Science Fiction, Technology, and Society (350:377) Spring, 2012
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.
H. G. Wells, The Time Machine. Bantam.
William Gibson, Burning Chrome.
Eos or Ace.
Ursula K. Le Guin,
The Word for World Is
Stanislaw Lem, Solaris. Harcourt Brace.
James Gunn, ed., The Road to Science Fiction #3: From Heinlein to Here. Various publishers. [A few
used copies of this book may be available for purchase in class.]
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 25 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus (1818).
January 30 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 1 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 6 In Future Perfect: "Women's Work"; Annie
Denton Cridge, "Man's Rights" (1870);
February 8 In Future Perfect: "Time Travel";
"Four-Dimensional Space" (1885); Mark Twain, "From the '
February 13 H. G. Wells, The Time Machine (1895).
February 15 In Future Perfect: "Space Travel";
February 20 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 22 In Road to SF: Theodore Sturgeon, “Thunder and Roses” (1947); Judith Merril, "That Only a Mother" (1948).
February 27 In Road to SF: William Tenn
(Philip Klass), “
February 29 In Road to SF: Harry Harrison, “The Streets of Ashkelon” (1962); Gordon R. Dickson, “Dolphin’s Way” (1964).
March 5 In Road to SF: Robert Sheckley, “Pilgrimage to Earth” (1956); Philip K. Dick, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (1966).
March 7 In Year's Best SF: Allen Steele, “The Emperor of Mars” (2010) ; Jim Hawkins, “Chimbwi” (2010). These two stories set in the future both play around with stories from the past; before reading “Chimbwi,” look up the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece.
March 19 Stanislaw Lem, Solaris (1961). (Note that you have twelve days to read Solaris, which is a challenging book.)
March 21 Please bring Solaris to class.
March 26 Harlan Ellison, “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” (1967); Norman Spinrad, “The Big Flash” (1969).
March 28 Ursula K. Le Guin,
The Word for World Is
April 2 Finish
The Word for World Is
April 4 In William Gibson, Burning
Chrome: "Fragments of a Hologram Rose" (1977); "New
April 9 In Burning Chrome: "Johnny Mnemonic" (1981); "Burning Chrome" (1985); "The Winter Market" (1986).
April 11 In Year's Best SF: Rachel Swirsky, “Again and Again and Again” (2010); Brenda Cooper, “My Father’s Singularity” (2010).
April 16 In Year's Best SF: Joe Haldeman, “Sleeping Dogs” (2010); Naomi Novik, “Seven Years from Home” (2010).
April 18 In Year's Best SF: Ian MacLeod, “Re-Crossing the
April 23 In Year's Best SF: Robert Reed, “A History of Terraforming” (2010).
April 25 In Year's Best SF: Cory Doctorow, “Chicken Little” (2010).
April 30 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 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. 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.