Despair

The worst thing about this novel is the whole rehashing of the Jews awaiting the Messiah to come. But the way Chabon writes about it--especially from a suicidal homicide detective's POV--is very witty. The fact Chabon places emphasis on religion as a panacea to all the despair and hopelessness should have been a dead giveaway that the Messiah won't come no matter how many red heifers are sacrificed. Just as Meyer will never find absolution no matter if he does solve his sister and Mendel's deaths. So in a way, Chabon manages to give religous despair a timeless depiction while renewing it.

Would you trade Liberty for Security?

While reading Doctorow's Little Brother, I was reminded of a Ben Franklin quote:

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."

This quote seems to embody a recuring theme throughout this novel. As the book progresses, the Department of Homeland Security takes more citizens' liberties away in the name of "National Security". Marcus, like Mr. Franklin, was not willing to give up his liberties on account of additional security, and fought to keep his liberty.

Would you be willing to say no to all the security enhancements in the name of liberty? Or if not, when is it ok to relinquish some of your freedoms for additional security?

John Shults- Yiddish Policeman's Union, Tone

From the very beginning of this book I feel like I have been inundated with this tone of despair and gloom. Maybe gloom isn't the right word for it. What I mean is that the novel so far has had only elements of glass-half-empty characters and settings. Take Landsman for example. Alcoholic divorcee scarred by his dead-beat father's love of chess-and winning. Then theres Tenenboym- ex-marine, ex-junkie who kicked his habit and rose to the esteemed position of night hotel manager and steals money and jewelry from. Hooray. We then move on to the setting. A "past its prime" hotel called the Zamenhof reffered to by the manager as "crap-ass."
Pardon my ignorance, but isn't this kind of tone fairly typical in post-modern sf? This is my first sf book, I must admit. Actually my first fiction in a while. I have enjoyed the novel so far despite its tone (It doesn't really match my style).
By the way, not sure if anyone else is aware but one thing Sitka, Alaska is famous for is their spruce tree. Sitka Spruce is used in may instruments especially guitars. The most widely used flat top guitar material is Sitka because of its resonant qualities. Just an irrelevant side note.

Marcus and Political Views and Standard Protest

We started this discussion in class before we left. Or... well... Professor Duncan posed this question and no one answered and told us to hit up the blog. And I didn't want to seem like "the guy who always posts" but I wanted to get this discussion started and no one has posted it yet. So...

I believe that Marcus couldn't care less about the other political problems in the world around him. Van even told him that he shouldn't fight the DHS the way he was planning. That he should go out and join the people already protesting. He totally disregarded that idea and continued with his plan. This proves that he has no interest in that form of protesting.

He clearly has a desire to be the leader, not a follower, despite his denial of being the leader of the Xnetters. This aspect crops up all over the place. The fact that at the beginning of the story, he is the one who gets the group together, he says when, where, and how. He creates all of the technology and shows people how to use it. After the attack and his release, he crafts the plans and tells people what to do and when to meet. He lets NO ONE tell him what to do, even people close to him. He has strong opinions and will not be dissuaded by anyone.

So no matter the fact that he denies being the leader, he is the leader. He cannot put up with just being a follower, being another voice in the crowd. He would not protest in public by picket signs or just shouting. He uses technology to make an impression. His entire school record proves that. He would always fight the school by use of technology, not other more formal channels.

Now, another thing is that he doesn't have a care in the world for the non-interesting problems. He has lived his whole life with the economy as it is, with politics as they are, with all the problems as they are. He most likely wouldn't even have fought the DHS if he hadn't been arrested. He is a person that accepts the world the way it is until it wrongs him. And even then, I don't think he would have done anything except in this case because of the physical harm and face to face lack of care of people you trusted. He seems to be enthused with government and their policies and how they should care for people. So when his most favored subject is brought to the surface, of course he will act. He never mentions the other topics so he probably doesn't much care for them.

No other case does this occur that the people you trust to protect you literally spit in your face and betray this trust except with the government.

So, long story short. I don't believe Marcus would protest any other issues besides the one he does because the government and their policies and their ideals is a favored subject of his. And anger is not the opposite of love, it is one of the closest emotions to love. You must be very emotional to hate something, the more you hate the more emotional you are about that which you hate.

