Sense of Wonder: Stories of Fantasy and Science Fiction

Richard Poss
Spring 2018
FRIDAYS |  
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
January 19 through April 6, 2018 (no classeS
Course Format: Hybrid
Location: Main Campus
Tuition: $205

Science fiction is a modern art form closely tied to advances in science and technology. It generates an imaginary space where a new development in science can be imaginatively tested for its possible effects on humanity. Some scenarios are cautionary, while others are hopeful and exhilarating. When combined with the fantasy genre, these stories set the imagination free to soar. This seminar will examine a series of great science fiction and fantasy narratives, including novels, short stories, movies, and TV shows. Whether the topic is robotics, artificial intelligence, space exploration, alien languages, enhanced intelligence, surveillance, time travel, or the future of gender, each of the works we consider will have a particular take on an alternate reality that humans may inhabit.

Required Reading

1. Chiang, Ted. Stories of Your Life and Others. Vintage Books, 2016. ISBN-10: 1101972122.

2. Clarke, Arthur C. Childhood’s End. Del Rey Books, 1987. ISBN-10: 0345347951.

3. Herbert, Frank. Dune. Ace Books, 1990. ISBN-10: 0441172717.

4. Liu, Cixin. The Three-Body Problem, Tor Books, 2016. ISBN-10: 0765382032.

5. McCaffrey, Anne. Dragonflight. Ballantine Books, 1986. ISBN-10: 0345335465.

6. Willis, Connie. To Say Nothing of the Dog, or, How We Found the Bishop’s Bird Stump at Last. Bantam Books, 1998. ISBN-10: 0553575384.

Other readings will be posted at Box@UA. Registered students will receive the link to that site to download these readings.

Meet Your Instructor

Associate Professor

RICHARD POSS is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona, where his work bridges the sciences and the humanities. His research explores the role of astronomy in European literature and art, examining how writers and thinkers—from Dante and Leonardo da Vinci to Thomas Hardy and Walt Whitman—have looked to the stars for meaning and inspiration. He has also written on the ethics of space exploration, including humanity’s future on Mars. A recipient of multiple teaching awards, Professor Poss is known for his engaging, interdisciplinary approach and is a longtime contributor to the University’s Humanities Seminars Program.

Location

POETRY CENTER
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States

Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.

Street map image of Poetry Center

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