the red planet in 2027, and the growing Martian communities have become too complex to be guided by simple earth-made plans or single individuals. -
Teaching Speculative Fiction in College: a Pedagogy for Making English Studies Relevant
Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University English Dissertations Department of English Summer 8-7-2012 Teaching Speculative Fiction in College: A Pedagogy for Making English Studies Relevant James H. Shimkus Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_diss Recommended Citation Shimkus, James H., "Teaching Speculative Fiction in College: A Pedagogy for Making English Studies Relevant." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2012. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_diss/95 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of English at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TEACHING SPECULATIVE FICTION IN COLLEGE: A PEDAGOGY FOR MAKING ENGLISH STUDIES RELEVANT by JAMES HAMMOND SHIMKUS Under the Direction of Dr. Elizabeth Burmester ABSTRACT Speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, and horror) has steadily gained popularity both in culture and as a subject for study in college. While many helpful resources on teaching a particular genre or teaching particular texts within a genre exist, college teachers who have not previously taught science fiction, fantasy, or horror will benefit from a broader pedagogical overview of speculative fiction, and that is what this resource provides. Teachers who have previously taught speculative fiction may also benefit from the selection of alternative texts presented here. This resource includes an argument for the consideration of more speculative fiction in college English classes, whether in composition, literature, or creative writing, as well as overviews of the main theoretical discussions and definitions of each genre. -
You Zombies, Click and a Novel, 1632, Both of Which Are Available Online from Links in the Handout
Instructor's notes to F402 Time Travel in Science Fiction Session 1 – Introduction Welcome to F402, Time Travel in Science Fiction. The objective of this course is to help you to read, understand and enjoy stories in the genre. The course is in two parts; the first is Today's lecture and discussion on the genre while the second is class discussions of two stories of opposite types. click The reading assignment consists of a short story, All You Zombies, click and a novel, 1632, both of which are available online from links in the handout. click For the convenience of those who prefer dead trees, I have listed a number of anthologies1 containing All You Zombies. Reading Assignment for Sessions 2-3 click All You Zombies is one of two tour de force stories by Robert A. Heinlein that left their mark on the genre for decades. Please read All You Zombies prior to the next session click and 1632 click click Part One, chapters 1-14 prior to the third session. Esc Session 1 Keep in mind that science fiction is a branch of literature, so the normal criteria of, e.g., characterization, consistency, continuity, plot structure, style, apply; I welcome comments, especially from those who have expertise in those areas. In addition, while a science fiction author must rely on the willing suspension of disbelief, he should do so sparingly. There is a lapse of continuity in 1632 between chapters 8 and 9; see whether you can spot it. I will suggest specific discussion points to start each discussion, but please bring up any other issues that you believe to be important or interesting. -
Science Fiction Stories with Good Astronomy & Physics
Science Fiction Stories with Good Astronomy & Physics: A Topical Index Compiled by Andrew Fraknoi (U. of San Francisco, Fromm Institute) Version 7 (2019) © copyright 2019 by Andrew Fraknoi. All rights reserved. Permission to use for any non-profit educational purpose, such as distribution in a classroom, is hereby granted. For any other use, please contact the author. (e-mail: fraknoi {at} fhda {dot} edu) This is a selective list of some short stories and novels that use reasonably accurate science and can be used for teaching or reinforcing astronomy or physics concepts. The titles of short stories are given in quotation marks; only short stories that have been published in book form or are available free on the Web are included. While one book source is given for each short story, note that some of the stories can be found in other collections as well. (See the Internet Speculative Fiction Database, cited at the end, for an easy way to find all the places a particular story has been published.) The author welcomes suggestions for additions to this list, especially if your favorite story with good science is left out. Gregory Benford Octavia Butler Geoff Landis J. Craig Wheeler TOPICS COVERED: Anti-matter Light & Radiation Solar System Archaeoastronomy Mars Space Flight Asteroids Mercury Space Travel Astronomers Meteorites Star Clusters Black Holes Moon Stars Comets Neptune Sun Cosmology Neutrinos Supernovae Dark Matter Neutron Stars Telescopes Exoplanets Physics, Particle Thermodynamics Galaxies Pluto Time Galaxy, The Quantum Mechanics Uranus Gravitational Lenses Quasars Venus Impacts Relativity, Special Interstellar Matter Saturn (and its Moons) Story Collections Jupiter (and its Moons) Science (in general) Life Elsewhere SETI Useful Websites 1 Anti-matter Davies, Paul Fireball. -
