Course Description:
Science fiction is defined by James Gunn as a literature of change since new ideas entail consequences. The nature of change is central to the genre of science fiction writing and in reading it we think about the world we want and can visualize and articulate the unforeseeable consequences. Yes, we will read about aliens, machine intelligence, and time machines, but what will really be doing is better understanding the human condition, through an imaginative exploration of the jungle of political, social, psychological, and ethical issues. Science fiction empowers us to think about and deal with the consequences of change, in a real world that keeps changing ever faster. In this class, we will read some short stories, and a couple of novels, with the intention of better understanding the literature we are reading, while applying what we are learning to the world around us through Socratic seminars and group lit circles. The class will culminate in writing our own short science fiction story, with the potential for a student-voice driven project to accompany your writing.