| Overview |
The
content of this course is divided into units. Graded assignments in
each unit consist of postings to the relevant Blackboard Forums and/or a proctored exam or a short formal essay (750-1000 words)
chosen from a list of topics for that unit.
The
units are:
- Introduction
to Science Fiction
- Frankenstein and His Followers
- Science and Technology
- Alien Encounters
- Alternate Realities
- Science Fiction
and Popular Culture
Please read through my expectations for the quality of your graded
assignments as well as lists of specific written assignments for each
unit of study. Consult the Calendar of Activities for the readings assigned
for each unit. |
| General Expectations |
Since this is
a sophomore-level college English course, I expect all of your graded
work to be of college-level quality; thus each of your formal writing
assignments (the activity essays and the two proctored examinations)
will be a complete essay with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Each activity essay will include a Works Cited page and will contain
proper MLA documentation of both the Works Cited and the citations in
the text.
Specifically I expect
all of your formal writing to:
| respond appropriately
to the assignment |
| contain college-level
content |
| be well-developed |
| be written
in a clear, readable style |
| be reasonably
well-focused |
| be well-organized |
| use appropriate
language and tone |
| use standard
English spelling, grammar, and punctuation |
|
| If you submit work
that does not meet these requirements for college-level work, I will
not correct or grade it. The first time you submit work that does not
meet the above requirements, I might--based on my judgment--allow you
to redo and resubmit the assignment. However, the best strategy is to
do your best work before you submit it for a grade. |
|
| Plagiarism |
Plagiarism,
the appropriating of the words and/or ideas of others as your own, will
not be tolerated.
I do not require
you to research the works you are writing about; rather I prefer that
you read the works with care and attention--perhaps more than once--and
respond intelligently to your reading. However, if you do use research
material, including material you find on web sites, you must properly
cite the sources of all such outside material.
If I discover that
you have submitted work that uses sources without citing them, I will
not grade your work and you will not be allowed to redo it. |
| Expectations for Exams |
| You
will complete 2 proctored on-campus exams. Each exam will be a formal
essay composed on a word processor. You will have the exam question
beforehand. You will be allowed to use notes, but you will leave these
notes with the testing center proctor who will forward them to me. You
are expected to write, revise, edit, and proofread these exams as you
would any other essay that you might write for an on-campus class. |
| Expectations for Postings on Individual Stories |
A
posting that receives full credit will meet the following criteria:
- at least 100
words of analysis and discussion devoted to each story in the topic
area
- content that
demonstrates that you have read the works thoughtfully and are able
to make comments that go beyond an understanding of plot to grapple
with at least one of the following elements of fiction
- quality of
characterization
- presentation
of setting
- significance
of point of view
- development
of theme
- comparison
to other works with similar plots and themes
- format in standard
English prose
Using the above criteria, compose a posting that covers the following material:
- your reaction to the story: did you like it or dislike it and why
- your perception of the theme of the story: what you think the story is really about and your reasons for your analysis
One way to start to think
about the postings is to compare and contrast the short stories assigned
in that topic area and to try to figure out which of the stories you
liked the most and the least and why you had this reaction. You might also consider the similarities and differences among the stories.
I suggest that
you compose your posting in a word processor, edit and proofread your
posting, then copy and paste it into the Blackboard Forum message box.
Please feel free
to respond to the postings of the instructor and other students. |
| Expectations for Formal Essays |
Note: Some formal essays require you to read an additional story or view a film or an episode of a television series. These essays are marked Extra Credit and are worth up to 125 points each.
Each
formal essay should be at least 750 words long.
Before you choose
a topic for an essay, you must complete
all assigned readings (both the stories and the reading guides) and
submit Blackboard Forum postings for all of the topic areas in the unit.
The
topic choices in each unit are designed to encourage you to think
about and express your personal understanding of and reaction to the
literature. You may use outside sources if you wish, but you must properly
document such sources with the MLA Parenthetical References and Works
Cited format. Use of outside sources is neither required nor encouraged.
See
the MLA Style Guide for information on proper documentation format.
All
papers must be typewritten and double-spaced. Use a word processor and
save your work as an rtf (rich text format) or doc (Microsoft Word format)
file. You are expected to follow the rules of good usage in your writing.
You are expected to analyze the literature. Do not lapse into plot summary.
Plot summary will not be accepted.