How to craft links into a blog

There are several ways to make links. One is to use the button when posting. The one that has a little paperclip icon is hyperlink. Select the text you want linked (whether it be the url of a site or some text) and click it. It will then prompt you for a web address. Enter it there and push ok and the text you had selected will now be a hyperlink.

There is a manual way using HTML code. the code for a hyperlink is "< a href=> and < /a>" without a space between the < and the a. The href stands for hyperlink reference (I assume) and is the web address of the website you want to link. You end the statement with >. After that you can enter any text and that will be the text that is shown for the hyperlink.

so you would type < a href=http://strangenewworlds2009.blogspot.com/> Strange New Worlds Fall09 Blog < /a>

But without a space at between the < and the a and without a space between < and /a>.

This will create this:
Strange New Worlds Fall09 Blog

Matthew Huff's Response

Ever since I got my NES back when i was a kid, i've been playing video games and that's led me into also being a fan of science fiction. I've read a few good sci-fi books like Ender's Game, but most of my experience with sci-fi is from TV, movies, and games. Also, i'm the one who got Stephen hooked to the new Battlestar Galactica.

I define science fiction pretty loosely as a branch of fiction that revolves around or features fictional technology/biology/powers (fictional during the time the work was created i mean).

My primary examples of science fiction would be games like Mass Effect for the Xbox 360, or shows like Firefly, Heroes, etc.

(Sorry for the late response)

Video Chatting Space Odyssey Style

This would be an infinitely cooler way for us to talk with Prof. Duncan via webcam

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/354945#13769203_NaDcJ

Experience with sci-fi

I was abducted by aliens, but now I'm back.

My experience with sci-fi has been fairly limited (apart from the abduction, which is technically science fact, but I'm not here to quibble about semantics). Some of my first experiences that I had where I really engaged with a story, however, was playing the Final Fantasy games as a youth. Many of the FF games have sci-fi elements to them, albeit mixed in with a nice helping of fantasy (hence the series' title). I think this experience with fairly flexible sci-fi tropes led me to enjoy more "soft" sci-fi, such as Phillip K.Dick or even Neil Gaiman or Charlie Kaufman.

As for what is science fiction...
I'd be inclined to say that science fiction is a collection of tropes and metaphors that are based in some sort of scientific reality, whether currently existing, extrapolated from a currently existing scientic reality, or merely dreamt of.

Hope that was concise without being completely devoid of any helpful information. Mind still scrambled from the aliens.

The empire never ended.

My experience with science fiction

Until fairly recently, I have been a hardcore star wars fan. I played lots of video games associated with the franchise, and I loved the philosophy involved in Star Wars. However, I was introduced to Star Trek: The Original Series not too long ago, and I have to say, I'm in love. Obviously, special effects are not the draw; it's the spirit of Star Trek that hooked me. There is some amazing optimism and boldness within the original show that seeps out before you even see a first episode. The cast was light-years ahead of its time in terms of diversity. The had to fight for Uhura to be played by a black woman. In place of the self-centered Odyssey that Star Wars presented, Star Trek was a vision of how the human race was going to improve, taken directly from present day on Earth, rather than an arbitrary setting in a galaxy far, far away. Anyway, that's how I see science fiction now: as a way for us to examine our government, cultural values, religion, ethics, etc. by placing them in a utopian setting and getting a fresh look at how we as humans define ourselves.

So, my definition of science fiction is influenced by my experience with Star Trek: Science Fiction is a story concerning humans' projected cultural, technological, or political progress or decline, set in another time, space, or some other setting isolated from the realistic present day.

In defense of the "humans'" part of my definition: while Star Trek may've involved Vulcans, Klingons, Romulans, and a host of other non-human species, ultimately these are beings introduced to act as a stereotype for a human trait. Just as Disney movies involve animals with human characteristics, SF involves 'aliens.' That is why human-ness is central to SF. While a book about a totally non-human species that has no anthropomorphic qualities whatsoever may exist somewhere, I sincerely doubt anyone would be interested in reading it.

