This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.Course Description
This course will explore philosophical and social issues by reading speculative and science fiction stories and novels. As we’ll see, science fiction stories, although usually set in the future, focus on the issues of the day (human and civil rights, personal autonomy, ethics, gender, and class roles). Writers project their presents into a possible future, looking for how current issues might play out. Dystopia? Utopia? Somewhere in between? What kind of society do we want to build? How should we go about building it? What could go wrong?
Assignments
The assignments include two short essays, a final project, and weekly responses on the readings.
The essays should demonstrate your understanding and interpretation of the texts. They should not be summaries of the stories, but rather interpretations of the various meanings you find in the texts, supported by specific examples from the texts.
Essay 1: On Do Androids Dream . . ?
Essay 2: On Neuromancer
The essays should demonstrate your understanding and interpretation of the texts. They should not be summaries of the stories, but rather interpretations of the various meanings you find in the texts, supported by specific examples from the texts.
Final project: Envisioning the Future.
The final project can be any format—essay, story, poem, play, visual art, audio art, digital work, etc—that expresses your vision of the future. The future you envision can be near (within 50 years) or more distant. If the project is an essay, you can explain what modern issue or issues you think will shape this future. If the project is not an essay, you should include a short (1-2 paragraph) explanation of what issues you are representing and what impact you think they will have.
Weekly Responses
Each week, I will post a discussion question about the readings. Students will discuss the questions and responses in breakout groups during the first virtual class meeting each week. Individual responses should be posted to BlackBoard before the second virtual class session each week.
Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between artistic process, and a work’s underlying concept, and where appropriate, contexts associated with the work.
Identify and analyze the formal elements of a particular art form using vocabulary and critique appropriate to that form.
Analyze cultural productions using standards appropriate to the form, as well as the works cultural significance and context.
Analyze and interpret the content of material or performance culture through its social, historical, and personal contexts.
Engage in generative artistic processes, including conception, creation, and ongoing critical analysis.
Texts (in bookstore, but you may also use e-book editions)
Phillip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
William Gibson, Neuromancer
Ted Chiang: Stories of Your Life and Others
Online texts (Follow the links or download from BlackBoard)
Phyllis Sterling Smith, "What is POSAT?"
Philip K Dick "Second Variety"
Vernor Vinge, "Technological
Singularity"
Linda Nagata, "Nahiku West"
Cat Rambo "Left Behind"
Course Assignments (Total 100 points)
Short Essays (1000 – 1500 words): 2@ 25 pts: 50
Weekly discussions and responses: 12 @
2.5 points: 30
Final Project:
20 pts
Due Dates
Essay 1 will be due March 5
Essay 2 will be due April 2
Final Project will be due on our final Exam date, Thursday May 6
The essays are due anytime on the due date. BlackBoard requires that I set a time; I set it to 11:59pm, but I really don't care if the essays are submitted a few hours late. As long as the essays are there in the morning, I don't count them as late
Grading
In grading essays, I use the following general criteria:
An "A" essay is well organized, specific, clearly written, and has a strong thesis, presenting an interpretation rather than mere summary. Strong organization requires focused paragraphs with specific support, using examples from the text, following a clear overall structure with each topic sentence supporting the central thesis.
A "B" essay is well organized and has a clear thesis, but may be less specific in its examples, or less clear in its presentation and language.
A "C" essay is average college-level writing. It is organized, but the paragraph structure might be too loose (long unfocused paragraphs, for example), or the language unclear. The thesis is present, but might be too broad or too simple for a sustained analysis.
A "D" essay may have problems with the thesis, organization, or language throughout the essay. Such papers are often mostly summary.
An "F" essay would have problems with more than one of these issues
As noted above, the assignments in the course add up to 100 possible points. I calculate grades as follows:
A+ 100% |
A 95% | A- 90% |
| B+ 88% | B 85% | B- 80% |
| C+ 78% | C 75% | C- 70% |
| D 65% | D- 60% | F 0 – 50% |
So an assignment worth 10 points would receive 8.5 points for a B, 9.5 points for an A, and 10 points for an A+.
At the end of the semester, the points are added up, and final grades are calculated as follows:
A+ 98–100 |
A 93–97 | A- 90–92 |
| B+ 87–89 | B 84–86 | B- 80–83 |
| C+ 77–79 | C 74–76 | C- 70–73 |
| D 60–69 | F 0–59 |
Course Policies
Late Assignments: Late papers will lose 5% per
day unless you make prior arrangements with me.
Revision Policy: The first essay may be revised for a higher grade, but it must be substantially revised. You cannot lose a grade by revising,
but a higher grade is not guaranteed. I have found that "B" papers
(or higher) are often more difficult to revise, since serious revision
requires thoroughly changing the essay's structure, and "B" papers
usually have a fairly good structure. "C" papers (or lower) often
respond more dramatically to revision, since the major changes they require
are often more straightforward. I recommend revising "C" papers
or lower only. If you plan to revise a "B" paper, please see
me beforehand so we can discuss a revision strategy.
The Final Project is due too late in the semester to allow for revision.
All revisions must be turned in within one week of receiving a grade.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism means using the exact words, opinions, or factual information from another source without giving that source credit. Writers give credit through the use of accepted documentation styles, such as parenthetical citation, footnotes, or end notes; a simple listing of books, articles, and websites is not sufficient.
Writers must include a Works Cited or References list at the end of their essay, providing full bibliographic information for every source cited in their essay, including the course textbooks.
Instructors at George Mason University are bound to uphold the George Mason Honor Code, which requires us to report any suspected instances of plagiarism to the Honor Committee. All judgments about plagiarism are made after careful review by the Honor Committee, which may issue penalties ranging from grade-deductions to course failure to expulsion from GMU.
Students with disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations, please see me and contact the Office of Disability Services (ODS). All academic accommodations must be arranged through the ODS.
GMU Nondiscrimination Policy: George Mason University is committed to providing equal opportunity and an educational and work environment free from any discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or age. GMU shall adhere to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity/affirmative action statutes and regulations.
GMU Email: Students must use their Mason email account and check it regularly. For privacy reasons, all class-related emails will be sent only to students' official GMU email addresses.
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