As you are composing
your activity essay, remember that your audience consists of your instructor
and your fellow students. We have read the material, but perhaps not
as carefully and thoroughly as you have, and we do not have the material
in front of us. Although you will want to briefly summarize key elements
of the works you are discussing, do not lapse into plot summary.
Your readers know
what happened in these works, but perhaps not why these events happened.
If you compare works or elements of works, be sure to answer the question
"So what?" in the course of your discussion.
As
preparation for completing each activity you may, if you wish post a
thesis statement and outline of your essay to the relevant Essay Preview Forum. I will respond with comments and suggestions that should help
you develop your essay.
You
will post all of your papers by clicking on the Assignments button in the Blackboard, then navigating to the relevant assignment and following the directions. After I have graded the assignment, you will be able to see both the grade and the graded essay in the Blackboard Gradebook (accessed through the Tools button). |
|
| Unit
#1: Introduction to Science Fiction: Weeks
1-2 |
Due Week
1
- Email
to Instructor (required)
- Posting
to Introductions Forum (required)
Send me an email
from your VCCS email account; include the following information:
1) General
information:
- this course number
(Eng 256)
- your name, including a nickname if you wish me to use one when addressing you
- your mailing
address
- your telephone
number
- your VCCS email
address
- an alternate
email address if you have one and use it regularly
2) Course
Information (as listed in the Quick Syllabus you received from ELI in
the mail):
- your Start
Date
- your Last
Date for Withdrawal
- your End of
Enrollment Date
3) A brief
introduction of yourself, describing your background and your reasons
for taking this course
4) A brief
description of any previous college-level literature courses you have
taken
5) Any initial
questions you have about course procedures
NOTE: Once
you have sent me your introductory email message, I assume that you
have read and understood the course requirements and also that you have
read and understood ELI
Policies and Procedures.
Introduce yourself
to your classmates with a posting in the Introductions Forum.
Please include in this introduction a little bit about your background
and education and also some details about your interest in science fiction
and some of your favorite science fiction authors and novels. |
Exam
#1 What is Science Fiction? (100 points) Due Week
2
Choose at
least two of the definitions of science fiction and the literature of
the fantastic discussed in the reading thus far. Compare the definition(s)
of your choice to your taste in science fiction. Given these definitions,
how would you characterize the science fiction stories, novels, and
films that you enjoy the most. Which of these definitions comes closest
to describing the kind of science fiction that you like. Do any of these
definitions describe the sort of literature of the fantastic that you
do not like?
In a clear, concise,
well-written essay, define the science fiction that you most and least
like. Please make specific references to some of the definitions discussed
in the class readings. Please use examples from specific works of science
fiction to illustrate and support your thesis.
You may use notes
as an aid to writing your exam, but you must leave the notes with the
exam proctor who will forward them to me.
You will be writing your exam in Microsoft Word, and then pasting it into a password-protected Text Box in the Exams section of the Eng 256 Blackboard. Please follow the directions on the Exam to properly post your exam.
Exam Passes are available through a link from the Exams button in the course Blackboard
You can find specific directions on how you will be taking this exam on the Eng 256 Exam Directions page.
|
| |
| Unit
#2: Frankenstein and His Followers: Weeks
2-4 |
Postings: Frankenstein Forum (25 points) Due Weeks 2
and 3
As you read Frankenstein,
please stop at the places in the novel I have indicated below and respond
thoughtfully to the question I have posed. Each answer should be about
100 words long. Each response is worth up to 5 points.
Post your answers
in the relevant thread of the Frankenstein Forum.
Question
#1:
First Impressions
Thread |
Read Frankenstein, the Introduction
and Letters 1 through 4. |
How
do you like the story so far? Does it begin the way you expected
it to begin? Why do you think the story begins this way? |
Question
#2:
Victor Thread |
Read Frankenstein, Chap. 1
through 10. |
How
would you characterize Frankenstein? How does he compare to your
preconception of what he would be like? Do you like him? Why or
why not? Do you admire him? Why or why not? |
Question
#3:
Monster Thread |
Read Frankenstein, Chap. 11
through 15. |
How
would you characterize the Monster? How does he compare to your
preconception of what he would be like? Do you like him? Why or
why not? Do you admire him? Why or why not? |
Question
#4:
Victor and the Monster Thread |
Read Frankenstein, Chap 16
through 24 (the remainder of the novel). |
Is
the Monster's request for a mate reasonable? Why does Victor deny
him? Is the Monster's response to Victor understandable? Justified?
