Universität Wien

123223 SE Literature Seminar / BA Paper / MA British/Irish/New English (2015W)

Science Fiction as Cognitive Estrangement

11.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 12 - Anglistik
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 20 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 14.10. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 21.10. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 28.10. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 04.11. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 11.11. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 18.11. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 25.11. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 02.12. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 09.12. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 16.12. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 13.01. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 20.01. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09
  • Wednesday 27.01. 10:00 - 12:00 Raum 2 Anglistik UniCampus Hof 8 3E-EG-09

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Science fiction, the transmedial mode devoted to constructing alternative worlds, arguably presents one of the most challenging forms of literature. Reading sci fi involves an extra intellectual effort over and above the one necessary for reading more realistic forms of literature. In works of science fiction, we encounter societies, technologies, laws of nature and forms of life which are startlingly different from what we know, a fact which attests to both the exuberant creativity and the politically utopian potential of the genre. In this course, we will investigate some of the key short stories and novels of the genre, analyse sci fi's features, types and prime concerns and follow its changing course throughout the different stages of its colourful history.

Assessment and permitted materials

Assessment will be on the basis of attendance, active participation, presentations, a written exam and a seminar paper.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

This course aims at a) presenting basic generic features and key works of sci fi b) teaching a topic-related analytical toolkit c) enabling students to apply their knowledge and skills in their own projects d) alerting students to related issues such as cognitive narratology, feminist literary theory and the cultural history of literature.

Examination topics

eLearning, group work, lecture, classroom discussion, student presentation, home study, exam, seminar paper.

Reading list

George Orwell, 1984 (1949)
Isaac Asimov, I, Robot (1950)
Robert Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land (1961)
Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 (1953)
Arthur C Clarke, Childhood’s End (1953)
Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange (1962)
Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle (1962)
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness (1969)
Joanna Russ, The Female Man (1975)
Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1979)
William Gibson, Neuromancer (1984)
Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Watchmen (1987)
Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake (2003)
Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (2008)

Association in the course directory

Studium: UF 344, BA 612, MA 844;
Code/Modul: UF 4.2.4-322, BA10.2, MA4,
Lehrinhalt: 12-0374

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:33