Preston Dennis' Response

My experiences with science fiction have occurred mainly in tv and film. I read the Watchmen comic and have read one or two Isaac Asimov books back when I was in high school, but for the most part the bulk of my experience in the genre comes from the screen. Star Wars, Star Trek, Back to the Future; all of these movies represent the science fiction heading. The Syfy channel (fka SciFi) has shows like Eureka and Warehouse 13 that also fit into the genre.

My definition of science fiction is a genre that's stories are comprised of imaginary elements that are made to seem possible within the already scientificially established laws of nature. What that means is the elements in a story are imagined but they aren't so far-fetched as to not believe that these elements would be possible at some point in the future.

Little Brother

I know it is usually bad form to post after yourself creating a "double post", or atleast it is on forums generally, I am unsure about blogs. But I felt it necessary as this is a substantially different topic. I also do not quite understand our weekly blog assignment and don't do if book discussion/feelings are meant to be kept private until weekly class or if we can post as we feel them or what. (And I am sorry about the run-ons, I am very very bad at doing them in informal sessions). I also don't know if this is an informal session, and if I should watch my grammar and sentence structure and the like. Assuming it is informal:

While I read through Little Brother, I couldn't help but keep making connections to 1984 (like Big Brother vs. Little Brother. Hmm...). 1984 was scary to me in the sense that I could see it happen as a possibility. This book is a very good re-envisioning of 1984. I don't know if anyone else out there is a gamer. But the language of this book is shockingly realistic and modern. It has major links and similarities to today's society. The happenings in this book make my skin crawl sometimes as I see "the man" in action.

Edit: For absolutely clarity, and by "the man" I do mean the government but didn't want to be stereotypical to use "Big Brother".

Ken Geller's Response

Hopefully I am doing this correctly. I am kinda confused on this whole blog thing and have had 0 experience with blogs.

My Sci-Fi experience is somewhat limited. My parents read the genre almost exclusively, and I used to read it some, but now I'm mostly involved with movies. I've seen all the star war's movies, Watchmen, only the new Star Trek movie, and such.

My definition of Science Fiction is a genre in which the plot, setting, or characters use, obtain, or are surrounded by technology that is beyond what is possible at the time of the books writing.

This is so to not exclude older books from the genre (such as Jules Vernes' books or others like 1984 and such)

Eric McHargue's Response

I have had little experience with science fiction. What experience I have had with science fiction is limited to movies and television. I didn't even see the Star Wars movies until this summer. I did read Watchmen, however, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. (I can't say the same for the movie.) I am also currently watching a show on the Syfy channel called Warehouse 13. I am looking forward to more exposure to the genre this semester, however, as I have really enjoyed LITTLE BROTHER.

I think one of the reasons I have little experience with science fiction is that I have always had a naive, ignorant view of the genre. I tend to only envision aliens and space adventures when the genre is brought up in conversation, and while I realize that simply is not the case, I can't seem to shake those images.

My definition of science fiction: science fiction is a genre in which the plots, settings, characters, or other critical story components develop within an “other worldly” or unknown manner, which could result from an alternate history, not yet reached or impossible technological potential, unseen paradigm shifts, or space settings.

Little Brother vs. Body of Lies

As I progress through Doctorow's "Little Brother" I am repeatedly reminded of Ridley Scott's "Body of Lies" (2008) in which a young CIA agent is forced to go against "The Company's" entrenched doctrine regarding espionage and interrogation in order to save his and others' lives and respect the sovereignty of the nations that he works in. I don't wish to equate the film to the book, but the way in which Russel Crowe's and Leonardo Dicaprio's describe the modern methods of terrorism is striking when juxtaposed with Marcus's tactics of confusion and deception. The character Ed Hoffman noted the adaptability and intelligence of an "enemy" that refused to allow itself to be surveilled: "Our enemy has realized that they are fighting guys from the future. Now, ahem, it is brilliant as it is infuriating. If you live like it's the past, and you behave like it's the past then guys from the future find it very hard to see you. If you throw away your cell phone, shut down your e-mail pass all your instructions face-to-face, hand-to-hand turn your back on technology and just disappear into the crowd No flags. No uniforms. You got your basic grunts on the ground there. They're looking going, "Who is it we're fighting?" In a situation like this, your friends dress just like your enemies and your enemies dress like your friends. What I need you to fully understand is that these people, they do not wanna negotiate. Not at all." Now Marcus doesn't turn his back on technology by any stretch of the imagination, but he does it to gain anonymity and a position of maneuverability. Anywho, I was just reminded of this film and now I'm a little curious as to which genre I would place it. Enemy of the State also comes to mind but I digress...

