American Science Fiction: Cinema and Literature 3301-LA1313-1ST
The course will examine the history of the development of science fiction in the United States in the 20th and 21st century. During the course students will analyze examples of science-fictional texts that represent different ways of employing classical figures and metaphors of the genre. During the course we will critically discuss different traditions within the genre (e.g. space opera, dystopia, feminist science fiction) that challenge its complex relationship with ideology and politics, addressing the many ways in which science fiction has always reflected the changes occurring in American culture and society. Each week we will discuss shorter forms (short stories) and selected films, analyzed with the use of critical readings offering critical perspectives from feminist, postcolonial, and queer studies.
Type of course
Mode
Learning outcomes
Knowledge.
After completing the course, the participants:
• know the history of the development of science fiction in the US in the 20th and 21st centuries
• are aware of the political dimensions of popular culture and the consequences of socio-cultural changes reflected in science fiction texts
Skills.
After completing the course, the participants:
• will be able to apply advanced research methodology within cultural and American studies, respecting ethical norms and copyright law
• will be able to analyze cultural texts both in historical context, and formulate critical arguments about the development of popular genres in the US
Social competencies.
After completing the course, the participants:
• to work in groups, participate in discussions and academic debates, prepare written assignments in academic English
• are ready to further deepen their knowledge on topics related to popular culture and are open to new phenomena and ideas
Education at language level B2+
Assessment criteria
The final grade is calculated on the basis of individual work of students, consisting of:
• active participation in classes (20%)
• three response papers (30%)
• final test based on critical readings (50%)
In order to pass the course, the student must receive a minimal score of 60%.
Two absences are allowed.
Bibliography
Short stories collected in the anthology: Evans, Arthur B., Istvan Csicsery-Ronay Jr., Joan Gordon, Veronica Hollinger, Rob Latham, and Carol McGuirk (eds). The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2010.
Selected films (2-3).
Critical literature (selected):
Bould, Mark, Andrew M. Butler, Adam Roberts and Sherryl Vint (eds.). The Routledge Companion to Science Fiction. London and New York: Routledge, 2009.
Lavender, Isiah. Race in American Science Fiction. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2011.
Lothian, Alexis. Old Futures. Speculative Fiction and Queer Possibility. New York University Press, 2018.
Melzer, Patricia. Alien Construction: Science Fiction and Feminist Thought. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2006.
Merrick, Helen. The Secret Feminist Cabal: A Cultural History of Science Fiction Feminisms. Seattle, WA: Aqueduct Press, 2009.
Rieder, John. Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2008.
Link, Eric Carl, and Gerry Canavan (eds.). The Cambridge Companion to American Science Fiction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2015.
Vint, Sherryl. Science Fiction: A Guide for the Perplexed. London & New York: Bloomsbury, 2014.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: