English 507
(also available as HWC 510)
Science, Technology, and Society:
Examining the Future Through a Science-Fiction Lens

Thursdays 4:00pm – 6:50pm
Room: Wescoe Hall 1003

Course Coordinators

Science-Fiction Grand Master James Gunn is also a course consultant and possible guest speaker. Gunn's office: 3039 Wescoe.

Table of Contents

Course Goals
Daily Schedule
Readings
   Required Books
   Recommended Books
Course Requirements
Class Periods
   Discussants
   Attendance and Class Participation
   Attendance and Class Participation Scoring
Papers
   Weekly Response Papers
      Weekly Paper Scoring
   Mid-Term Paper
   Final Research Project
      Option A: Traditional Research Paper
      Option B: Creative Work
      Final Project Deadline
Oral Presentation
Grading
Extra Credit Opportunities
Science and Science Fiction Film Series
More Good Stuff

Course Goals

Science and technology offer countless benefits to individuals and to societies, yet they also present new challenges. We will read nonfiction works and science fiction to explore the past, present, and possible future effects of science and technology on society and humankind as a species.

 Daily Schedule

 Readings

Most of the course readings are available on the Blackboard course site and are linked from the syllabus, above. However, you will buy a few books, download other readings, and possibly get others in class. When you lead class discussions, you are also expected to do additional research beyond the regular readings and share these materials with the rest of the class, as well.

 Required Books

The titles below contain links to online booksellers like Amazon and Powell's; click these links to find the books for sale online. A few of the books are also available as free downloads; click the links in parentheses for the free downloads.

Abbot's Flatland. (Click here [HTML] or here [.pdf] to download Flatland free.)
Drexler's Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology (Click here to download Engines of Creation free; also available free on KurzweilAI.net here.)
Gibson's Neuromancer.
Stross' Accelerando. (Click here to download Accelerando free.)
Kurzweil's The Age of Spiritual Machines. (Available for free on KurweilAI.net here, or click here to order a hard-copy of The Age of Spiritual Machines.)

 Recommended Books

John Brunner's Stand on Zanzibar.
Frank Herbert's Dune.

Want lots of free SF ebooks and e-zines? Check out Project Gutenberg's growing SF collection.

More to come! Check back later....

 Course Requirements

To successfully complete the course and get out of it all you can, you are required to:

• Attend class each week.
• Participate in class, which includes leading at least one session with a partner.
• Read the required books, website articles, and other materials.
• Write insightful weekly response papers.
• Write a formal mid-term research paper.
• Create a longer final project due at the end of the semester.
• Participate in a live group presentation on the last two days of class.

 Class Periods

Each week we discuss a variety of stories and articles. Occasionally, we will have guest speakers, film clips, or internet multimedia. Class periods revolve largely around discussion, with some lecture.

Discussants

The two students assigned as discussants for the week will lead (not monopolize) the discussion. Everyone is required to act as discussant at least once during the semester.

Discussants perform additional research prior to class (further readings, identifying possible multimedia content, and so forth) and come prepared with three or more questions to stimulate discussion about the day's topic and readings. We expect all students to participate in discussions, but we also request that you avoid talking too much or talking over others. Be civil: These are discussions about ideas, not arguments or lectures!

Attendance and Class Participation

This is a discussion course, so class participation is weighed heavily! Coming to class and getting involved in the discussions each day are necessary for getting a good grade, not to mention how much value you get from the course. The discussions aren't just explication of plot or concept; we expect you to exercise your critical-reading skills. That is, don't just read the fiction for pleasure, don't just accept everything in the nonfiction as canon, and don't feel the need to agree with your classmates' ideas - this course is all about challenging the notion that we and our world will always be as it has been. In the discussions, we want to hear how you synthesize the ideas from the assigned readings, your outside readings, and your own experiences. Of course, be polite and diplomatic if you disagree, but don't be shy either.

If you know you are going to miss a class for an academic event, illness, or other excusable reason, contact us as soon as possible to see if we can work out something so it does not affect your overall grade. If necessary, we can mitigate this loss so your attendance percentage remains unaffected. Otherwise, here is how we score attendance and participation:

Because we only meet once per week, each unexcused absence after the first drops your final course grade by a third; that is, missing two weeks might mean your final grade drops from an A- to a B+, missing three drops it to a B, and so forth. Missing zero classes usually serves to bump most students up a fraction of a grade (for example, from a B to a B+ when points are close), so don't miss classes! The next illustrates this relationship.