My Experiences

As far as my experiences with science fiction go, I would say that they are modest and not very thorough. With the exception of the Lord of the Rings books and the Harry Potter series, which I'm not convinced is even SF, my literary exposure is shallow. I do however enjoy many of the mainstream SF movies. Some of my favorites are: Back to the Future; Terminator 1 and 2, not 3; and of course....Star Wars. I am looking forward to seeing some more recent examples of where the SF culture is going now and in the future.

Science Fiction is the expression of ideas, through a media, that are normally considered as impossible, often timely, or other worldly.

Wendy's Response

My cinematic expereinces with science fiction started with watching Luke Skywalker play Cowboys and Indians with Darth Vader. It then progressed to Star Trek: Voyager, X-Files, the rest of the Star Trek franchise, and even a few episodes of Quantum Leap. Bookwise, it was Flowers for Algernon which got me started, then Ender's Game, the Dune series, several of Asimov's Robot Stories, the Foundation series, and several Philip K Dick yarns.

For me, science fiction is anything that puts a new spin on technology and cultural/political ideology--how either or both can affect society--and how humans or aliens respond. But it can also include other elements like adventures, sappy romances, and history.

Jennifer's First Response

I have experienced science fiction through tv shows and movies, such as Heroes, Doctor Who, and The Matrix. I have read a few science fiction books. Two of my favorites are 1984 and A Clockwork Orange.

I define science fiction as a work of fiction that deals with science and technology in the past, present, or future.

Petrina's Response

My experience with science fiction is mostly limited to a few television shows such as Doctor Who, Stargate, and Babylon 5. Of the few science fiction books I've read, Contact by Carl Sagan is definitely one of my favorites .

I would define science fiction as a genre that involves extraordinary settings and circumstances while at least attempting to offer logical explanations of why things happen.

Kenny Mahan's 1st Post

My experiences with SF so far have involved various books I have read, TV shows I have watched, and movies I have seen. Being an engineering student, I have always appreciated the technical side of SF and the creative futuristic concepts that are presented.

Science Fiction: A genre of media which uses science and technology as a vehicle to advance a story.

Some of my favorite SF works would include:

• Orson Scott Card's novel Ender's Game,
• Fringe,
• Eureka, and
  
• Star Trek.
  

Robots and Asimov's Three Laws

In Memory Yet Green: The Autobiography of Isaac Asimov, 1920-1954 (1979) includes Asimov's recollection of how he and his editor at Astounding Science-Fiction, John W. Campbell Jr., came up with the Three Laws of Robotics during a conversation on Dec. 23, 1940, when Asimov was 20 years old.

Asimov said Campbell ticked them off on his fingers out of thin air; Campbell said he merely was summarizing the logical principles already inherent in Asimov's robot stories thus far. As eventually phrased, they are:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.

In his memoir, Asimov writes of the Three Laws:

I am probably more famous for them than for anything else I have written, and they are quoted even outside the science-fiction world. ...

Once they were well established in a series of stories, they made so much sense and proved so popular with the readers that other writers began to use them. ...

I never minded that. On the contrary, I was flattered. Besides, no one could write a stupid robot story if he used the Three Laws. The story might be bad on other counts, but it wouldn't be stupid.

Besides the Three Laws, Asimov in his fiction actually coined the words "roboticist" (in "Strange Playfellow," Super Science Stories, September 1940) and "robotics" (in "Liar!," Astounding Science-Fiction, May 1941). He wrote in his memoir:

I didn't realize this until many years later, for at the time I first used the word [robotics], I thought it was a word actually used by scientists in this connection. It was, after all, analogous to "physics," "hydraulics," "mechanics," "statics," and various other words of this form used to denote a branch of physics-related science.

Note that the Three Laws are not natural laws, such as gravity, but ethical laws that are hardwired into Asimov's fictional robot characters so they never threaten society -- though many plot-generating loopholes do crop up, in story after story.

