Science Fiction and Fantasy
Mrs. Erin Moore
Room #403
729-5566
Course Description:
In this class students will have the opportunity to use and develop English skills they already have, such as reading, writing, and communication, while examining and gaining an appreciation of the different characters, settings, topics, and themes in the science fiction and fantasy genres.
Science Fiction and Fantasy is an elective class delving into the genres of sci fi and her sister, fantasy. Both genres have elements throughout the ages, but are mainly products of the last two centuries, particularly of the 20th century. Each has an interesting history and each attracts a wide variety of readers.
We will read a wide variety of short stories and novels and watch scads of movies and TV programs. We will also learn about the history of science fiction and fantasy, read and discuss current trends, and look at the future of the genre.
Expectations:
· Be to class on time and prepared. You need to bring your folder, reading material, writing utensil, and Chromebook to class.
· Pay attention in class. Your head should stay up and your eyes should stay open!
· Take notes when needed and participate in classroom discussions and readings. Engaging in classroom activities will be worth points.
· RESPECT – yourself, others, the classroom, and materials.
· Do not talk out of turn. Do not distract other students.
· It is your responsibility to make up missed work from absences. If you miss a movie day, you may view the film/show by renting it on your own. Not completing assignments from absences will result in a loss of points.
Evaluation:
Your grade will be calculated as a percentage of total points possible. Your grade will be based on your performance of: class participation, reading assignments, quizzes, tests, et cetera. The following grading scale will be used to determine letter grades:
94 -100: A
90-93: A-
87-89: B+
84-86: B
80-83: B-
77-79: C+
74-76: C
70-72: C-
67-69: D+
64-66: D
60-63: D-
Below 60: F
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED
Semester exam waivers will be permitted in my class under the following conditions:
· You have 7 or fewer absences for the semester; no out-of-school suspensions
· You have maintained an average grade for the semester of 80% or higher
Tips for Reading Science Fiction:
Science fiction may be tough for some people to read, because there are so many features in these stories that don’t exist in the real world. Strange technology, alien cultures, strange practices and behaviors, and a history of the world that is much different from ours (because it may be a history of a future that is yet to come) are a few characteristics of some science fiction stories that may make them hard to follow. This is not to say that all science fiction stories have these features, nor is this a complete list of all the difficulties you may have reading science fiction. Don’t beat yourself up if you have trouble figuring out what’s going on. In fact, it will probably make for more interesting discussion when you and your classmates get something different from reading the same story. As everyone talks about the story, you’ll find that some people understood some things, while other people understood other things. When you talk about what you read, it will help you make sense out of all the confusing parts of the story.
The following are just a few tips to use when trying to read science fiction. Try to keep these ideas in mind, it will help keep your reading from becoming frustrated and unproductive:
• “Not knowing” is not a sign that you’re a bad reader. Science fiction gets its life from the unknown, and from making things up to try to explain what we don’t know.
• Context is very important to reading science fiction. Often, science fiction writers will write as if the audience existed in the fictional world. This means that they will often write about nonexistent technology, history, or people, as if you’re already supposed to know what these things are. This means that the writer probably won’t stop telling the story to explain to you what a “flux capacitor” is. You have to pay attention to the story. You will have to figure out as you’re reading along how these things work, or what happened in the past.
• Some science fiction writers are very descriptive about what their fictional worlds look like. Others aren’t so elaborate. You may want to think about what the story might look like if someone made a movie out of it. Try to create rich, detailed mental images, and don’t let the author’s words interfere with whatever mental picture you’re trying to come up with. Maybe buildings in the future don’t look like square concrete blocks like they do today. Maybe they look like upside-down pyramids, made of nothing but glass. Be imaginative!
• If you have trouble coming up with a mental picture of the author’s world, don’t let it distract you. In many science fiction stories, the setting is pretty much irrelevant to the real story. What really matters may be what’s happening. It may be more about what the people or machines are doing in the story. Finally, if you get stuck on something, keep on reading! You may have to skip over some things like weird names or incomprehensible settings. Often, these things will make sense after you’ve read a little further. You may want to re-read some parts of the story if you have time. Just like some of the coolest movies you’ve ever seen, there are many science fiction stories that you have to read through a second time to get a solid understanding of them.
Let’s keep this in mind as we’re reading these stories, and by all means, ask questions about things you don’t understand!