Science Fiction and Fantasy Media
Spring 2004 Syllabus
Film 4280/6280, Spring 2004
M 4:30-7:00, 525 GCB
Dr. Ted Friedman
Office: 738 One Park Place South
Email: tedf@gsu.edu; Phone: (404) 463-9522
Home Page: http://www.tedfriedman.com
Course Description
============
How do we dream our visions of the future? How do we explore our fantasies of the past?
Science fiction extrapolates the trends of the present to imagine possible future worlds, both utopian and (more often) dystopian. Fantasy looks back to imagine past worlds in which technology has not yet usurped nature. Both genres push beyond the shackles of realism to reach for deeper truths.
This class will examine the genres of science fiction and fantasy across multiple media. We’ll base our discussion in film, but we’ll also look at television, literature, comics, the Internet, and gaming. We’ll survey the history of science fiction and fantasy, while at the same time tracing the influence of each text forward into the present. We’ll look at how these works have reflected and influenced American society, as each new generation of creators has responded to changing social conditions by reimagining the key tropes and themes of the genres. And we’ll try to understand why these visions continue to so capture the world’s imagination.
Prerequisites
========
This course builds on the material covered in Film Aesthetics and Analysis (FILM1010) and History of Motion Pictures (FILM2700). Students are strongly encouraged to take those two courses before taking this class.
Readings
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Screening Space by Vivian Sobchack is available at campus bookstores.
The coursepack is sold by Bestway Copy Center, 18 Decatur Street SE (on the first floor of One Park Place South).
Some readings are available online. The URLs for these readings are listed in the syllabus.
Additional readings will be distributed via the class email list.
Screenings
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You are responsible for viewing the outside screening before class each week. The first required film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, is currently playing in local theaters. The Library Media Center will have a DVD of every other film on reserve. In addition, all assigned films are readily available at local video stores for home rental. Recommended alternatives to Blockbuster are Movies Worth Seeing (1409 N Highland; 404-892-1802) and Videodrome (617 N Highland; 404-885-1117).
Email Group
========
All students will be automatically signed up to the online class discussion group. If for some reason you are not receiving the listserv, you can manually sign up at http://mailbox.gsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/sf. I will regularly forward media news, reviews of upcoming movies, and other useful material to the list. You’re encouraged to forward other interesting information, post your reactions to recent movies, respond to other postings, or continue any other ongoing discussions from class. Most email readings are recommended but not required. However, on some weeks the required readings will be distributed via email, as noted in the schedule below.
Schedule
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1/12 Introduction
In-class screening: selections by the Lumiere Brothers and Georges Melies
1/19 No Class – MLK Day
Read Vivian Sobchack, Screening Space, Chapter 1
See The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Peter Jackson, 2003)
1/26 Extrapolating the City of the Future
Read Sobchack, “Cities on the Edge of Time” (in coursepack, not book)
J. P. Telotte, “The Seductive Text of Metropolis”
William Gibson, “The Gernsback Continuum”
See Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998)
In-class screening: Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927)
2/2 Science and Phobia
Read David Skal, selections from Screams of Reason
See Gods and Monsters (Bill Condon, 1998)
In-class screening: The Bride of Frankenstein (James Whale, 1935)
2/9 Fantasy and the Quest Narrative
Read JRR Tolkien, “Forward to the Second Edition,” The Lord of the Rings
Additional readings on LOTR to be distributed by email
See The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939)
In-class screening: selections from the documentary supplements to the
Lord of the Rings DVDs
2/16 Aliens
Read Michael Rogin, selections from Independence Day
Peter Biskind, selections from Seeing Is Believing
See Independence Day (Roland Emmerich, 1996)
In-class screening: The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise, 1951)
2/23 Fans
Read Henry Jenkins, “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations”
Constance Penley, “/ Trek”
See Galaxy Quest (Dean Parisot, 1999)
In-class screening: selections from Star Trek
Presentations
3/1 Political Allegory
Read Eric Greene, selections from Planet of the Apes as American Myth
See Planet of the Apes (Franklin J. Schaffner, 1968)
In-class screening: Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (J. Lee Thompson, 1972)
Take-home midterm due
3/8 No Class – Spring Break
3/15 Blockbuster Myth
Read Sobchack, Screening Space, Chapter 2
David Brin, “Star Wars Despots vs. Star Trek Populists”
http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/1999/06/15/brin_main/index.html
See Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Irvin Kirshner, 1980)
Presentations
3/22 Post-Apocalypse
Read Screening Space, Chapter 3
See Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (George Miller, 1981)
Presentations
3/29 Independent Voices
Read Screening Space, Chapter 4
See Being John Malkovich (Spike Jonze, 1999)
In-class screening: Brother from Another Planet (John Sayles, 1984)
4/5 Cyborgs
Read Roger Beebe, “After Arnold: Narratives of the Posthuman Cinema”
Donna Haraway, “Manifesto for Cyborgs”
Hari Kunzru, “You Are a Cyborg”
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive//5.02/ffharaway_pr.html
See The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984)
Presentations
4/12 Studio Politics
Read King and Kryzwinska, “Industrial Light and Magic”
Additional readings to be distributed via email.
