The best current site, without question, is that sponsored by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas. It contains a treasure of information and links to other resources. It is the one place to start for anyone seeking information about teaching science fiction.

- Dennis M. Kratz, ANATOMY OF WONDER

Celebrating Science Fiction Since 1982

Mission
Welcome to the website for the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas, a medium for information about the Center and its programs, data about science fiction, informed commentary, and news about SF in general. This website also provides links to other SF resources. We are working to save the world through science fiction! To help achieve this, we created the AboutSF educator-outreach program and the James Gunn's Ad Astra publication.

We regularly expand and improve these pages to serve the science fiction community, so let us know what we can do to enhance this as a resource for you... and to help save the world.

History
The Center was founded in 1982 as a focus for the SF programs created at the University beginning in 1970, with the first course taught by Professor James Gunn. That also was the year University Libraries made its first major acquisition in the field and the Science Fiction Lecture Series was begun; since then SF has become the fastest-growing special collection, mostly through gifts. Special Collections provided most of the illustrations for Gunn's Alternate Worlds: The Illustrated History of Science Fiction, published in 1975. That same year the University held its first Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction, and, in 1977, the Institute became an annual event. In 1979, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for the best science fiction novel of the year was presented for the first time at the University as part of a weekend conference devoted to the teaching and writing of SF; the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for the best short SF of the year was added in 1987, and the Hall of Fame, presented in cooperation with the Kansas City Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy, was added in 1996. In 1985, the first Writer's Workshop in Science Fiction was held and, in 1986, it became an annual event in its present form. From 1979 through 2003, the Campbell Conference format was round-table discussion, and in 2004, the Campbell Conference experimented with a paper-presentation format with much success. In 2005, Kij Johnson first offered the Novel Writers Workshop, and recently added the "Repeat Offenders" Workshop. Chris McKitterick and Physics Professor Philip Baringer began offering the "Science, Technology, and Society" course in 2006. The first issue of the new James Gunn's Ad Astra, a multidimensional journal of fiction, nonfiction, essays, reviews, and much more, will launch in June 2012 - and is now open for submissions.

In 1991, Dr. Richard W. Gunn, a retired physician in Kansas City and Professor Gunn's brother, created an endowment for the Center, and it was renamed the J. Wayne and Elsie M. Gunn Center in honor of their parents. In 2007, the Center moved for the first time to a physical space at the University of Kansas, and in 2009 it opened a comprehensive library of SF books and magazines.

In 2011, KU acquired Theodore Sturgeon's papers, greatly expanding our already strong science fiction special collection available for researchers to use.

Courses
The Center is associated with the English Department, and most of its courses are offered for undergraduate and graduate English credit. The Department offers a creative writing option at the undergraduate and graduate level, including work in SF. Currently, the Center offers:

• "Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction" each summer (3 credits as ENGL 506/690/790)
• "Science Fiction Literature" each fall semester (3 credits as ENGL 506/690/790)
• "Science, Technology, and Society" each Spring semester (3 credits as ENGL 507)
• A professional Science Fiction Writing Workshop each summer (not for credit)
• A professional Speculative Fiction Novel Writing Workshop each summer (not for credit)
• The "Repeat Offenders" Novel Writing Workshop each summer (not for credit)
• "Science Fiction Writing Workshop" each summer (3 credits as ENGL 757)
• Two Continuing Education online distance-education courses especially for educators who cannot attend KU courses
• Undergraduate directed study, thesis advising, and related coursework support in genre work
• Graduate thesis and dissertation advising in genre work
• More to come soon - watch this space for news

The Center continues to offer, within a four-week period in July, a two-week intensive Writers Workshop for short-fiction writers established by James Gunn and now offered by Chris McKitterick and Bradley Denton (available for graduate credit); a two-week intensive Novel Writers Workshop offered by Kij Johnson; and a two-week intensive science-fiction literature course. These workshops and Institute run for the two weeks on either side of the Campbell Conference and Awards dinner. To learn more about these activities, click the navigation links on this page.

Who
James Gunn, author, editor, scholar, and teacher of SF – and SFWA Grand Master – has served the Center from its inception. In 2002, Chris McKitterick joined the Center and became Director in 2010. Kij Johnson has served the Center as Associate Director since 2004. In 2004, the Center formed a Board of Advisors which includes long-time friends of the Center and many of SF's leading lights. In 2005, the Center – with donations from publishers, conventions, and notable people in the field – created the AboutSF Volunteer Coordinator position and established AboutSF.com. A diverse group of authors and editors serve on the Campbell Award and Sturgeon Award juries. And we wouldn't be able to do anything without the help of dozens more volunteers - thank you, everyone!

We invite you to be a part of the Center, as well - send us a message about volunteering by filling out the contact form over at AboutSF.com.

For more information about the Center or any of our programs, email Chris McKitterick (cmckit@ku.edu) or James Gunn (jgunn@ku.edu), or send us a letter:

In the background and on the title banner:
An early science fiction woodcut depicts Cyrano de Bergerac being lifted
to the moon on bottles of dew.

This site last updated 2/5/2012. Check back for frequent updates.

This Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Net Ring site is owned by James Gunn. Webmaster is Chris McKitterick. New site design and editing by Brent Burton.

Find us on LibraryThing.