Syllabus: Honors 101, section 47, Spring 2005
Science Fiction and Political Science
Instructor: Craig Curtis, Dept. of Political Science,
Bradley Hall, room 486,
Phone: 677-2492,
E-mail: rcc@hilltop.bradley.edu
Home Page: http://hilltop.bradley.edu/~rcc/
Texts: Asimov, Isaac (1951) Foundation. (Bantam Spectra Books)
Asimov, Isaac (1952) Foundation and Empire. (Bantam Spectra Books)
Asimov, Isaac (1953) Second Foundation. (Bantam Spectra Books)
Meeting Information: Monday,
Instructor Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday:
9:00 to 11:00 am, Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 to 10:15 am
Course Description: This course is designed to allow us, as a group, to explore the creative process. Science fiction seems to me to be a perfect vehicle for mind experiments regarding the political nature of human, and nonhuman, society. One may argue, with some conviction, that the best science fiction represents a conscious effort to create a "world" in which only a few key characteristics are different from 20th Century Earth. Perhaps the best example of a series of novels that does this is the Foundation Series, written by Isaac Asimov. In that series, Asimov created a galactic society in which social science had developed in association with mental powers to allow a very compelling version of our distant future. Still, Asimov's politicians and activists behave in ways that are familiar to students of current politics.
We will explore the creative process through several methods. The first is reading and discussion of the three original novels of the Foundation trilogy. The second is a series of short exercises designed to assist you in developing creative writing skills. The third is the creation, by each of us, myself included, of a short story. Thus, the grades will be determined as follows:
Grading: 1) Class attendance and participation
-- 20%
2) Weekly homework -- 30%
3) A brief sketch of your "world" for your story -- 20%
4) A short story in which you develop your "world" -- 30%
Your stories will not be graded on literary merit as one would expect in an English class. That would be beyond my bailiwick. Rather, they will be graded on originality and effort to create a plausible world. As you may know, a short story is defined more in terms of what it is not. It is not a novel or a novella -- the short stories in the science fiction genre range from five to over sixty pages. It is not an essay -- it is a work of fiction. Beyond that, you should use your best judgment. Unless a student has some strong objection, I will publish the "worlds" on my web page at http://hilltop.bradley.edu/~rcc/honsketch.html. I will also publish the stories on my Web Page at http://hilltop.bradley.edu/~rcc/honstory.html. Some of the stories past years are still there and you might want to have a look at them.
Class schedule: We will only meet for 8 weeks (7 weeks at the beginning of the semester, and once at the end) -- which is why we meet for an hour and a half each time.
Day I (
Day II (
Foundation – beginning to p. 169 – parts I, II, and III
Day III (
Foundation
– p. 170 to end.
Day IV (
Foundation
and Empire – Part I: the General
Day V (
Foundation and
Empire – Part II: the Mule
Day VI (
Second Foundation – Part I: Search by the Mule
Day VII (
Second
Foundation – Part II: Search by the
Foundation
Interim (3-7 to May 2) – work on your worlds and stories
All students should schedule at least one meeting with me during the interim while they work on their story.
“Worlds” are due on
Day VIII (
Guidelines for Written Work to be Turned In
The Homework
The six weekly assignments (Due weeks 2 through 7) are
to be brief. The format is not important. All I care about is substance and
legibility. They may be handwritten, typed, printed, or sent as an e-mail.
So long as I can read it, the format will be okay. As for substance, I am
looking for evidence that you are practicing the skills you will need to improve
you ability to write a polished short story. I do want to see evidence of
thought and creativity. This does not mean that these assignments should be
long. A single printed page is likely too long for all but the dialogue assignment.
The "World" and the Final Story
Because we will post the sketches of your "worlds" and the final stories themselves on the web, all documents to be turned in should be sent to me electronically as attachments to an e-mail or given to me on a disk. I would prefer that the files are HTML files, but almost any ASCII based document will do in a pinch. You will, of course, have much more control over the final appearance of the document if you create the HTML file yourself. Each document should contain a "mailto" link so that your audience can contact you.
The sketches of your "worlds" need not be very long -- 1 or 2 pages is enough for me, but use as much space as you need to develop your ideas. They are due on April 11. I will get feedback to you quickly (within a week) via e-mail (everyone needs to give me his or her e-mail addresses) so that you can start work on your story. You should look at your colleagues’ "worlds" and provide them with feedback.
Your finished stories are due on
Mostly, I want you to have fun and to challenge yourself
to be creative. I will post the stories on my Web page, unless someone doesn't
want me to, and I hope that you will read your colleagues' stories and provide
them with feedback. Of course, I would encourage you to try to sell your
stories, or pursue formal publishing outlets, both on and off campus.
.