Science Fiction, Technology, and Society (350:377) Spring, 2010
Professor H. Bruce Franklin Office: Hill 515 Phone: 973-353-5444
e-mail: hbf@andromeda.rutgers.edu Web site: http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~hbf
Office Hours: MON: 1:00-2:00; WED 2:30-3:30; and by appointment.
REQUIRED TEXTS: (Editions listed are those ordered at New Jersey Books and Bradley Hall. You may substitute except where noted.)
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; Or the Modern Prometheus. Bantam.
H. Bruce Franklin, Future Perfect: American Science Fiction of the 19th
Century.
William Gibson, Burning Chrome. Ace Books.
H. G. Wells, The Time Machine. Bantam.
Joe Haldeman, The Forever War. Avon Books [Do not use any edition
earlier than 1997; the text has been revised.]
Stanislaw Lem, Solaris. Harcourt Brace.
James Gunn, ed., The Road to Science Fiction #3: From Heinlein to Here. Various publishers. [A few
used copies are available on the internet.
A few used copies of this book will also be available for purchase in
class. If you buy a new copy, please
keep your sales receipt; then, if you wish, I will buy it back at half price at
the end of the semester or later.]
This is an interdisciplinary course designed for students with serious
interest in the subject. Although no previous knowledge is required, the
readings may challenge your intelligence and imagination and will certainly
demand considerable time and thought.
The following reading assignments must be completed by the indicated dates.
January 27 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus (1818).
February 1 In Future Perfect: Introduction; Nathaniel Hawthorne, "The Birthmark" (1843); "The Artist of the Beautiful" (1844); "Automata"; Herman Melville, "The Bell-Tower" (1855); Fitz-James O'Brien, "The Diamond Lens" (1858).
February 3 In Future Perfect: Edgar Allan Poe, "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" (1845); Jack London, "A Thousand Deaths" (1899); In Road to SF: Larry Niven, “The Jigsaw Man” (1967).
February 8 In Future Perfect: "Women's Work"; Annie
Denton Cridge, "Man's Rights" (1870);
February 10 In Future Perfect: "Time Travel";
"Four-Dimensional Space" (1885); Mark Twain, "From the '
February 15 H. G. Wells, The Time Machine (1895).
February 17 In Future Perfect: "Space Travel";
February 22 In Road to SF: Isaac Asimov, “Reason” (1941); Tom Godwin, “The Cold Equations” (1954); Lewis Padgett (Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore) “Mimsy Were the Borogoves” (1943). In William Gibson, Burning Chrome: "The Gernsback Continuum" (1981).
February 24 In Road to SF: Theodore Sturgeon, “Thunder and Roses” (1947); Judith Merril, "That Only a Mother" (1948).
March 1 In Road to SF: William Tenn (Philip Klass), “
March 3 In Road to SF: Harry Harrison, “The Streets of Ashkelon” (1962); Gordon R. Dickson, “Dolphin’s Way” (1964).
March 8 In Road to SF: Robert Sheckley, “Pilgrimage to Earth” (1956); Philip K. Dick, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (1966).
March 10 In Year’s Best SF: Mary Rosenblum, “The Egg Man” (2008); James L. Cambias, “Balancing Accounts” (2008).
March 22 Stanislaw Lem, Solaris (1961). (Note that you have twelve days to read Solaris, which is a challenging book.)
March 24 Please bring Solaris to class.
March 29 Harlan Ellison, “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1967); Norman Spinrad, “The Big Flash” (1969).
March 31 Joe Haldeman, The Forever War (1974; 1997): read at
least the first section, "Private Mandella" (pp. 1-80 in the EOS
edition or pp. 1-73 in the
April 5 Joe Haldeman, The Forever War (1974; 1997): finish the novel.
April 7 In William Gibson, Burning Chrome: "Fragments of a
Hologram Rose" (1977); "
April 12 In Burning Chrome: "Johnny Mnemonic" (1981); "Burning Chrome" (1985); "The Winter Market" (1986).
April 14 In Year’s Best SF: Paolo Bacigalupi, “The Gambler” (2008); Paul McAuley, “City of the Dead” (2008).
April 19 In Burning Chrome: "Hinterlands" (1983); In Year's
Best SF:
April 21 In Year's Best SF: Robert Reed, “Five Thrillers” (2008); Mary Robinette Kowal, “Evil Robot Monkey” (2008).
April 26 In Year's Best SF: Ted Kosmatka, “N-Words” (2008); Greg Egan, “Crystal Nights” (2008).
April 28 In Year's Best SF: Nancy Kress, “The Erdmann Nexus” (2008).
May 3 Final day for submission of original short story or essay (minimum length 2,500 words). Do not leave the writing or typing of this project for the last minute. The hard copy is due in class. You must also submit a digitized copy, either on a disk or by e-mail, within 24 hours of this class.
There will be frequent brief tests on the readings, usually on the day they are due. These are not meant to be ambushes but aids for reading and for our discussion. There will be a final examination but no mid-term.
In determining the grade for the course, approximately equal weight will be given to (1) the brief tests, (2) the short story or essay, and (3) the final examination. In addition, each student's work will be evaluated on overall performance, with attention given to attendance, participation in discussion, and the level of knowledge and understanding ultimately reached.
Instructions for Writing Project
The essay or short story you are writing for this course is an opportunity for an original, valuable achievement. Think of it as something you are preparing for publication. That is, you are addressing an audience of reasonably intelligent strangers whom you must entice to read your work and who will have a valuable experience reading it. Most questions about form and content can be answered easily if you put yourself in your readers' shoes. The essay or story should also contribute to your readers' understanding of some aspect of the subject matter of the course.
The minimum length is 2,500 words. If you are having difficulty reaching this length, you can be sure there is some problem in your conception and development of your essay or story. There is no maximum length.
On proper use and acknowledgement of sources, be sure you have a copy of the
The physical appearance of your work should be attractive and professional looking. It should be double-spaced throughout, and the print should be very black (not gray and faded) and pleasant to read. There is no adequate excuse for frequent errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. So allow yourself ample time for spell checking and proofreading.
Extensions without penalty will be granted only for medical or other emergencies. Be sure to keep a back-up copy of your paper. Barring any catastrophe, the graded paper will be returned to you at the time of the final examination. The comments on your paper (which may be extensive) are intended for your future benefit, not as a rationale for the grade; please study them with care.