"The
Future is Today": Unlocking Science Fiction
Schedule
This schedule is regularly updated to reflect changes and adjustments made
according to our progress through the materials in class.
Please check here regularly for the reading schedule as well as
due dates.
**Readings and assignments are DUE on the date listed unless
otherwise noted.**
| Framing
Science Fiction |
||
| Week One |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 05 January - Mon |
Introduction to
the Course The course syllabus may be downloaded here. |
|
| 06 January - Tues |
University Snow Closure
|
|
| 07 January - Wed |
VoW: Hartwell, pp.81-96; Delany pp. 442-457 | One page summary of Delany's
key arguments |
| 08 January - Thurs |
In-class viewing: "Jose Chung's
'From Outer Space'" Online: X-Files Background Material/Episode Primer |
|
| 09 January - Fri |
Reader: Cadigan, "Roadside Rescue";
McKeown, "Lair of the Lesbian Love Goddess"; Atwood, "Freeforall" |
|
| Citizenship,
the Atomic Age, and the Korean War |
||
| Week Two |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 12 January - Mon |
Heinlein, Starship Troopers,
pp. 1-129 |
Heinlein author summaries due |
| 13 January - Tues |
Starship Troopers, 130-164 |
|
| 14 January - Wed | Starship Troopers, 165-201 |
|
| 15 January - Thurs |
Starship Troopers, 202-263 |
E-Post due by 10pm |
| 16 January - Fri |
Heinlein Discussion
Day |
View Starship Troopers
by today (on reserve) |
| The
Social Body and Metahistorical Narratives
(I) |
||
| Week Three |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 19 January - Mon |
NO CLASS - Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day |
|
| 20 January - Tues |
In-class viewing: X-Files,
"Killswitch" Online: X-Files Background Material/Episode Primer |
McCaffrey, Tiptree, Jr., Gibson,
and Schuyler author summaries due |
| 21 January - Wed |
VoW: Campbell, Jr., pp.
216-221; McCaffrey, pp. 17-30; Varley, pp. 491-513 |
|
| 22 January - Thurs |
VoW, Tiptree, Jr., pp.
514-539 Reader: Gibson, "The Winter Market"; Jurek, Straight Fiction (excerpt) Online: Optional Background Material: "William Gibson: Crossing Borders" |
E-Post due by 10pm |
| 23 January - Fri |
Reader: Schuyler,
Black No More (excerpt) |
|
| Regulating
and Policing Technobodies |
||
| Week Four |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 26 January - Mon |
Reader: Eskridge, Solitaire
(excerpt) |
Eskridge, Scott, Card, and O'Brien
author summaries due |
| 27 January - Tues |
Reader: Scott, Trouble and
Her Friends (excerpt) Optional Background Material: "Melissa Scott: Of Masks and Metaphors" |
|
| 28 January - Wed |
VoW: Card, pp. 188-215 Reader: Smith, "Scream Angel" Online: Optional Background Material: "Orson Scott Card: Casting Shadows" |
|
| 29 January - Thurs |
VoW: Jones, pp. 564-584;
Williamson, pp. 141-148 |
E-Post due by 10pm |
| 30 January - Fri |
Reader: Martens,
"The Times She Went Away"; O'Brien, The Things They Carried (excerpt);
King, Keeping Watch (excerpt) |
|
| Vietnam
in Space/Metahistorical Narratives (II) |
||
| Week Five |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 02 February - Mon |
Haldeman, The Forever War,
pp. v-80 Online/Reader: Optional Background Material: "Joe Haldeman: Forever War and Peace" Online: Optional Background Material: "Joe Haldeman: Art for Art's Sake" |
Haldeman author summaries due Midterm review distributed |
| 03 February - Tues |
The Forever War, pp. 81-185 **Extra Credit Opportunity: William Gibson, 7pm, Kane 130** |
|
| 04 February - Wed |
The Forever War, pp. 186-278 |
THIS WEEK'S E-POST CANCELED! |
| 05 February - Thurs |
Discussion/Review Day |
|
| 06 February - Fri |
In-class portion
of the midterm; remember to bring a blue book! |
Take-home mid-term distributed |
| Productive
Waste |
||
| Week Six |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 09 February - Mon |
Reader: Griffith, Slow River
(excerpt) |
Griffith, Stableford, Bear, and
Kress author summaries due |
| 10 February - Tues |
VoW: Stableford, 669-675 Reader: Finch, "The Day after the Day the War Ended" |
Midterm due at the beginning
of class |
| 11 February - Wed |
VoW: Kelly, pp. 97-140 |
Gibson extra credit
due |
| 12 February - Thurs |
VoW: Bear, pp. 31-48;
Kress, pp. 585-597 Online: Optional Background Material: "Greg Bear: Continuing the Dialogue" Optional Background Material: "Nancy Kress: Juggling Realities" |
|
| 13 February - Fri |
NO CLASS |
|
| Embodiment
and Reproduction (I) |
||
| Week Seven |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 16 February - Mon |
NO CLASS - Presidents'
Day |
|
| 17 February - Tues |
Spencer, Alien Taste,
pp. 1-150 |
Spencer author summaries due |
| 18 February - Wed |
Alien Taste, pp. 151-210 |
|
| 19 February - Thurs |
Alien Taste, pp. 211-245 |
E-Post due by 10pm |
| 20 February - Fri |
Alien Taste, pp. 246-313 |
|
| Embodiment
and Reproduction (II)/Sentience and Information |
||
| Week Eight |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 23 February - Mon |
Reader: Butler, "Bloodchild" Reader/Online: Optional Background Matieral: "Octavia E. Butler: Persistence" |
Butler, Benford, Vinge, and Swanwick
author summaries due |
| 24 February - Tues |
VoW: Benford, pp. 253-262 Reader: Roberts, "New Model Computer" **Extra Credit Opportunity: Octavia Butler, 7pm, University Bookstore** |
|
| 25 February - Wed |
VoW: Vinge, pp. 740-790 |
|
| 26 February - Thurs |
Reader: Jaffe, "Max Headroom";
Swanwick, "Smoke and Mirrors" Online: Optional Background Material: "Michael Swanwick: Of All Plausible Worlds" |
E-Post due by 10pm
**update** |
| 27 February - Fri |
Discussion/Review
Day |
|
| Past
Perfect/Future Victorian (I)
or, How we can learn to stop worrying about nuclear annihilation by using a Victorian metaphor |
||
| Week Nine |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 01 March - Mon |
Reader: Koontz, "The Undercity";
Szego, "Angel's Kitchen" |
Koontz and Stephenson author
summaries due |
| 02 March - Tues |
Stephenson, The Diamond Age,
pp. 1-96 Online: Optional Background Material: "Neal Stephenson: Cryptomancer" |
Butler extra credit
due |
| 03 March - Wed |
The Diamond Age, pp. 97-196 |
|
| 04 March - Thurs |
The Diamond Age, pp. 197-251 |
E-Post due by 10pm |
| 05 March - Fri |
Stephenson Discussion
Day |
|
| Past
Perfect/Future Victorian (II) |
||
| Week Ten |
Reading |
Assignments |
| 08 March - Mon |
The Diamond Age, pp.
253-363 |
|
| 09 March - Tues |
The Diamond Age, pp. 363-432 |
|
| 10 March - Wed |
The Diamond Age, pp. 433-499 |
E-Post due by 10pm |
| 11 March - Thurs |
Discussion Day/Review |
|
| 12 March - Fri |
In-class portion
of the final; remember to bring a blue book! |
Take-home final distributed |
