STS#2163W:#Science#Fiction#
6"to"9:10"pm,"Mondays"and"Thursdays,"RH"704"
Department"of"Technology,"Culture"and"Society"
Polytechnic"Institute"of"New"York"University"
Summer"2013,"X"Session"
Instructor#
Dr."Christopher"Leslie"
[email protected],"(718)"260T3130"
Dibner"Building"LC"131"
Office"hours:"3"to"5:50"pm"Thursdays,"or"by"appointment"
Prerequisite#
Students"must"have"completed"HuSS"1023W"(or"the"equivalent)"before"taking"this"course."
Course#Description#
This"summer,"I"would"like"to"consider"how"science"fiction"functions"as"a"realm"for"the"social"construction"
of"science"and"technology."In"what"ways"has"science"fiction"been"used"to"field"test"new"technologies,"
investigate"the"ramifications"of"new"scientific"theories,"or"imagine"the"impact"of"different"social"structures"
on"technical"and"scientific"development?"In"order"to"do"so,"we"shall"consider"the"genre"of"science"fiction"
as"evidence"of"changes"in"technological"and"scientific"culture"in"the"twentieth"and"twentyTfirst"century."
Thus,"we"shall"read"representative"fiction"from"the"second"industrial"revolution,"the"age"of"big"science,"the"
Cold"War,"the"age"of"venture"capital,"and"the"advent"of"new"media,"considering"how"well"authors"are"able"
to"establish"an"alternative"public"sphere"to"debate"the"issues"facing"a"technological"society."
Objectives#
This"semester"you"will"learn"about:""
• Debates"concerning"new"scientific"and"technical"information"in"the"20th"century"
• Transformations"of"scientific"and"technical"culture"as"well"as"mass"media"
• Fundamental"techniques"of"science"fiction"and"recognize"authors"of"the"genre"
• The"genre’s"presentation"of"the"interaction"among"science,"technology,"and"society"
• Important"issues"in"Science"and"Technology"Studies,"such"as"social"constructivism"
• Advanced"techniques"in"writing"with"attention"to"style"and"revision"
• Documenting"your"work"product"by"organizing"successive"drafts"
Structure#
Most"class"time"is"devoted"to"lectures"about"course"topics"and"discussion"of"the"reading"material."This"
course"is"designated"as"writing"intensive,"which"means"that"there"will"be"a"number"of"informal"writing"
assignments,"some"class"time"will"be"devoted"to"writing"instruction,"revision"of"your"writing"based"on"
comments"from"the"instructor"and"your"classmates"is"required,"and"writing"will"count"for"a"significant"
portion"of"your"grade."Please"note:"due"to"the"condensed"schedule,"each"class"meeting"is"the"equivalent"of"
more"than"a"week"during"the"regular"semester."This"impacts"pacing,"assignments,"and"attendance."
Readings#
The"required"texts"for"the"course"are:"
• The$Science$Fiction$Hall$of$Fame,$Vol.$1:$1929–1964"edited"by"Robert"Silverberg"(ISBNT13:"978T
0765305374)."
• Alif$the$Unseen"by"G."Willow"Wilson"(ISBNT13:"978T0802121226)"
In"addition"to"the"required"books,"there"will"be"journal"articles"that"you"can"download"from"library"
databases"and"PDFs"that"you"will"find"on"Blackboard."Please"let"me"know"in"advance"of"class"if"you"have"
any"trouble"locating"a"required"reading."
1"
Grading#
Class"components"are"weighted"as"follows:"
• Quizzes"and"exercises"
20%"
• Final"exam"
20%"
• Three"papers"
30%"
"""(10%"each)"
• Portfolio"
30%"
Letter"grade"equivalents"are:"
A:""90T100"(90T91"="AT)"
B:""80T89"(88T89"="B+,"80T81"="BT)"
C:""70T79"(78T79"="C+,"70T71"="CT)"
D:""60T69"(68T69"="D+)"
F:""<60"
Requirements"
Attendance:"OnTtime"attendance"for"the"entire"class"period"is"mandatory;"students"who"earn"an"absence"
score"higher"than"4"automatically"fail."Please"note"that,"due"to"the"accelerated"summer"schedule,"each"
class"meeting"is"like"two"class"meetings"during"the"regular"semester."The"portion"of"class"before"the"break"
and"the"portion"after"the"break"are"counted"separately"for"the"purposes"of"attendance."Each"time"you"are"
absent"for"one"of"these,"you"add"one"to"your"absence"score,"so"that"missing"two"days"of"class"will"cause"
you"to"fail"the"course."Missing"fewer"than"twenty"minutes"of"one"of"the"halves"counts"as"oneTthird"of"an"
absence"(arriving"late,"departing"early,"leaving"the"room)."Missing"more"than"twenty"minutes"counts"as"an"
absence."Doctor’s"notes"are"not"necessary."