Postcoloniality, Science Fiction and India Suparno Banerjee Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Banerjee [email protected]
Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2010 Other tomorrows: postcoloniality, science fiction and India Suparno Banerjee Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Banerjee, Suparno, "Other tomorrows: postcoloniality, science fiction and India" (2010). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 3181. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/3181 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. OTHER TOMORROWS: POSTCOLONIALITY, SCIENCE FICTION AND INDIA A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In The Department of English By Suparno Banerjee B. A., Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India, 2000 M. A., Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India, 2002 August 2010 ©Copyright 2010 Suparno Banerjee All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My dissertation would not have been possible without the constant support of my professors, peers, friends and family. Both my supervisors, Dr. Pallavi Rastogi and Dr. Carl Freedman, guided the committee proficiently and helped me maintain a steady progress towards completion. Dr. Rastogi provided useful insights into the field of postcolonial studies, while Dr. Freedman shared his invaluable knowledge of science fiction. Without Dr. Robin Roberts I would not have become aware of the immensely powerful tradition of feminist science fiction. -
Science Fiction
Science Fiction Module Convenors: Dr Caroline Edwards & Dr Joe Brooker Module Level: BA Level 6 (optional module) Time: Wednesdays 6-7.20pm, 2014-15 Module description This module introduces students to some of the key concepts and methodological approaches used in the contemporary study of science fiction (SF). SF is understood inclusively, as a capacious genre overlapping at times with fantasy, utopian/dystopian literature, Gothic, satire, speculative fiction, and the alternate mappings of literary history offered by modernism or postmodernism. Focusing on its development throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first century, we will consider the ways in which SF has evolved: in particular in the novel and the short story, but also at times invoking other forms such as drama and film. We will be drawing on a range of critical approaches through which to explore some of the defining interests of SF literature and to reflect upon its critical reception in secondary literature. Module aims and objectives • To develop understanding of debates about genre. What is ‘genre fiction’? What distinctions or hierarchies are established between ‘literary’ and ‘genre’ texts? How have our understandings of SF as a genre changed over the last century? • To become familiar with recurring tropes such as robots, space exploration, genetic engineering, dystopian futures and (post-) apocalyptic worlds. • To explore ways that Science Fiction has acted as a social commentary on contemporary society. • To gain an understanding of how Science Fiction has explored ideas including parallel worlds, alternate histories and different models of time and reality. • To gain knowledge of diverse critical approaches to SF, including those from Marxism, structuralism, gender studies, postcolonial theory, cultural history, adaptation studies, ecocriticism and utopianism / dystopianism. -
Clockwork Heroines: Female Characters in Steampunk Literature Cassie N
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by TopSCHOLAR Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® Masters Theses & Specialist Projects Graduate School 5-1-2013 Clockwork Heroines: Female Characters in Steampunk Literature Cassie N. Bergman Western Kentucky University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses Part of the Literature in English, British Isles Commons, and the Literature in English, North America Commons Recommended Citation Bergman, Cassie N., "Clockwork Heroines: Female Characters in Steampunk Literature" (2013). Masters Theses & Specialist Projects. Paper 1266. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/1266 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses & Specialist Projects by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CLOCKWORK HEROINES: FEMALE CHARACTERS IN STEAMPUNK LITERATURE A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of English Western Kentucky University Bowling Green Kentucky In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirement for the Degree Master of Arts By Cassie N. Bergman August 2013 To my parents, John and Linda Bergman, for their endless support and love. and To my brother Johnny—my best friend. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Johnny for agreeing to continue our academic careers at the same university. I hope the white squirrels, International Fridays, random road trips, movie nights, and “get out of my brain” scenarios made the last two years meaningful. Thank you to my parents for always believing in me. A huge thank you to my family members that continue to support and love me unconditionally: Krystle, Dee, Jaime, Ashley, Lauren, Jeremy, Rhonda, Christian, Anthony, Logan, and baby Parker. -
Strangest of All
Strangest of All 1 Strangest of All TRANGEST OF LL AnthologyS of astrobiological science A fiction ed. Julie Nov!"o ! Euro#ean Astrobiology $nstitute Features G. %avid Nordley& Geoffrey Landis& Gregory 'enford& Tobias S. 'uc"ell& (eter Watts and %. A. *iaolin S#ires. + Strangest of All , Strangest of All Edited originally for the #ur#oses of 'EACON +.+.& a/conference of the Euro#ean Astrobiology $nstitute 0EA$1. -o#yright 0-- 'Y-N--N% 4..1 +.+. Julie No !"o ! 2ou are free to share this 5or" as a 5hole as long as you gi e the ap#ro#riate credit to its creators. 6o5ever& you are #rohibited fro7 using it for co77ercial #ur#oses or sharing any 7odified or deri ed ersions of it. 8ore about this #articular license at creati eco77ons.org9licenses9by3nc3nd94.0/legalcode. While this 5or" as a 5hole is under the -reati eCo77ons Attribution3 NonCo77ercial3No%eri ati es 4.0 $nternational license, note that all authors retain usual co#yright for the indi idual wor"s. :$ntroduction; < +.+. by Julie No !"o ! :)ar& $ce& Egg& =ni erse; < +..+ by G. %a id Nordley :$nto The 'lue Abyss; < 1>>> by Geoffrey A. Landis :'ac"scatter; < +.1, by Gregory 'enford :A Jar of Good5ill; < +.1. by Tobias S. 'uc"ell :The $sland; < +..> by (eter )atts :SET$ for (rofit; < +..? by Gregory 'enford :'ut& Still& $ S7ile; < +.1> by %. A. Xiaolin S#ires :After5ord; < +.+. by Julie No !"o ! :8artian Fe er; < +.1> by Julie No !"o ! 4 Strangest of All :@this strangest of all things that ever ca7e to earth fro7 outer space 7ust ha e fallen 5hile $ 5as sitting there, isible to 7e had $ only loo"ed u# as it #assed.; A H. -
Bsfs-B50-Pocket-Program.Pdf
Anti-Harassment Policy Balticon and other BSFS events are dedicated to providing a comfortable and harassment-free environment for everyone. In order to offer a welcoming and safe space for everyone, please be respectful of all others. Do not use slurs or derogatory comments about a person, group or category of people. This could include comments based on characteristics such as (but not limited to) actual or perceived race, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance, age, religion, ability, family or marital status or socioeconomic class. Do not behave in a manner disrespectful to another individual. The complete text of the BSFS Anti-Harassment Policy is available at http://balticon.org/wp50/wp- content/uploads/2015/07/Harassment-Policy.pdf. Pet Policy No pets allowed in Balticon function space. Weapons Policy All weapons, including but not limited to all swords, knives and replicas, projectile weapons including nerf toys and waterguns, must be peace bonded by designated convention personnel immediately upon the purchase of the weapon from a dealer or entering the hotel. It is your responsibility to be aware of and follow all laws regarding the possession of weapons. No sparring will be permitted in the convention. Balticon reserves the right to hold any weapons in violation until the end of the con. Failure to comply with this policy may result in the confiscation of your badge. MasQuerade Costumers are excepted for the time spanning a half hour before the Masquerade to a half hour after the MasQuerade. HOURS OF OPERATION Hours of Operation Function Location Friday Saturday Sunday Monday 10 am to MD 5 pm 10 am 1 pm; 10 am Art Show Salons to to reopen to A and E 7:30 pm 8 pm for sales 2 pm 2:15 to 5 pm New Garden Art Auction 2 pm MD Salon D MD Salon Friday 2 pm through Monday 5 pm F Entrance See Convention Operations for Lost & Found, Con Ops is beside security issues, late-night registration, to locate a the specific Balticon staff person, access to locked elevators functions spaces, etc. -
Science Fiction Gerry Canavan Marquette University, [email protected]
Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette English Faculty Research and Publications English, Department of 1-1-2016 Science Fiction Gerry Canavan Marquette University, [email protected] Published version. "Science Fiction," in Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature, David McCooey. Oxford University Press, 2016. DOI. © 2016 Oxford University Press. Used with permission. Science Fiction Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature Science Fiction Gerry Canavan Subject: American Literature, British, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh Literatures, English Language Literatures (Other Than American and British) Online Publication Date: Mar 2017 DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190201098.013.136 Summary and Keywords Science fiction (SF) emerges as a distinct literary and cultural genre out of a familiar set of world-famous texts ranging from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) to Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek (1966–) to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008–) that have, in aggregate, generated a colossal, communal archive of alternate worlds and possible future histories. SF’s dialectical interplay between utopian optimism and apocalyptic pessimism can be felt across the genre’s now centuries-long history, only intensifying in the 20th century as the clash between humankind’s growing technological capabilities and its ability to use those powers safely or wisely has reached existential-threat propositions, not simply for human beings but for all life on the planet. In the early 21st century, as in earlier cultural moments, the writers and critics of SF use the genre’s articulation of different societies and different possible futures as the occasion to reflect on our own present, in ways that range from full-throated defense of the status quo to the ruthless denunciation of all institutions that currently exist in the name of some other, better world. -
Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 78 (November 2016)
TABLE OF CONTENTS Issue 78, November 2016 FROM THE EDITOR Editorial, November 2016 SCIENCE FICTION Dinosaur Killers Chris Kluwe Under the Eaves Lavie Tidhar Natural Skin Alyssa Wong For Solo Cello, op. 12 Mary Robinette Kowal FANTASY Two Dead Men Alex Jeffers Shooting Gallery J.B. Park A Dirge for Prester John Catherynne M. Valente I've Come to Marry the Princess Helena Bell NOVELLA Karuna, Inc. Paul Di Filippo EXCERPTS The Genius Asylum Arlene F. Marks NONFICTION Media Review: Westworld The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy Book Reviews, November 2016 Kate M. Galey, Jenn Reese, Rachel Swirsky, and Christie Yant Interview: Stephen Baxter The Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy AUTHOR SPOTLIGHTS Chris Kluwe Lavie Tidhar J.B. Park Alyssa Wong Catherynne M. Valente Mary Robinette Kowal Helena Bell Paul di Filippo MISCELLANY Coming Attractions Stay Connected Subscriptions and Ebooks About the Lightspeed Team Also Edited by John Joseph Adams © 2016 Lightspeed Magazine Cover by Reiko Murakami www.lightspeedmagazine.com Editorial, November 2016 John Joseph Adams | 1064 words Welcome to issue seventy-eight of Lightspeed! We have original science fiction by Chris Kluwe (“Dinosaur Killers”) and Alyssa Wong (“Natural Skin”), along with SF reprints by Lavie Tidhar (“Under the Eaves”) and Mary Robinette Kowal (“For Solo Cello, op. 12”). Plus, we have original fantasy by J.B. Park (“Shooting Gallery”) and Helena Bell (“I’ve Come to Marry the Princess”), and fantasy reprints by Alex Jeffers (“Two Dead Men”) and Catherynne M. Valente (“A Dirge for Prester John”). All that, and of course we also have our usual assortment of author spotlights, along with our book and media review columns. -
1 You're Listening to Imaginary Worlds, a Show About How We
1 You’re listening to Imaginary Worlds, a show about how we create them and why we suspend our disbelief, I’m Eric Molinsky. I have a soft spot for good technobabble -- not just the technobabble itself, but scenes where the actors really sell the technobabble, and you believe what they’re talking about. And I imagine for actors that must be really hard to pull that off because most of the time that actor has no idea what they’re talking about. I mean not only are they not scientists, but it’s not even real science what they’re saying. In fact that phenomenon was made fun of in the movie Galaxy Quest, where Sigourney Weaver’s character keeps repeating all the technobabble that the computer says back to the crew even when they’re in the middle of a crisis. CLIP The gold standard for good technobabble, I think, is probably this scene from Back to the Future. CLIP Now a Giga-watt is a real thing, but apparently nobody in the cast and crew knew it was pronounced GIG-a-watt. Which made me wonder why does one poorly understood pseudo-scientific term feel right to me and help bolster my suspension of disbelief while I’m watching a movie or TV show, while another technobabble scene does exactly the opposite? To help me figure this out, I decided to turn an expert. Helen Zaltzman. Her podcast The Allusionist is like mine in that it’s relatively short and comes out every other week. But her focus is on language.