Students will become familiar with the genre of science fiction and perspectives within the field that fall outside of the “mainstream” discourse, primarily considering feminist, queer and POC contexts, as well as their power relations within the genre. Critical analysis, creativity and sensitivity to social and political issues are fostered both in collective discussions and through individual, in-depth and hands-on work with specific texts.

short lecture inputsclass discussionsoral presentationswritten work (essay + final paper)

From hard sci-fi to feminist critique, from outer space to artificial intelligence, the genre of science fiction is vast, varied and deeply political. Power dynamics as well as social and political structures and realities (such as class systems) are explored through alien worlds, time travel and advanced, not-quite-real-(yet) technologies. At the same time, marginalised voices are often overlooked or even silenced in spaces that predominantly focus on hegemonic masculine ideals.In this course, we will talk about issues of politics and power within the genre of science fiction (as well as various sub-genres) across a variety of media through critical analysis of popular texts.Topics we will discuss include, but are not limited to:(Intersectional) Feminist thought in science fictionScience fiction across media (and how different media communicate ideas)Power dynamics and privilegeCritiques of dominant systems (e.g. capitalism)The advantages and dangers of AI in our everyday lives

None.

Please refer to the requirements listed in your curriculum.

All mandatory texts will be available on Moodle.Students are asked to acquire their own copy of the text(s) they want to present on/write about (novel/comic/film/game/etc.).

The final grade is an aggregate of:20% Active Participation20% Spotlight Essay - A short essay (500 words, pdf format, fully referenced using CMoS17) about one aspect of Ursula K. Le Guin's short story "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" (1973), to be uploaded on Moodle until Oct 30, 2023. The short story will be available on Moodle!20% Oral Presentation (individual/team, 20-30 minutes + 15 minutes of Q&A/discussion) on a relevant topic.40% Final Paper (2,500 words, pdf format, fully referenced using CMoS17) on a relevant topic, to be uploaded on Moodle until Sept 30, 2024.Failing one pillar of assessment results in failing the entire class.Students can choose the topics of their presentation and paper freely (within the framework of the class) - a list of suggestions will be available on Moodle.

assigned reading materialsindividual, primary textscritical analysis

quality and quantity of secondary sourcesquality and structure of argumentdepth of analysisThe use of AI (e.g. ChatGPT) for completing assignments is strictly forbidden and will lead to a negative grade, removal from the class as well as a report to university leadership. There is the possibility of an individual, oral follow-up defence in order to check whether this rule is respected.