Attendance and Class Participation Scoring

When you are present in class, avoid distractions such as checking email, Facebook and so forth. Obviously, turn off your phone ring/buzz and put it away. I know it's sometimes a challenge to focus on a long discussion, but recent studies show that the human mind cannot pay attention to more than one thing at a time, and fracturing your attention means you're not getting everything possible out of each class. Monkeying around online also interrupts your neighbors' attention. Feel free to take notes on your computer or portable device if you choose, just stay away from distractions.

Each week you have the opportunity to earn a little extra credit just for attending the film series, detailed below. Attending two of these and participating in the discussion afterward makes up for one missed class session.

Im sure you have heard this before, but it is as true as ever: You get out of any activity only what you put into it. The more effort and creativity you apply to your projects and to class discussions, the more you will learn and the better the class will be for everyone else, as well. If you do not regularly attend class or do not participate in discussions, you will miss out on a lot of opportunities to learn and grow as a person.

 Papers

Much of your grade depends on the short response papers you write on a weekly basis, your short mid-term paper, and the longer research project. If you use non-standard software to create your projects, be sure to save them in standard formats (for example, most computers can read .doc, .html, .rtf, and .pdf formats). Turn in papers via Blackboard before class begins on the due date or by end of day on days when we don't meet for class. They will be graded and returned via Blackboard in a reasonable time.

 Weekly Response Papers

Prior to each class, you will write a short reading-response paper and turn it in via Blackboard. This one- or two-page (300-500 words) paper is a brief but thoughtful response to all of the readings for that week, both nonfiction and fiction. Insightfulness and clarity are important. Along with participation in the discussion, these papers are scored as an important measure of your engagement with the day's topics.

As in the discussions, exercise your critical-reading skills with these response papers; that is, don't just read the fiction for pleasure and don't just accept everything in the nonfiction as canon - this course is all about challenging the notion that we and our world will always be as it has been. We want to hear how you synthesize the ideas from the assigned readings, your outside readings, and your own experiences.

Tip: Include questions to pose to the class as well as some points to stimulate discussion, even if you are not leading the week's discussion. We suggest printing out your paper and questions and bringing them to class to help formulate ideas during discussion. (Also be sure to turn them in via Blackboard in advance of class.) They are usually returned to you via Blackboard, scored, the following week.

Weekly Paper Scoring

Here is how we score the weekly papers, based on a 0-4 point system per paper:
    0 - no paper turned in.
    1 - paper turned in, but does not convince us that you did all of the reading.
    2 - paper convinces us that you did some of the reading.
    3 - paper either has interesting insights on most of the readings or convinces us that all of the reading was done.
    4 - paper convinces us that you did all of the reading and provides interesting insights.

Missing response papers are due ASAP, at the very latest during Finals Week at a reduced grade. Late papers lose 1 point if up to one week late; after that, they might lose more. Turn them in on time!

 Mid-Term Paper

During the semester, you choose a topic covered in class, perform additional research beyond the readings for that topic, and write a short paper about it. This is essentially a formal, extended weekly response, with bibliography and other references as appropriate (Wikipedia is not a source, but can be a good place to find sources).

Papers should be at least 1000 words (longer is okay, but don't get too long!). The papers are graded on the quality of writing (including grammar and spelling), the quality of thesis and argument, the quality of research and reporting, and use of material and arguments presented during discussions. Format your bibliography as appropriate for your field of study (MLA for Humanities, Chicago for most other fields, and so forth; here's a good list of style guides).

Turn in papers via Blackboard by Monday, February 27.

 Final Research Project

The final project can be either a traditional essay or a creative work. Your research paper or creative project identifies and explores a topic related to the course theme, but can cover topics not listed in the syllabus. Papers must be 2000 - 3500 words (10 to 15 pages); if you expect to go significantly over the limit, please contact one of the teachers before continuing.

