Tentative Syllabus
Honors Junior Seminar / Science Fiction
University of Central Arkansas
Instructor: Terry Wright
Fall 2009

This is a tentative syllabus for the class. It is subject to change. HO means a hand-out. Written assignments will be announced as the semester progresses. Daily reading quizzes are given and cannot be made up. Other hand-outs and critical articles may be substituted or added, if necessary.

This syllabus is also available online at my UCA web site:
http://faculty.uca.edu/~terryw/scifisyll.html
In fact, you are reading it right now.

F 8-21
Course Information and Description

M 8-24
“How Science Fiction Got Its Name”, Sam Moskowitz (HO)
Definitions of Science Fiction (HO)

W 8-26
Introduction, Ursula K. LeGuin (Norton, 15)

F 8-28
BEGINNINGS
from Frankenstein , Mary Shelley (HO)

M 8-31
“The Star”, H. G. Wells (HO)
“The Last Poet and the Robots”, Abraham Merritt (HO)

W 9-2
SPECULATIVE FANTASY
“The Machine Stops”, E. M. Forster (HO)

F 9-4
“America”, Orson Scott Card (Norton, 689)

M 9-7
Labor Day Holiday

W 9-9
“The Barbie Murders”, John Varley (HO)

F 9-11
Childhood's End , Arthur C. Clarke, (to p. 76)

M 9-14
Childhood's End , (76-138)

W 9-16
Childhood's End , (139-218)

F 9-18
HARD SCIENCE FICTION
“The Cold Equations”, Tom Godwin (HO)
“Schrodinger's Plague”, Greg Bear (Norton, 477)

M 9-21
“Schwarzchild Radius”, Connie Willis (Norton, 689)
“Ado”, Connie Willis (HO)

W 9-23
“The Last of the Winnebagos”, Connie Willis (HO)

F 9-25
ALIENS
“Feather Tigers”, Gene Wolfe (Norton, 280)
“Nine Hundred Grandmothers”, R. A. Lafferty (Norton, 142)
“Homelanding”, Margaret Atwood (Norton, 794)

M 9-28
TELEPATHY
"The Demolished Man", Alfred Bester (HO)

W 9-30
"The Demolished Man", Alfred Bester (HO)

F 10-2
ROBOTS
“Liar!”, Isaac Asimov (HO)
from When Harlie Was One , David Gerrold (HO)

M 10-5
Roderick , John Sladek (5-84)

W 10-7
Roderick , John Sladek (85-176)

F 10-9
Roderick , John Sladek (177-265)

M 10-12
Roderick, John Sladek (266-339)

W 10-14
from Tik-Tok , John Sladek (HO)

F 10-16
FALL BREAK

M 10-19
“For a Breath I Tarry”, Roger Zelazny (HO)

W 10-21
TELEVISION / VIDEO
“Day Million”, Frederick Pohl (Norton, 166)
“Snow”, John Crowley (Norton, 591)

F 10-23
“Different Signals”, Andrew Weiner (Norton, 525)
“The Life of Anybody”, Robert Sheckley (Norton, 569)

M 10-26
DYSTOPIA
“The Star Beast”, Poul Anderson (HO)

W 10-28
GENDER
“The Women Men Don't See”, James Tiptree, Jr. (Norton, 255)
from The Female Man , Joanna Russ (HO)

F 10-30
“That Only a Mother”, Judith Merril (HO)
“Clean Up Your Room”, Laura Ann Gilman (HO)

M 11-2
SOCIAL COMMENT
“Frozen Journey”, Philip K. Dick (Norton, 386)
“Subtle Strategies for Middle Management”, Eileen Gunn (Norton, 705)

W 11-4
Anda's Game”, Cory Doctorow

F 11-6
“The New Atlantis”, Ursula K. LeGuin (Norton 317)

M 11-9
Science Fiction Poetry

W 11-11
Neuromancer , William Gibson (to p. 81)

F 11-13
Neuromancer , William Gibson (82-201)

M 11-16
Neuromancer , William Gibson (202-271)

M 11-18
EXPERIMENTAL
from The Atrocity Exhibition , J. G. Ballard (HO)
“Invaders”, John Kessel (Norton, 830)

W 11-20
CYBERPUNK/CYBERSEX
“Snake-Eyes”, Tom Maddox (HO)

F 11-23
“(Learning About) Machine Sex”, Candas Jane Dorsey (Norton, 746)
“Points of View”, Kathe Koja (Hand-out)

W 11-25
THANKSGIVING BREAK

F 11-27
THANKSGIVING BREAK

M 11-30
“Love and Sex Among the Invertebrates”, Pat Murphy (HO)
“Bots: A Love Story and a Dream”, Michael Hemmingson (HO)

W 12-2
TBA

F 12-4
STUDY DAY

December 7-11
FINAL EXAMINATIONS