Is the Monster evil or is he a victim? |
Question
#5:
Reactions Thread |
Answer
after you have finished the novel. |
Now
that you have finished the story, why do you think it is considered
a classic? Should it be? Which, if any, of the concepts and themes
of Frankenstein have
you seen in other science fiction novels and films? How does the
working out of these themes in other material compare to the way
each theme is presented in Frankenstein? |
|
Posting: Due Week
4 (75 points)
Read
- "Microcosmic
God"
- "Helen O'Loy "
and the reading
guides in the SciFi Guide.
Write a brief essay posting of 300-500 words on one of the following topics:
- Compare and contrast Victor Frankenstein, Kidder, and Dave. What is their initial intent with their creations? Were their actions mostly right or mostly wrong? In the long run were they better off or worse off because of the results of their experiments?
- Compare and contrast the Monster, the Neoterics, and Helen. Would you consider these creatures to be sentient beings? What caused them to behave the way they did? What dangers do they pose to their creators? To the rest of humanity?
- Victor, Kidder, and Dave all achieved results for their experiments that no one had ever achieved before. Were they right to pursue these experiments? Why or why not?
- Compare and contrast the ways that Victor, Kidder, and Dave treated the Monster, the Neoterics, and Helen respectively. Who provided the best treatment? Who provided the worst treatment? Who provided the most responsible treatment? Why?
Post your essay in the Frankenstein's Followers Forum.
|
| |
| Unit
#3: Science and Technology: Weeks
5-7 |
Postings: Due Week
5 (60 points)
Read
- "Nightfall"
- "The
Cold Equations"
- "Schrödinger's Plague"
and the reading
guides to these stories.
Post your comments in the Extrapolation Forum. Please be sure to include in your posting a discussion of the reason that the Lagashans go mad in "Nightfall." |
Postings Due: Week 6 (40 points)
Read:
- "The Machine Stops"
- "Fondly Fahrenheit"
and the Reading Guides to these stories.
Post your comments in the Artificial Intelligence Forum. |
Essay #1 : Due Week
7 (100 points)
Choose one of the following topics or get my permission
to use a different topic. You may, if you wish, post a thesis
and outline in the Essay #1 Preview Forum. I will
respond with comments and suggestions.
| Explain
how the story "Nightfall"
is a response to the Emerson quotation that introduces the story. Note the way that the quotation supports the theme of the story. |
| Describe
and explain the scientific laws and theories that form the logical
underpinning in "Nightfall."
Demonstrate how the science is essential to the plot and theme
of the story. |
| Describe
and explain the scientific laws and theories that form the logical
underpinning in "The Cold Equations."
Demonstrate how the science is essential to the plot and theme
of the story. |
| Describe
and explain the scientific laws and theories that form the logical
underpinning in "Schrödinger's Plague."
Demonstrate how the science is essential to the plot and theme
of the story. |
| James
Gunn claims that readers who do not understand "The
Cold Equations" or appreciate what the story is
trying to say about humanity and its relationship to the environment
are not likely to appreciate science fiction. Discuss. |
| Hal
Clement has remarked that "in hard sf the universe itself
is the antagonist." Demonstrate the validity of this remark
as it relates to either "Nightfall" or "The Cold Equations." Be sure to note how the author's choice of antagonist helps to illustrate the theme of the story. |
| The characters in "Nightfall" represent conflicts between science and faith; show how this conflict develops and evolves. Be sure to note how this conflict contributes to and illuminates the theme of the story. |
| The characters in "The Cold Equations" represent conflicts between science and faith; show how this conflict develops and evolves. Be sure to note how this conflict contributes to and illuminates the theme of the story. |
| Discuss the use of religion and religious imagery in either "The Machine Stops" or "Nightfall." What are the attitudes toward religion conveyed in the story you discuss? How do these attitudes help to illustrate the theme of the story? |
| Discuss the morality of Frederick's proposal to the Hydroxyl Radicals after they have learned of Marty's experiment in "Schrödinger's Plague." What are the moral implications of their actions? Did they have any other choice? Now that Dietrich and Kranz have learned of the experiment, what do you think they will do? What should they do? Connect this discussion of morality to the theme of the story. |
| Discuss the relationship between man and machine in either "The Machine Stops" or "Fondly Fahrenheit." Demonstrate how this relationship contributes to the theme of the story. |
| "Fondly Fahrenheit" uses point of view and narrative voice to convey what is going on in the protagonist's mind. Write a detailed analysis of the ways that Bester demonstrates the state of Vandaleur's mind. Demonstrate how these story elements contribute to the theme of the story. |
|
| |
| Unit
#4: Alien Encounters Weeks
8-10 |
Posting: Due Week
8 (60 points)
Read
- "A
Martian Odyssey"
- "And the Angels Sing"
- "Midnight News
and the reading
guides to these stories. Post your comments in the First Contact
Forum. |
Postings Due Week
9 (40 points)
Read
- "Strange Wine"
- "Out of All them Bright Stars"
and the reading
guides to these stories. Post your comments in the Alien Encounters
Forum. |
Essay #2 : Due Week
10
Choose one of the following activities or get my permission
to complete a different activity. You may, if you wish, post a thesis
and outline in the Essay #2 Preview Forum. I will respond
with comments and suggestions.