You must include an annotated bibliography (a list of references with brief notes) at the end of your document, especially if it is a creative work. An annotated bibliography is a set of references that provide a summary of your research. List your sources alphabetically and include a brief summary or annotation of each document you list as a reference. Format your bibliography as appropriate for your field of study (MLA for Humanities, Chicago for most other fields, and so forth; here's a good list of style guides). Turn in this paper via Blackboard.

References, annotated bibliographies, and endnote pages do not count toward the 2000-word minimum or 3500-word maximum.

 Option A: Traditional Research Paper

Most students opt for this option. Research papers are graded on the quality and diversity of research (both fictional and non-fictional), the writing (including grammar and spelling), and the strength of the topic and argument. What we most want is for you to demonstrate what you've learned from the class readings, your outside readings, and class discussions, and how you express this synthesis: Show us how these readings have changed your perspective on the world. This is not something that you can successfully complete at the last minute. The research paper should represent a semester-long investigation of topics that interest you.

 Option B: Creative Work

A creative work (story, series of poems, play, short film, website, creative nonfiction, and so forth) must dramatize how science and technology could affect believable, interesting characters living in a convincing, fully realized world in addition to revealing substantial research and your grasp on the topic. For the purposes of this course, your annotated bibliography (normally not included in creative works) is particularly important if you pursue this option, because you don't want to force information into a story ("As you know, Jim, the hyperdrive generator operates in five dimensions..."), and we want to see a diversity of readings that help you develop your work (both fictional and non-fictional). Show us your research with a good, well-annotated bibliography, and make your creative work stand on its own. Be aware that this option is more challenging - especially if you haven't taken formal writing courses - because we'll expect the same level of research as in Option A plus it needs to be interesting and entertaining. Click here to find some useful writing resources.

 Deadlines

To ensure good progress on the topic, you must meet the following deadlines:

• Monday, April 9: Submit an abstract, outline, and a preliminary background-reading list to the course coordinators for approval. Turn this in via Blackboard under the appropriate assignment.
   
• Friday, May 11: The completed project is due via Blackboard by 1:00pm (before class) on this day. If you've created a website, posted your short film to the internet, or otherwise cannot upload the project directly, just provide a link (website URL) to the project in the Notes to Instructor section of the Blackboard assignment.

You may turn in your project early - and get bonus points for doing so - as such:

• Week of April 26: +6 points.
• Week of May 3: +4 points.

 Oral Presentation

Two of the last three weeks of the course are reserved for student oral or A/V presentations. You will be asked to join a group of students, usually 3-4, and present for 20 minutes; larger groups usually give a proportionately longer presentation. Your group will choose a topic related to the course theme and make a presentation to the class. You can select a topic we're covering or something that's not covered but related to the overall course theme: How does science, technology, and cultural change affect humankind?

The form of the presentation is open: Previous forms have included panel discussions, debates, movies, live games, quiz-shows, radio plays, skits, and other forms. Let your imagination run free! This is a great opportunity to express yourself and your understanding of how our world and humankind is changing and is changed by scientific understanding, societal pressures, and technological advancement.

Every group member should provide an equal level of participation overall, including preparation and presentation (you may decide if one member is more of a script-writer than an actor, for example, as long as everyone's work is balanced - just let us know how you divided the work). You may divide your 20 minutes among the presenters however you see fit; let us know how each participated in the project if you're not dividing your live-presentation time equally. Be sure to get your topic and form of presentation approved by the course coordinators at least a week prior to the presentation, preferably well beforehand. Each individual within the group is graded on the clarity and organization of the presentation, the quality of the analysis, the appropriate use of reference material, and their individual contribution.

You may turn this in via Blackboard if you wish (not necessary). At least half of how we score this project comes from experiencing your live presentation.

 Grading

Your course grade is based upon these factors:

• Class participation  = 25%
  (includes attendance, participation in discussions, and leading at least one discussion with a partner)
• Weekly papers = 15%
• Mid-term paper = 15%
• Oral presentation = 15%
• Final research paper = 30%
   

 Extra Credit

Occasionally, we will offer opportunities for you to earn extra credit. We will add these to Blackboard as events become available - and let us know if you've heard about an upcoming opportunity! A good place to look for upcoming talks is the KU Calendar. No one is required to attend these events, so any points you get for reporting on your attendance are added to your overall score.

