speculative cultures

Fall Quarter 2013

EDPx3780 / EDPx4780

SPECULATIVE CULTURES explores the intersections of emergent digital practices and cultures with the extrapolative thought experiments, technical speculations, and social criticisms of science fiction. Students will read, discuss, write, and otherwise respond to primary texts by the likes of William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Cory Doctorow, Philip K. Dick, and Hiroshi Yamamoto. Science fiction studies may also include sub-genres (e.g., steampunk, hard science fiction, ecological) and regional categories (e.g, Japanese sci-fi), as well as consider science fiction in other media formats (such as sound recordings, film, games). For output, students will produce written materials in a variety of formats, culminating in a formal essay or interactive publication. EDPx3780 prerequisite: EDPx2200 or permission of the instructor. EDPx4780 prerequisite: EDPx4020. (4.000 Credit hours)

This class fulfills an EDP cultures requirement.

Syllabus & Assignments for Download / Printing
Syllabus 3780 / Syllabus 4780
Content Responses (25%)
Flash Fiction (20%)
Sustained Fiction (20%)
Final (20%)
Participation (15%)

CALENDAR

Week 1: Introductions
Tues, Sept. 10: Course Overview
Thur, Sept. 12: E.M. Forster, "The Machine Stops" (1909)
- Out of the Unknown: E.M. Forster's "The Machine Stops" (1966)
- recommended films: Things to Come (1936); Brazil (1985)

Week 2: Possible Futures
Tues, Sept. 17: C.M. Kornbluth, "The Marching Morons" (1951)
- Larry Niven & Isaac Asimov, "On The Marching Morons" (1981)
- Ben Bova, "The 'Marching Morons' show prescience of science fiction" (2007)
- PZ Myers, "There are no marching morons" (2007)
- David Brin, "Are we 'evolving' toward becoming 'marching morons'?" (2011)
- recommended films: Gattaca (1997); Elysium (2013)

Thur, Sept. 19: Paolo Bacigalupi, "The People of Sand and Slag" (2004)
- Drabblecast podcast: 261. The People of Sand and Slag (2012) (optional listening)
- To the Best of Our Knowledge podcast: Possible Futures (July 14, 2013)

Week 3: Ages of Wonder
Tues, Sept. 24: Clifford D. Simak, "The Big Front Yard" (1958)
- recommended films: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977); Contact (1997)

Thur, Sept. 26: Cory Doctorow, Makers (2009) : Part One
Please note that the layout of the pdf presents each page of the book as a pair of columns
-
To the Best of Our Knowledge podcast: More Wonder! (December 02, 2012 )

Week 4: Scientific Revolution
Tues, Oct. 01: Cory Doctorow, Makers (2009) : Part Two
- To the Best of Our Knowledge podcast: Scientific Revolution (04.21.2013)
- view on your own before class: The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Thur, Oct. 03:
- To the Best of Our Knowledge podcast: What We Believe (09.15.2013)
- Rupert Sheldrake, banned TEDTalk
- Shown in class: Star Trek: The Next Generation, 3.1: Evolution (1989)
- Recommended: Star Trek: The Next Generation, 3.4: Who Watches The Watchers? (1989)

Week 5: Synthesis
Tues, Oct. 08: stories of science and religion
* text: Isaac Asimov, "Nightfall" (Astounding Science Fiction, September 1941)
* audio: Isaac Asimov, "Nightfall" (Escape Pod)
* text: Arthur C. Clarke, "The Nine Billion Names of God" (Star Science Fiction Stories No.1, 1953)
* audio: Arthur C. Clarke, "The Nine Billion Names of God" (SFFaudio)

Thur, Oct. 10: Cory Doctorow, Makers (2009) : Part Three + Epilogue
- mid-term grade check-in from Trace by Friday, Oct. 11

Week 6: Sonic Science Fiction (Part 1)
Tues, Oct. 15: Introduction to Sonic Science Fiction
Thur, Oct. 17: Sonic SF Live Mix & Performance Lecture

Week 7: Sonic Science Fiction (Part 2)
Tues, Oct. 22: Electric Cultures & Synthetic Thought
Thur, Oct. 24: Readings, Visitation Exercise, Eshun Jam

Week 8: Other Worlds
Tues, Oct. 29:
- To the Best of Our Knowledge podcast: The Language of Science Fiction (09.09.2012)
- Octavia Butler, "Bloodchild" (1984)

Thur, Oct. 31: online writing jam: Flash Fiction exercise

Week 9: Apocalypses
Tues, Nov. 05: Brandon Graham's Prophet, Vol. 1
- you will need http://lifehacker.com/5858906/five-best-desktop-comic-book-readers

Thur, Nov. 07: Brandon Graham's Prophet, Vol. 1
- To the Best of Our Knowledge podcast: Apocalypse, Now (12.30.2012)
(how many ways can you imagine the end of the world?)

Week 10: Alternative Endings
Tues, Nov. 12:
- To the Best of Our Knowledge podcst: Alternative Endings (09.08.2013)
Thur, Nov. 14:

Final: Tues, Nov. 19, 2013