Note that two of these essays carry extra credit; you may choose an extra credit topic instead of a normal topic. if you choose one of the extra credit topics, your essay will be worth a maximum of 125 points rather than the normal 100 points.
| Show
how the author of any one of the stories in this unit used descriptions
and characterizations to present the "otherness" of the
alien and its species and discuss how well the author conveyed the
essential differences between the alien(s) and the humans. Show how the portrayal of the alien contributes to the theme of the story. |
| In
science fiction, stories about aliens serve to reveal and comment
on facets of human nature. Choose any one of the stories from this
unit and show how the nature of the alien and the alien encounter
reveals the theme of the story. |
| In
his essay "On Science Fiction"
C.S. Lewis declares: "To tell how odd things strike odd people
is to have an oddity too much; he who is to see strange sights must
not himself be strange." Show how either "A
Martian Odyssey" or "And the Angels Sing" follows Lewis's advice. Be sure to connect your discussion to the theme of the story. |
"Out of All Them Bright Stars"
derives its title from a line in another work of art. Fully explain
the title of the story:
- where does
it come from?
- what does
it refer to in the source material?
- how is
it used in the story?
- how does
it serve to illuminate the story's theme?
|
| "And the Angels Sing" features a chance encounter with an alien. Discuss and compare the ways that Eddie and Mary Beth react to the alien. What do they learn about themselves because of this encounter? How are they different because of this experience? How do these reactions illuminate the theme of the story? |
| "Out of All Them Bright Stars" features a chance encounter with an alien. Discuss and compare the ways that Sally and her co-workers react to the alien. What do they learn about themselves because of this encounter? How are they different because of this experience? How do these reactions illuminate the theme of the story? |
| Discuss the motivations of the aliens in "Midnight News." What did the aliens accomplish? What do the humans--especially Helena Johnson, Stevens, and Gorce--learn from this experience? |
| Extra Credit: Read "Arena" (SF Hall of Fame). Watch
the "Arena" episode
from the original Star Trek television series. Compare and contrast Brown's original story and
the televised version. Account for the differences. Which version
is more satisfying and why? |
| Extra Credit: Watch the film Casablanca. Compare and contrast the characters, setting, and situations in the film to the characters, setting and situation in the story "Out of All Them Bright Stars." How does the story make use of the film? How is the theme of the story similar to the theme of the film? |
|
| |
| Unit
#5: Alternate Realities: Weeks
11-15 |
Posting: Due Week
11 (40 points)
Read
- "The Little Black Bag"
- "Mimsy
Were the Borogoves"
and the reading
guides to these stories. Post your comments in the Time Travel Forum. |
Posting: Due Week
12 (60 points)
Read
- "Kyrie"
- "The Lucky Strike"
- "Snow"
and the reading
guides to these stories. Post your comments in the Alternate Realities Forum. |
Posting: Due Week
13 (40 points)
Read
- "Flowers for Algernon"
- "Stable Strategies for Middle Management"
and the reading
guides to these stories. Post your comments in the Genetic Manipulation Forum. |
Posting: Due Week
14 (60 points)
Read
- "Day Million"
- "His Vegetable Wife"
- "The Women Men Don't See"
and the reading
guides to these stories. Post your comments in the Gender Issues Forum. |
Essay #3 Due Week
15 (100 points)
Choose one of the following activities or get my permission
to complete a different activity. You may, if you wish, post a thesis
and outline in the Essay #3 Preview Forum.
