Course Details

This course approaches the study of social hierarchies – based upon power inequalities of gender, class, sexuality, race, species, religion, and ability – through the lens of creative storytelling. We will explore these issues, as well as processes of social change and peace-building, through science-fiction writing and film, especially pieces that examine utopic or distopic futures. Engaging students’ interest and their creative brains, the course aims to bring a critical eye to ‘entertaining’ stories, as well as to unpack critiques of our contemporary world, which are embedded in many such tales. Close reading of science-fiction novels and short stories, and viewing films & TV series, will be coupled with readings in critical theory (i.e. feminist, critical race, Indigenous, post-colonial and queer theory). These pieces will provide students with the tools to think critically about difference, inequality and social control, in order to analyze these elements within science-fiction & fantasy story-telling.

During the quarter, we will read classic texts and recent novels from a variety of authors. We will explore several themes in this work, including: race and xenophobia; gender, sexuality and heteropatriarchy; class, capitalism, and structural violence; state power, territory, social order, and oppression; environment, climate change, and interspecies life/death; technology, genetics, and ‘tampering with’ nature; spirituality and religion, and violence and peace.

The course will be discussion driven and students will be expected to be actively engaged in classroom & online discussion spaces. Assignments will include short weekly writing reflections (in blog format) and a piece of work to be included in students’ Honors Portfolios. The final class project will be either an analysis piece drawing together at least three examples of science-fiction from the course and analyzing these using theory read in class or researched by the student. Or, students may produce a piece of creative fiction along the lines of the utopic/distopic science fiction we read throughout the quarter (this can be original fiction or fanfiction).