Course: Amazing Stories: Science Fiction

“Amazing Stories: Science Fiction,” is a course designed to develop your understanding of science fictional narratives by studying selected works of science fiction (SF) and science fiction criticism. While we will focus on literary SF, we will also explore some film and TV versions of SF as well. Our approach to SF will be informed by an interdisciplinary perspective, particularly since STEM is a fundamental part of this artistic genre. The course will revolve around several short stories selected from The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction, including works by Joanna Russ, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, Samuel R. Delany, Ursula Le Guin, and others. There will also be additional readings and supplemental texts, including articles that you will research on various SF writers and their work. We will read these texts together to explore different approaches to SF storytelling, and to help us understand how academic literary analysis on SF has developed over time. This semester we will particularly emphasize the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in science fiction, and we will explore the ways that different SF storytellers have depicted AI in their work.