The Three Laws are much discussed, and much criticized, among roboticists and artificial-intelligence researchers. David Woods and Robin Murphy, for example, recently have rewritten the laws to emphasize that real-life robots are not autonomous actors. As this Space.com article explains, Woods and Murphy argue the laws should bind not robots, but their human operators.

Amazingly, none of Asimov's fictional robots is yet in Carnegie Mellon's Robot Hall of Fame, though that honor has been given to a robot named ASIMO.

Clarifying this week's assignment

Drew's heart was in the right place when he posted so promptly, but instead of following his suggestion, each student should post his or her response separately, so that we can comment on the various posts separately.

For example, you'll find Matthew's and Jason's comments below. They originally were comments attached to Drew's post, but I deleted those and copied them over as separate posts. This way, comments specific to Matthew's post can be attached to Matthew's, comments specific to Jason's post can be attached to Jason's, and so on, and we're spared a single dangling, clanking chain of dozens of comments that's hard to read and navigate.

Thanks for all.

Jason Walter's response

My experience with science fiction has bee fairly limited. I enjoy the genre tremendously and some of my favorite books and movies are SF. Although I watch many SF movies, I have never read a comic book or graphic novel.

The way I define SF is fiction that either uses technology that does not exist or has not been discovered or alternate realities as a base for the work. It seems rather difficult to create a concise definition that encompasses science fiction.

My favorite SF movie would have to be the Matrix and my favorite book of all time is Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

Matthew Bush's response

I don’t have any significant experience with the genre of science fiction other that enjoying the entertainment that the various media of the genre provides and reveling in the often-revolutionary ideas that are often inherently built in.

To me, the definition of science fiction comprises a very wide array of ideas, people, technology and materials outside the realm of known possibility or probability. As a whole science fiction is a very fluid and dynamic arena that is adaptive to the author or reader’s idea of the imaginary, impossible or simply out of reach. I would argue however that whatever the theme of the work, be it extraterrestrial life, time travel, alternative histories etc., that the content is intrinsically human in nature. It seems that whatever the subject matter, one could trace the content of the work back to the author’s struggle with his or her humanity and perception and possibilities of his or her reality.

Some works that I consider to be science fiction include George Orwell’s 1984, Michael Crichton’s Sphere, and Danny Boyle’s Sunshine (2007), which is a very recent film that is one of my personal favorites. Here is a link to one of the trailers.

Bad design in Star Wars

Sf writer John Scalzi, blogging at American Movie Classics, is a hoot. My favorite passage is about the Death Star:

An unshielded exhaust port leading directly to the central reactor? Really? And when you rebuild it, your solution to this problem is four paths into the central core so large that you can literally fly a spaceship through them? Brilliant. Note to the Emperor: Someone on your Death Star design staff is in the pay of Rebel forces. Oh, right, you can't get the memo because someone threw you down a huge exposed shaft in your Death Star throne room.

(Thanks to sf writer Kelley Eskridge for the tip.)

8.19 Assignment: Definition of, Experince with SF

I think I got this in class: our first assignment is to write out our definitions and experience with SF?

I'll post this as the topic, and post my response as a comment so we don't spam this place with numerous threads. If there's a better way, let me know 'cause I'm not exactly a wizard at this sort of thing.

Downloading Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER

You can download Cory Doctorow's LITTLE BROTHER at the following link. The book is available in numerous formats. I downloaded the PDF version to try it out, but I think I prefer the experience that a physical book offers.

But it is free!

http://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/

- Eric McHargue

On the Fahrenheit 451 comic

Sarah Boxer in Slate has mixed reactions to Tim Hamilton's comics adaptation of Ray Bradbury's 1951 sf novel Fahrenheit 451. How would you folks respond to Boxer's arguments?

One point needs clarification. In comparing Bradbury with his fire-chief character, Boxer writes:

Beatty seems to have loved books once, but only the weighty classics, whereas Bradbury, in his many introductions to the original Fahrenheit 451, has professed his love for all kinds of books, high and low, and all kinds of magazines. His two early publishers were Playboy and the sci-fi magazine Galaxy.

