Course Details

We live in an age of unparalleled technological innovation, political instability, and worldwide change. This interdisciplinary honors course explores the art of transforming personal experience, academic fact, observational reality, and futuristic possibility into creative works of literary fiction.

Drawing on analysis of famous works of intellectually significant speculative fiction, detailed investigation of scientific papers on engineering and climate topics, scholarly nonfiction about social and cultural change, and observational experience, students will write, edit, and critique 2-3 short stories over the course of the quarter.

Fiction is an engine for considering the day-to-day impacts of longer term dynamics. To ground ourselves in the world of fiction, we’ll explore the underpinnings of the short story; the theory and practice behind speculative fiction; and the practice of observing real detail from life. Expanding our viewpoint to the world of academic research, we’ll examine sociological and scientific texts, learning to glean detailed ideas of possible and theoretical futures from descriptive works.