See Brazil (Terry Gilliam, 1985)
In-class screening: The Battle for Brazil
Presentations
4/19 Heroines
Read Catherine Constable, “Becoming the Monster’s Mother”
Additional readings to be chosen from Slayage: The Online Journal of
Buffy Studies, http://www.slayage.tv
See Aliens (James Cameron, 1986)
In-class screening: selections from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
4/26 Cyberpunk
Read Slavoj Zizek, “The Matrix: Or, The Two Sides of Perversion”
http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-9912/msg00019.html
Zizek, “Welcome to the Desert of the Real”
http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-0109/msg00106.html
Zizek, “Ideology Reloaded”
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16248
See The Matrix (Larry and Andy Wachowski, 1999)
Presentations
5/3 Class Choice
Reading to be distributed by email
See film to be chosen by class vote
Presentations
The research paper is due in the mailbox on the door to my office (738 One Park Place South) by Wednesday, May 5, 6 PM.
The take-home final is due in the mailbox on the door to my office by Monday, May 10, 6 PM.
Assignments
The class assignments add up to total of 100 possible points. Your final grade for the class is determined by adding up your grades for each assignment, adjusting for attendance, then applying the final number to the following scale:
90-100=A, 80-89=B, 70-79=C, 60-69=D, 0-59=F
1. Presentation – 10 points
You will work with one other student to research, prepare, and present a 15-20 minute discussion of an SF or fantasy creator. More details are on the attached handout.
2. Take-Home Midterm – 30 points
The take-home midterm will require you to relate concepts from the readings and lectures to the films screened for class. Due in class March 1.
3. Research Paper – 30 points
You will write a 7-9 page research paper on a science fiction text or group of texts. (Graduate students will write a 15-page paper. This is the only additional requirement for Film 6280.) More details on the research paper will follow in a separate handout. Due May 5.
4. Take-Home Final – 30 points
The take-home final will be structured just like the midterm, covering the second half of the semester. Due May 10.
5. Attendance Adjustment
As Woody Allen put it, “80 percent of success is showing up.” It’s less than that in this formula, but the bottom line is that you can’t contribute to the class if you’re not there. You’re allowed one unexcused absence for the semester. After that, each unexcused absence subtracts one point from your grade total. Excused absences include medical and family emergencies. You will be expected to schedule any employment responsibilities around this class, or accept the consequences of missed classes for your grade. If you do need to miss a class, please contact me ahead of time, and make arrangements to catch up on missed material.
Policies
Re-Writes and Makeup Tests
Opportunities for revision and improvement will be available for the midterm, the presentation, and the research paper prospectus. In addition, I will look at optional drafts of the research paper submitted on or before April 28. One rule: a 24-hour cool-down period after the return of any assignment. Wait a day before coming to talk to me, and I’ll be happy to listen to your concerns and help you improve your work.