In fact, Fahrenheit 451 first was published in Galaxy during that magazine's first year (the February 1951 issue, as "The Fireman"), and neither Galaxy nor Playboy (founded in 1953) existed "early" in Bradbury's fiction career, which began with the publication of "Pendulum" in Super Science Stories in 1941, when Bradbury was about 21 years old. He then sold many stories to magazines such as Planet Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories and Weird Tales. The foundations of Bradbury's career are in what Boxer would consider "low" magazines.

(Weird Tales, happily, still exists.)

Our schedule and syllabus

UH 300-006
Strange New Worlds: 21st Century Science Fiction
Fall 2009
3-5:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Nott Hall basement computer-lab classroom (up the ramp)
Teacher: Andy Duncan
Teacher's e-mail: Click here (and via Facebook)
All students in this class must be enrolled in the University Honors Program.

Texts:

Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (HarperCollins, 2007; HarperPerennial, 2008)

Cory Doctorow, Little Brother (Tor, 2008)

Gardner Dozois, ed., The Year’s Best Science Fiction: 25th Annual Collection (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008)

John Kessel, The Baum Plan for Financial Independence and Other Stories (Small Beer, 2008)

Ian McDonald, River of Gods (Simon & Schuster UK, 2004; Pyr, 2007)

Steven Moffat, “The Girl in the Fireplace” (Doctor Who, 2006, directed by Euros Lyn) and “Blink” (Doctor Who, 2007, directed by Hettie MacDonald)

Andrew Stanton and Jim Reardon, WALL-E (2008, directed by Andrew Stanton, from a story by Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter)

E-mail handouts, online materials or reserve-room materials to be announced.

Course Description: Many of the tropes of science fiction -- computers, space travel, cloning, genetic engineering, cyberspace -- have become commonplaces of daily discourse and daily life. Yet science fiction persists and thrives as a literary genre, a sociological movement, a marketing category, an extrapolative and speculative way of thinking. This interdisciplinary seminar is designed to deepen your understanding of 21st-century science fiction in all its modes.

Course Objectives: By semester’s end, students will be more sophisticated consumers of science fiction wherever they encounter it, from the aisles of Barnes & Noble to the headlines on CNN. They will be better able to speak and write about it with depth and insight and to understand how science fiction engages with the world, and vice versa. No prior obsession with science fiction is required.

Attendance policy: Attendance and class participation (in class and online) are required. After two absences, your final grade will be lowered one letter for each subsequent absence. After five absences, you will receive an F for this course. Arriving late or leaving early counts as half an absence. In case of illness, injury or crisis, let your teacher know as soon as possible. Don’t just vanish.

Papers: You will write two non-fiction papers, each at least 2,000 words long, on topics of your choosing that are approved in advance by your teacher. Papers should pertain to one or more of the science fiction texts being discussed in this class, but they may extend their focus beyond those texts as well. You will do a five-to-10-minute class presentation on each topic as you are working on it. Papers handed in late will be docked one letter grade for each day they’re late. Format requirements: Both your papers will be handed in electronically. E-mail them as PC-compatible Word attachments to this address. Papers must be in 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, with ragged right margins and page numbers in the upper-right corners. Papers that don’t fit this format will be returned unread for correction.

Blog: Each of you will receive (and accept) an invitation to join Blogger and the class blog at http://strangenewworlds2009.blogspot.com/. Here our class discussions will continue beyond Wednesday class meetings. Participating on the blog -- through original posts and replies to others’ posts -- is an important part of your semester grade, so get in the habit of visiting daily and contributing frequently. The minimum class requirement is three posts per week per student, at least one of which must start a new topic or thread, and at least one of which must be a response to a classmate’s post. More frequent posts are highly encouraged. Also chiming in from time to time may be invited guests from the world of science fiction publishing (as opposed to the science fiction world, which we all inhabit).

Other assignments and expectations: You will keep up with all the reading and will participate in all class discussions, orally and online. You will lead at least one class discussion of a text that has been assigned you.

Grade formula:

Two 2,000-word papers @ 20% each: 40%

Two 5-to-10-minute informal presentations on paper topics @ 10% each: 20%

Blog participation: 20%

In-class participation: 20%
We will follow the UA guidelines for plus-minus grading.

Disabilities: In accordance with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act, your teacher, the University Honors Program and the university are committed to providing appropriate support for students with disabilities, including learning disabilities. Any student who wants to request disability accommodations need only contact UA’s office of disability services at 348-4285 and get the paperwork to me.

