Science Fiction
Topic: Cross-listed with STS
Class Information
Instructor: Ziser, Michael
CRN: 53719
Time: TWR 2:10-3:50
Location: 1130 Bainer
GE Areas: Writing Experience
Description
Humanoids:
The Science Fiction of Statues, Puppets, Automata, Robots, Cyborgs and AI
This summer version of ENL173 is a deep dive into the science fiction archive around technological imitations of human form and essence. Together we will ask fundamental theoretical questions about just what happens when nonhuman objects are animated by rhetoric or technology, then engage in topical explorations of gender, sex, species, race, and class as they are illuminated by classic and contemporary science fiction(ish) texts. To allow for enough reading time in the compressed summer schedule, we will screen one film each week.
Assignments:
Daily discussion participation: 20% (15x1.33%; lowest 1 dropped)
Weekly short writing: 20% (5x4%; lowest 1 dropped)
Reading quizzes: 10% (10x1%; lowest 2 dropped)
Fan fiction (6pp): 20%
Personalized syllabus: 10%
Final essay (6pp): 20%
I have ordered all of the texts in physical form from the bookstore, with the exception of the Ings anthology, which is considerably cheaper as an etext. You may use any editions you wish, though your eyes will thank you if you get paper versions!
Grading
Daily discussion participation: 20% (15x1.33%; lowest 1 dropped)
Weekly short writing: 20% (5x4%; lowest 1 dropped)
Reading quizzes: 10% (10x1%; lowest 2 dropped)
Fan fiction (6pp): 20%
Personalized syllabus: 10%
Final essay (6pp): 20%
Texts
The Adventures of Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
R.U.R., Karel Čapek
The Complete Robot, Isaac Asimov
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
We, Robots, Simon Ings, ed.
additional texts supplied in electronic form