Late and Unsubmitted Papers
Late papers will be marked off by ½ point for every day overdue unless an extension is agreed upon before the due date. No work can be accepted after the deadline for the take-home final. Any unsubmitted papers will receive a 0. Likewise, any unanswered exam questions will receive a 0. So, if you answer only 2 out of 3 required exam questions, you will get a 0 on the third question.
Academic Honesty
The university’s policy on academic honesty is published in On Campus: The Undergraduate Co-Curricular Affairs Handbook, available online at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcam. The policy prohibits plagiarism, cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration, falsification, and multiple submissions. Violation of the policy will result in failing the class, in addition to disciplinary sanctions.
The Internet makes it easy to plagiarize, but also easy to track down plagiarism. Bottom line: Don’t plagiarize. It’s wrong, and it’s not worth it. There’s always a better way. Cite all your sources, put all direct quotations in quotation marks, and clearly note when you are paraphrasing other authors’ work.
Withdrawals
Students withdrawing on or before the mid-semester point will receive a W provided they are passing the course. Students who withdraw after the mid-semester point will not be eligible for a W except in cases of hardship. If you withdraw after the mid-semester point, you will be assigned a WF, except in those cases in which (1) hardship status is determined by the office of the dean of students because of emergency, employment, or health reasons, and (2) you are passing the course.
Incompletes
Incompletes may be given only in special hardship cases. Incompletes will not be used merely for extending the time for completion of course requirements.
Changes to the Syllabus
This syllabus provides a general plan for the course. Deviations may be necessary.
Presentation Assignment
With a partner, you will research, prepare, and present a 15-20 minute discussion of a creator of science fiction or fantasy. The creator can be a novelist, comic book writer or artist, film director, television writer or producer, or game developer. Attached is a list of creators and their best-known works, but feel free to go beyond the list. The only restriction is to not cover a creator already on the syllabus, such as JRR Tolkien (Lord of the Rings), James Cameron (Terminator) or Joss Wheedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
The presentation should follow this five-part structure:
1. Hand out an info sheet on the creator to all the members of the class. (You’ll need to come to class with 31 copies.) A sample info sheet is included below.
2. Present a biographical overview of the creator’s career. You don’t need to mention every work the creator’s done, just the significant highlights that demonstrate the creator’s style and themes. (5 minutes)
3. Present a short example to demonstrate the creator’s work. For a film or television artist, this may be a short video clip. For a novelist, this might be a page-long excerpt. For a game developer, this might be a demo of the game. This portion of the presentation should take no more than five minutes. Practice at home to make sure it doesn’t run over; if it does, I’ll have to cut it off. For video clips, use only one continuous scene, and bring in a videotape cued to the beginning of the scene. If you use a DVD, be prepared with the exact scene number and time mark where your clip starts. You won’t be penalized for any technical difficulties, but points will be taken off if you’re not properly prepared.
4. Present an analysis of the example. For video clips, use the form of a DVD commentary – play the clip a second time with the sound off, talking over the image. Practice this at home to relate your commentary directly to what’s on screen. In your commentary, discuss the use of at least one specific genre element. (A genre element could be anything that makes a work signify as science fiction or fantasy. Examples for SF: space travel, time travel, robots, aliens, etc. For fantasy: magic, swordplay, vampires, orcs, etc.) How does the creator invent, borrow, or reimagine this element? (5 minutes)
5. Start the class discussion with the question from your info sheet, then lead the subsequent conversation. At some point, I’ll probably jump in with some questions for you, and some questions for the class. (5-10 minutes)
You and your partner can divide up the work as you see fit. One possibility is for one of you to be responsible for the biographical material, the other for the analysis of the video clip. Signup is first come, first served. When you’ve decided on a creator, send an email to the class listserv at sf@mailbox.gsu.edu. The first half of the class will get their choice of creator. The second half of the class will choose from those 20 creators. Groups of two are welcome to sign up together.Your presentation date will be assigned after sign-up is completed, to make the best fit with the syllabus.