I will respond with comments and suggestions.
Note that two of these essays carry extra credit; you may choose an extra credit topic instead of a normal topic. if you choose one of the extra credit topics, your essay will be worth a maximum of 125 points rather than the normal 100 points.
| Discuss
the concept of time as it is presented in one of the stories in
this unit. How does the concept of time contribute to the theme of the story? |
"Mimsy
Were the Borogoves" derives its title from a line
in another work of art. Fully explain the title of the story:
- where does
it come from?
- what does
it refer to in the source material?
- how is
it used in the story?
- how does
it serve to illuminate the story's theme?
|
| The children in "Mimsy Were the Borogoves"
abandon their parents. Is what happens to the children perceived
by the reader to be a tragedy or a triumph? Why? Connect your discussion to the theme of the story |
| Discuss tone and the use of humor in either "Day Million" or "Stable Strategies for Middle Management." What is the author of the work satirizing here? Connect your discussion to the theme of the story. |
| In
his essay "On Science Fiction"
C.S. Lewis declares: "To tell how odd things strike odd people
is to have an oddity too much; he who is to see strange sights must
not himself be strange." Show how either "Day Million" or "Stable Strategies for Middle Management" follows Lewis's advice. Be sure to connect your discussion to the theme of the story. |
| "Flowers for Algernon" uses narrative voice to convey what is going on in the protagonist's mind. Write a detailed analysis of the way that Keyes demonstrates the state of Charlie's mind throughout his experiences. Be sure to connect your discussion to the theme of the story. |
| "Kyrie," "Day Million," and "Snow" are all love stories of a sort. Choose two of these stories and compare and contrast the nature of the relationships. Connect your comparison to the themes of the two stories. |
| "His Vegetable Wife," "Day Million," and "The Women Men Don't See" all deal with male/female relationships. Discuss the attitudes toward gender roles and sexual relationships in one of these stories. Connect your discussion to the theme of the story. |
| Extra Credit: Watch the film The Last Mimzy. Describe the major differences between the film and the short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves." Argue whether or not the film is thematically faithful to the short story. |
| Extra Credit: Watch
the film Charly. Compare
it to the novella version of "Flowers
for Algernon" that you have read. What changes have
been made to the story? Which version is better and why? Be sure to include a discussion of theme in your essay. |
|
| |
| Unit
#6: Science Fiction and Popular Culture: Week
16 |
Posting Due Week
16 (optional, up to 50 points extra credit)
Post to the Reviews
and Recommendations Forum a review (not a plot summary) of
any science fiction novel or of a science fiction film that has played
in theaters within the last 12 months. You may want to look at some
published book and movie reviews before your post your own review.
NOTE: If you want to earn extra credit, you must complete this assignment before you take Exam #2. |
Exam
#2: Science Fiction and Popular Culture Due Week 16 (100 points)
Choose one of the
following popular television series or films. Using your knowledge of
the definitions and subgenres of science fiction as discussed in this
class, write a clear, well-organized essay that argues how the title
you chose is or is not science fiction. Please begin your essay with
a summary of the major elements of the work you have chosen. Please
make specific references to the literary elements of science fiction
and please cite specific examples from the works to support your argument.
- Superman (the comic book, the films, or any specific television series)
- Batman (the comic book or any of the films)
- Spider-Man (the comic book or any of the films)
- Star Trek (in general or specifically one of the films, one of the television series, or an individual episode of a series)
- Stargate (the film or one of the series or an individual episode of a series)
- Star Wars (in general or specifically one of the films in either trilogy)
- Doctor Who
- The X Files
- Fringe
- Farscape
- E.T., the ExtraTerrestrial
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Men in Black
- Back to the Future
- The Terminator
- The Matrix
If you wish to write
your exam on a work not listed above, please email me to receive permission
to use the work of your choice before you write the exam.
You may use notes
as an aid to writing your exam, but you must leave the notes with the
exam proctor who will forward them to me.
You will be writing your exam in Microsoft Word, and then pasting it into a password-protected Text Box in the Exams section of the Eng 256 Blackboard. Please follow the directions on the Exam to properly post your exam.
Exam Passes are available through a link from the Exams button in the course Blackboard
You can find specific directions on how you will be taking this exam on the Eng 256 Exam Directions page. |
