English 256, Honors Literature of Science Fiction, offered online through the Extended Learning Institute of Northern Virginia Community College, is intended to introduce the student to the ideas, themes, characteristics, and trends of science fiction as a genre of literature from its beginnings to the present time.
In this honors version of the course you will be asked to focus on the similarities and differences among the ways that various common science fiction motifs are presented in a number of short stories and at least one novel.
You have been assigned to the regular English 256 Blackboard; your early assignments will be identical to those in the non-honors section of the course. However, from Week 5 on--except for Exam #2--some of your reading assignments and all of your writing assignments will differ from those in the non-honors section of this course.I hope that because of this course those of you who already enjoy science fiction will have a deeper understanding of where that enjoyment comes from and those of you unfamiliar with science fiction will understand why science fiction is so popular with so many people.
You must be enrolled in the honors section of this course to receive honors credit. You must have been admitted to the Loudoun Honors Program to enroll in this honors section.