Fiction Writers
Isaac Asimov, The Foundation Trilogy
Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
Greg Bear, Blood Music
Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles
David Brin, The Uplift Trilogy
Octavia Butler, Wild Seed
Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game
Michael Chabon, The Adventures of
Kavalier and Clay
Samuel Delany, Stars in My Pockets Like
Grains of Sand
Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of
Electric Sheep?
Cory Doctorow, Down and Out in the Magic
Kingdom
Harlan Ellison, “I Have No Mouth and I
Must Scream”
William Gibson, Neuromancer
Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers
Frank Herbert, Dune
Robert E. Howard, Conan the Barbarian
Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time
Steven King, The Stand
Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of
Darkness
Stanislas Lem, Solaris
C. S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia
H. P. Lovecraft, The Chthulu Cycle
China Mieville, Perdido Street Station
Fredric Pohl, The Gateway Series
Terry Pratchett, The Discworld Series
Kim Stanley Robinson, The Mars Trilogy
J. K. Rowling, The Harry Potter Series
Robert Silverberg, The Majipoor Series
Dan Simmons, The Hyperion Series
Neal Stephenson, Snowcrash
Bruce Sterling, Islands of the Net
Sherri Tepper, Gateway to Women’s
Country
John Varley, The Gaean Trilogy
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five
Connie Willis, The Doomsday Book
Gene Wolfe, The Books of the New Sun
Roger Zelazny, The Amber Series
Comic Book Writers and Artists
Brian Michael Bendis, Powers
Kurt Busiek, Astro City
Neil Gaiman, Sandman
Jack Kirby, Fantastic Four
Stan Lee, Fantastic Four
Frank Miller, Batman: The Dark Knight
Returns
Alan Moore, The Watchmen
Greg Rucka, Gotham Central
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo
Jeff Smith, Bone
Film Directors
Luc Besson, The Fifth Element
Kathryn Bigelow, Strange Days
Tim Burton, Batman
John Carpenter, Escape from New York
David Cronenberg, Videodrome
John Lassiter, Toy Story
Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke
Mamoru Oshii, Ghost in the Shell
Sam Raimi, The Evil Dead Series
George Romero, The Living Dead Series
M. Knight Shyamalan, Unbreakable
Steven Speilberg, E.T.
Andrei Tarkovsky, Solaris
Paul Verhooven, Robocop
Ed Wood, Plan 9 From Outer Space
Television Writer/Producers
Chris Carter, The X-Files
Matt Groening, Futurama
Jim Henson, The Muppet Show
Joel Hodgson, Mystery Science Theater 3000
Kenneth Johnson, V
Doug Naylor and Rod Grant, Red Dwarf
Rockne O’Bannon, Farscape and Alien Nation
J. Michael Straczynski, Babylon 5
Various writers and producers, Dr. Who
Game Developers
Richard Garfield, Magic: The Gathering
Gary Gygax, Dungeons and Dragons
Lord British, Ultima
Chris Roberts, Wing Commander
Will Wright, SimCity and The Sims
Presentation Info Sheet Template (with example)
Creator’s name and years of birth and (if applicable) death:
Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992
Major works, with release years:
I, Robot, written as short stories 1940-50, collected in book form 1950
The Foundation Trilogy, written as short stories 1942-50, collected in book form 1951-3
The Caves of Steel, 1954
The Gods Themselves, 1972
Many, many other works of science fiction and pop-science nonfiction, including numerous sequels to both the Robot and Foundation series
What characterizes this creator’s style?
Asimov’s style is brisk and clear, with smoothly resolved plots and thin characters. His focus is on galactic world-building, rather than interpersonal drama.
What genre elements has this creator invented, borrowed, or reimagined?
“Psychohistory” – the scientific study of history to predict and control the future.
“The Three Laws of Robotics” – rules designed to retain human control of artificial intelligence.
Source of example:
I, Robot
What’s interesting about this example?
Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics” established a set of rules to imagine how humans and artificially intelligent life forms might live together.
Question for class discussion:
Do these laws oppress robots?
Posted by tedf at August 25, 2004 11:00 PM