Academic misconduct: Academic misconduct includes all acts of academic dishonesty and any knowing attempt to help another student commit academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: (1) Cheating – using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids. (2) Plagiarism – representing words, data, works or ideas as one’s own when they are not. (3) Fabrication – presenting as genuine any invented or falsified evidence. (4) Misrepresentation – falsifying, altering or misstating the contents of academic documents such as schedules, prerequisites and transcripts. Cases of academic misconduct will be turned over to the University Honors Program for disciplinary action that could be as severe as suspension from the university.

Schedule of class meetings, reading assignments and due dates.

All readings will be discussed on the days listed. This is a living document, subject to change.

Aug. 19: Getting acquainted.
Aug. 26: Doctorow, Little Brother. Last day to drop without a W grade.
Sept. 2: Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.
Sept. 9: In Dozois, The Year’s Best: MacLeod, “Lighting Out” (p. 26); Jones, “Saving Tiamaat” (p. 62); Van Pelt, “Of Late I Dreamt of Venus” (p. 76); McCormack, “Sea Change” (p. 101); Silverberg, “Against the Current” (p. 150); Chiang, “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” (p. 202); Baxter, “Last Contact” (p. 270); Reynolds, “The Sledge-Maker’s Daughter” (p. 280); Bear, “Tideline” (p. 452).
Sept. 16: In Dozois, The Year’s Best: Kress, “Laws of Survival” (p. 480); Purdom, “The Mists of Time” (p. 505); Rusch, “Craters” (p. 533); Rosenbaum and Ackert, “Stray” (p. 570); Reed, “Roxie” (p. 579).
Sept. 23: In Dozois, The Year’s Best: Sterling, “Kiosk” (p. 237); Swanwick, “The Skysailor’s Tale” (p. 309); Singh, “Of Love and Other Monsters” (p. 332); Baker, “Hellfire at Twilight” (p. 379).
Sept. 30: Paper-topic presentations.
Oct. 7: No class (fall break).
Oct. 14: Stanton and Reardon, WALL-E. First paper due.
Oct. 21: Kessel, The Baum Plan: “The Juniper Tree,” “Stories for Men,” “Under the Lunchbox Tree,” “Sunlight or Rock.”
Oct. 28: Kessel, The Baum Plan: “The Baum Plan for Financial Independence,” “Every Angel Is Terrifying,” “The Red Phone,” “The Invisible Empire,” “The Snake Girl,” “It’s All True,” “The Last American,” “Downtown,” “Powerless,” “Pride and Prometheus.” Last day to drop with a W grade.
Nov. 4: McDonald, River of Gods.
Nov. 11: McDonald, River of Gods, continued; also, McDonald, “Sanjeev and Robotwallah” (in The Year’s Best).
Nov. 18: Paper-topic presentations.
Nov. 25: No class (Thanksgiving holiday).
Dec. 2: Moffat, “The Girl in the Fireplace” and “Blink.” Semester wrap-up.
Friday, Dec. 11: Second paper due at 9:30 p.m. (when our final exam would end, if we had one).

About your teacher: My collection Beluthahatchie and Other Stories (2000) won a World Fantasy Award, as did my story “The Pottawatomie Giant” (2000). My novella “The Chief Designer” (2001) won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best science fiction story of the year. I’m a six-time Nebula Award nominee who also has been nominated for the Hugo Award, the Bram Stoker Award and the Shirley Jackson Award. I contributed essays to the Hugo Award-winning Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (2003) and the Stoker Award-winning Horror: Another 100 Best Books (2005). With F. Brett Cox, I co-edited the anthology Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic (2004). I have taught at the Clarion and Clarion West writers’ workshops (2004 and 2005, respectively). My latest book, non-fiction, is Alabama Curiosities (2005; second edition, 2009). My latest story is “The Dragaman’s Bride” in the anthology The Dragon Book, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois (Ace, November 2009). Upcoming books include a novelette, The Night Cache, and a collection, The Pottawatomie Giant and Other Stories, both from PS Publishing. By day, I'm an assistant professor of English at Frostburg State University in the mountains of Maryland.