The Golden Age of Science Fiction

Richard Poss
Spring 2022
Fridays |  
9 Am - 12 PM (AZ Time)
February 4, 11, 18, 25, March 4, 18, 25, April 1, 8, and 15, 2022
Course Format: Hybrid
Location: Main Campus
Tuition: $265

Attend In Person OR Online!
See Below for full details about our new Hybrid courses

In this course we will dive into classic works of science fiction, from the origins of the genre in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells to the “golden age” masters Clarke, Bradbury, Heinlein, and Asimov. In addition there are a host of other writers (Leigh Brackett, Poul Anderson, Theodore Sturgeon, Philip K. Dick, Frederik Pohl, Keith Laumer, etc.) who produced excellent work, and we will examine them as well as prominent science fiction movies of the period.

NEW – Hybrid Course Format

  • All classes will be delivered both in person and online via live video streaming. Students will enroll in their preferred format during registration.
  • In person classes will be held in the Rubel Room at the University of Arizona’s Poetry Center (1508 E Helen St, Tucson, AZ 85721). Enrollment for in person classes is limited by classroom capacity and offered on a first come, first served basis. All students attending on campus will observe the relevant University of Arizona policies designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 (more information here). Students who enroll to attend in person will also have complete online access to the course including all class recordings.
  • Online students may attend all classes via live video streaming and will be able to participate in all course Q&A sessions with the professor in real time. Students may also access class recordings for a limited time to assist those who may not be able to attend the live class times. Online access will be password protected and only available to enrolled students.

Registration Will Open Online:
Monday, November 22, 2021 at 8 AM (AZ Time)

Syllabus
Required Reading

The books listed below are in print, and are recommended for those who wish to obtain a hard copy. These texts have been reprinted dozens of times and any edition will do. There are also electronic versions available from a variety of sources, all of which work fine for this course.

  • Jules Verne, A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864). Bantam Classics, 1991. ISBN-13: 978-0553213973.
  • H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds (1897). Signet Classics, 2007. ISBN-13 : 978-0451530653.
  • Fred Hoyle, The Black Cloud (1957). Valancourt Books, 2015. ISBN-13 : 978-1941147429.
  • Ray Bradbury, The October Country (1956). Del Rey/Ballantine Books, 1996. ISBN-13 : 978-0345324481.
  • Robert A. Heinlein, Orphans of the Sky (1941-63). Baen Books, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-671-31845-1.
  • Keith Laumer and Rosel George Brown, Earthblood (1966) and other stories. Baen books. 2012. ISBN-13 : 978-1451638202.
  • Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars (1956). Gollancz, 2001. ISBN-13: 9781857987638.

Meet Your Instructor

Richard Poss
Associate Professor

Department of Astronomy

Richard L Poss is an associate professor in the Astronomy Department at the University of Arizona, interested in the history of astronomy and relations between astronomy and culture. He teaches a variety of courses dealing with the intersection of astronomy with literature and the arts, and is a frequent contributor to the Humanities Seminars.

Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award 2019, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2012

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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