The goals of the course are to enjoy reading and discussing some excellent novels and short stories; to help students improve their writing, particularly of essays focused on persuasion and analysis; and to exercise our critical faculties by learning about the discipline and art of interpretation.
There will be some lectures, but most classes will be devoted to class discussion. Attendance and participation are mandatory. Writing assignments will include three four-page essays, four onepage reaction papers, an in-class oral presentation, and a final exam.
Major works to be assigned:
- H. G. Wells, THE TIME MACHINE
- Karel Capek, WAR WITH THE NEWTS
- George Orwell, 1984
- Philip K. Dick, THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE
- Ursula K. LeGuin, THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS
- Short stories by Poul Anderson, L. Timmel Duchamp, William Gibson, Tom Godwin, Jack London, Lewis Padgett, Kim Stanley Robinson, Alice Sheldon, Stanley Weinbaum, H. G. Wells.