Course Description

Science fiction represents that which does not (or does not yet) exist--and as such has suffered from the reputation of being escapist fare. In this course, we will consider how science fiction uses "that which does not exist"--imagined futures, alternate histories, alien cultures, and the like--to grapple with genuine historical, social and philosophical concerns.

Required Texts

William Gibson, Neuromancer
Ursula K. Leguin, The Left Hand of Darkness
Walter M. Miller, Jr., A Canticle for Leibowitz
Applewhite Minyard, ed., Decades of Science Fiction
Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower

Course Requirements

Your grade will be based upon the following.

• two papers (20% and 30%, respectively)
• a midterm exam (25%)
• a final exam (25%)

All work will be graded on a 100-point scale, in which 90-100 = A, 80-89 = B, 70-79 = C, 60-69 = D, and 0-59 = F. The highest three numbers in a range are equivalent to a plus grade (e.g. 87-89 = B+); the lowest three are equivalent to a minus (90-92 = A-).

Attendance: No more than 4 absences for any reason, including illness and university sponsored events, are allowed. I will deal with attendance problems on a case-by-case basis, but I reserve the right to lower your final grade by 4 points for each class missed beyond the 4 course limit. Extremely poor attendance will result in a failing grade regardless of your grades on papers and exams.

Late work will be penalized as follows: your grade on a paper will be lowered by 3 points (e.g. 92 to 89) for every calendar day that it is late, up to a maximum of 20 points (e.g. 95 to 75). I rarely grant extensions on papers, but you're welcome to ask. Because a low grade--say, an F at 50 points--is much less destructive to a grade than a 0, it is nearly always worthwhile to make up late work.

Participation in discussion is important in this class. Although there is no separate grade rubric for participation, active and thoughtful participation in class will raise a borderline grade, while passive or disruptive participation will lower one. (A borderline grade is defined as a grade within 9/10ths of a point of the cutoff between two grades. For example, 90 is the cutoff between B+ and A-; 89.1 - 90.9 is the borderline range between the two grades.)

Plagiarism will affect your grade in one of two ways. If you turn in a paper which is plagiarized in minor or unintentional ways (e.g. you use the language of a source you are writing about without quotes, but in only a brief passage and clearly without any intention to represent someone else's work as your own), the paper will receive an 0, and we will discuss plagiarism until it is clear that you understand what it is and how to avoid it. You may be able to rewrite such a paper for a higher grade if there is enough time left in the term. However, if you turn in a paper which, in my judgment, plagiarizes blatantly, either at length or with apparent intent to deceive, you will receive an F in the course, regardless of any other grades you have received, and I will file an Academic Dishonesty Report with the Associate Provost.