Each week you have the opportunity to earn a little extra credit just for attending the film series, detailed below. Attending two of these and participating in the discussion afterward makes up for one missed class session.

Here are some things we're aware of:

History Professor Jeff Moran, author of the forthcoming American Genesis: Antievolution Controversies from Scopes to Intelligent Design
"The Antievolution Controversies and American Culture"
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16
The Commons at Spooner Hall
This event is free and open to the public.

Here are some past examples:

Darwin Day: SOMA presents Michael Blanford:
"Inspired by Actual Events: Teaching Critical Thinking and Inspiring Awe by Examining What's Real"
KU Campus - Burge Union: Relays Room
1601 Irving Hill Road
(Facebook event page here)

"Space-Based View of a Changing Climate and its Implications"
Jack Kaye, associate director for research, Earth Science Division, NASA
Dole Institute of Politics
Free. Sponsored by School of Engineering

"NASA Satellite Observations and Their Role in they Study of Global Change"
Jack Kaye, associate director for research, Earth Science Division, NASA
Mercury Room, Nichols Hall
Free. Sponsored by School of Engineering

"Mind, Body, Machine: The Human Design Space 2"
Braden R. Allenby
A Lecture interruptus, followed by a reception
The Commons, Spooner Hall
Follow-up event: "Q&A with Braden Allenby"

Percival's Planet and Clyde Tombaugh's Discovery of Pluto An Evening With Michael Byers For this event, be sure to check out the excerpts posted on Blackboard.

Click the image to open the full-size poster.

As a guide for things you might find on your own, here are some events students attended previously:

A couple of exhibits at campus museums are relevant to the course. We offer extra credit to students who explore these exhibits and submit a response paper. (These papers add to your total score in the class, often making up for missed papers or low scores.) You are expected to commit an hour or more with an exhibit, plus whatever time it takes to write up the one-page response paper. Maximum point value per exhibit is equivalent to a regular response paper.

Recent exhibits have included:

• At the Spencer Art Museum, visit "Climate Change at the Poles" (North and South balconies) and the Terry Evans photography exhibit "A Greenland Glacier" (go through the Asian art room on the main floor to get to the photos).
• At the Natural History Museum, visit the "Explore Evolution" exhibit on the 5th floor.
• And more! If you have a suggestion, let us know and we'll share it with the class. There's no limit to how many events you can attend and report on for extra credit!

Your response paper should discuss the event or exhibit similarly to how you discuss the weekly readings and is scored the same. We encourage you to bring your thoughts to the relevant in-class discussions. Turn in these extra credit papers within a week of the event; the final deadline is 1:00pm on May 11 at a reduced score.

If you have any questions, you can either ask us in class or send an email. 

Science and Science Fiction Film Series

Starting in 2012, we will host a weekly film showing related to our topics and those of Professor Baringer's PHYS 112 class. It takes place every Tuesday evening at 7:00pm in Nunemaker Center.

Here's the schedule:

Bonus: Attending two of these sessions and participating in the discussion afterward makes up for one missed regular class session.

More Good Stuff

The Center for the Study of Science Fiction offers several multimedia offerings online. Click here to see them on this site, or click here to see our YouTube channel.

Benjamin Cartwright, former Volunteer Coordinator of the Center's AboutSF outreach program, has started a wonderful podcast program. Check it out at the AboutSF.com main page or at our Podomatic site!

Love science fiction film? Join the KU Science Fiction Film Club! Info, discussions, and meeting times at our Facebook page.

Here's a cool event right after finals:
Spectrum Fantastic Art Live Show
Friday, May 18: 3:00pm7:00pm (with an after-hours party on-site from 8pm-11pm)
Saturday, May 19: 10:00am7:00pm (Spectrum Awards Show at the Midland 8:00pm11:00pm)
Sunday, May 20: 10:00am4:00pm
Grand Ballroom of Bartle Hall Convention Center
Kansas City, MO

What are you doing on Memorial Day Weekend? Why not attend the ConQuest science fiction convention in Kansas City!

Sticking around for the summer? Don't miss the annual Campbell Conference and Awards weekend in July!

Want to take more science-fiction courses? You're in luck! Check out our growing list of offerings.