Science Fiction

Course Overview

Do you enjoy speculating about what might be? What the future might bring? What might be “out there”? What it means to be human? Or…maybe you just enjoy good stories! Welcome to Science Fiction, where we explore all the above questions through the lens of one of literature’s most fascinating genres, one that is both wildly imaginative and profoundly thought-provoking. We will begin with a brief overview of the history of science fiction—from Frankenstein to the present day—before moving on to a selection of short stories, films, and novellas that reflect a wide variety of subgenres. We read many classic sci-fi authors such as Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, Isaac Asimov, and Octavia Butler. One of the thrilling aspects of reading speculative fiction is to consider the potential of humanity and technology, and that question of potential will be a guiding inquiry throughout the semester.