SCIENCE FICTION AND THE CLASSICS
Professor: Dr. Jennifer A. Rea
Office: Dauer Hall 142
E-mail: jrea@ufl.edu
Office Hours: Wednesdays 1-3 pm and by appt.
Teaching Assistants: Seth Boutin (sethbout@ufl.edu, 5th period M/W) and Bryan Sansbury (bsansbury1@ufl.edu, M/W 1:45-2:30).
TA Office Location: Bryant Hall 301
Course Goals and Objectives: To explore the influence of classical texts on modern science fiction. Students can expect to learn more about the common ground between the Greek and Roman literature which tells us about the ancients' hopes and fears for the future and the social commentary science fiction offers to a modern society today.
Grading and Exam Format: Your grade will be based on three equally weighed exams. The exam format will be multiple choice and short answer.
Microthemes: Twice during the course of the semester, you will have the opportunity to write a microtheme on a subject related to our class discussion. You must be present in class to participate and hand in your essay at the end of the class period. Each microtheme you write will have the ability to raise your final grade one full point. Opportunities for writing microthemes will be assigned to you based on the letters of the alphabet I have chosen for the evening; I will select random letters of the alphabet each week and if the first letter of your last name corresponds to one of the letters of the alphabet, then you may write an essay if you choose.
Required Texts: I have asked the UF Bookstore to order the following texts: A Canticle For Leibowitz (ISBN # 0-06-089229-4); Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (ISBN# 0-345-40447-5) and Hunted (ISBN# 0-380-80209-0)
Grading Scale (Grading will be traditional, i.e., only excellent work will recieve a grade of A, etc.)
A = 100-93; A- = 92-90; B+ = 89-88; B = 87-83; B- = 82-80; C+ = 79-78; C = 77-73; C- = 72-70; D+ = 69-68; D = 67-63; D- = 62-60; E (below 60)
N.B. UF does not consider C- to be a passing grade.
Make up Exams: Make up exams are given only for excused absences, such as required student participation in a university-sponsored event (you must submit official documentation to the professor from the appropriate faculty or staff member before the event); religious holidays (notify the professor within the first two weeks of class); medical emergencies (with documentation from a health care provider); family emergencies (with valid written documentation). Regarding medical and family emergencies, it is your responsibility to notify me as soon as possible that you will need a make up exam. Students with a valid excuse have one week after a missed exam (or one week after recovering from an illness) to take the make up exam.
This course is in compliance with all UF policies regarding special needs and academic honesty. For details, see http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/ (special needs); http://www.dso.ufl.edu/studentguide/studentrights.php (academic honesty).
COURSE SYLLABUS
UNIT ONE:
August 24rd “What is Science Fiction?”
Course Introduction
Apollodorus (Library and Epitome), Daedalus (E. 1.12–13) and Hephaestus (1.9.26)
Viewing: Star Trek “Bread and Circuses”
August 31st "A Sense of Wonder"
Readings: ; Homer’s Odyssey (selection) and Lucian, A True Story (selections).
As you read these excerpts consider the following: How do both
authors convey a sense that they are far from home?
What do you learn about Greek culture and society from
reading these works? See also this reading guide for the
Odyssey.
Viewing: 2001: A Space Odyssey (selections)
September 7th
Reading: Vergil’s Aeneid (6.791–7; 8.1–369), Hesiod (WD 109–201) and Eclogue 4. Here is the reading guide for Hesiod and Vergil.
Viewing: Star Trek: "Idiocracy"
September 14th "Technology and Society, Part I"
Reading: A Canticle for Leibowitz,
Part I
September 21st
Reading: A Canticle for Leibowitz,
Part I I
September 28th "You Can't Stop the Signal/Signum"
Viewing: Serenity
October 5th
Exam I
UNIT TWO:
October 12th
Reading: Plato’s Republic (summary and selections: justice, education, and women) Reading Guide for Plato
Viewing: Star Trek "Plato's Stepchildren"
October 19th
Reading: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Reading Guide for Androids
Viewing: Star Trek: TNG "The Masterpiece Society"
October 26th
Reading: Plato and the Soul
Guest Lecture by Dr. Julian Chambliss of Rollins College. Dr. Chambliss's powerpoint
Viewing: Bladerunner
November 2
Reading: Plato's Allegory of the Cave
Viewing: The Matrix
November 9th
Exam II
UNIT THREE
November 16th
Reading: Thucydides (The Melian Dialogue) Here is some background information and a reading guide for the Melian Dialogue.
November 23rd
Reading: James Alan Gardner’s Hunted
Some points to consider about this week's lecture and Hunted
Review for Hunted
November 30th
Viewing: Star Trek: Insurrection
December 7th
Course Conclusion & Exam III