Attentiveness:"Please"pay"attention"during"class"and"avoid"behaviors"that"distract"others."Do"not"eat,"
drink,"or"sleep"during"class."You"should"not"use"electronic"devices,"such"as"cell"phones"or"laptops,"at"all."Do"
not"hold"side"conversations;"if"someone"tries"to"talk"to"you"during"class,"tell"him"or"her"to"speak"to"you"
after"class."Do"not"bring"visitors"without"advance"permission."
Examination:#There"is"a"final"exam"during"our"last"regular"class"meeting."It"consists"of"short"answer"and"
essay"questions."It"is"cumulative"and"closedTbook."
Exercises:"InTclass"writing"and"preparatory"exercises"for"the"papers"and"to"explore"writing"lessons"are"
required."Overall,"they"do"not"count"for"a"significant"portion"of"the"grade"so"that"you"may"feel"free"to"
explore"new"ideas."
Honesty:"Please"be"advised"that"I"take"the"University"policy"about"academic"dishonesty"seriously"and"will"
punish"cheating"or"plagiarism"(passing"off"other"people’s"ideas"as"your"own)"by"awarding"a"grade"of"“F”"for"
the"course"and"referring"cases"to"Student"Affairs"for"further"action."
Papers:"You"will"write"three"papers"(1,500"words"or"5"about"pages"each)"for"this"class;"all"must"be"
uploaded"to"Blackboard"and"scanned"by"SafeAssign"before"the"deadline."Outside"research"is"not"required"
for"these"papers,"but"if"you"consult"other"sources,"you"must"document"them"in"MLA"or"Chicago"authorT
date"style."No"late"papers"will"be"accepted."
Preparation:"According"to"New"York"State"guidelines,"a"student"should"spend"at"least"two"hours"to"
prepare"for"each"hour"in"class."Thus,"for"this"course,"you"can"expect"to"spend"at"least"thirteen"hours"per"
week"outside"of"class"getting"ready"for"class."Please"plan"accordingly"so"that"you"can"read"thoroughly,"
write"carefully,"and"reflect"thoughtfully."
Quizzes:#There"will"be"unannounced"quizzes"on"the"reading"assignments"and"course"lessons."You"may"
consult"your"own"handwritten"notes,"but"not"books"or"printouts,"for"these"quizzes."If"you"miss"a"quiz"due"
to"lateness"or"absence,"you"shall"receive"a"zero."
Writing#Portfolio:"Your"portfolio"includes"two"revised"essays,"revised"quizzes,"a"writing"checklist,"a"
resume,"and"a"cover"letter."I"shall"hand"back"your"essays"with"comments"for"revision,"and"that"will"guide"
you"for"the"finished"copy."The"writing"checklist"is"a"description"of"errors"you"make"in"writing"with"“bad”"
and"“corrected”"examples."I"shall"make"a"presentation"about"resumes"and"cover"letters"toward"the"middle"
of"the"semester."There"are"two"portfolio"checks"during"the"summer."
2"
How#to#Do#Well#
1." Be$on$time."At"the"start"of"class,"you"will"notice"that"I"provide"a"preview"of"what"is"coming"up"and"
also"answer"questions."If"you"regularly"miss"these"first"minutes,"you"will"start"to"feel"the"
uncomfortable"sensation"that"you"do"not"know"what"is"going"on."Keep"in"mind"that"trains,"
subways"and"busses"usually"take"much"longer"than"they"“should,”"so"plan"accordingly."Being"late"
once"is"ok;"it"happens"to"everyone."If"you"are"always"late,"then"you"are"doing"something"wrong."
2." Ask$questions.$Please"raise"your"hand"at"the"beginning"of"class"or"during"a"presentation."It"does"
little"good"to"whisper"to"the"person"next"to"you;"instead,"feel"free"to"ask"me"for"clarification."Also,"
use"office"hours"or"write"an"eTmail"message"for"additional"information."
3." Take$notes,"even"if"I"am"not"writing"on"the"board."Taking"notes"helps"you"stay"focused"on"the"
material"we"are"studying."Note"taking"also"serves"another"purpose:"it"helps"you"to"get"used"to"
writing"about"the"course"materials"in"your"own"words."Since"the"evaluation"in"this"course"is"
written,"taking"notes"is"valuable"practice"(and"good"exercise"for"your"writing"muscles!)."There"is"no"
need"to"write"down"everything"I"say,"but"make"sure"you"take"down"interesting"ideas"and"
connections"to"the"course"themes."Go"over"your"notes"after"class"to"fill"in"the"gaps."
4." Read$actively."Prepare"by"reading"the"assignment"for"the"day"carefully"before"class."Mark"key"
phrases"and"passages"that"have"to"do"with"the"ideas"in"the"course."Take"notes"like"you"are"
preparing"a"laboratory"notebook"–"write"down"what"you"think"is"important,"with"examples,"and"
prepare"questions"you"want"to"ask."
5." Work$proactively."Start"an"assignment"when"it"is"assigned,"not"when"the"deadline"is"looming."It"
sometimes"takes"a"little"bit"of"time"wondering"about"an"assignment"before"you"make"progress,"
and"there"are"often"times"that"you"need"guidance."If"you"wait"until"the"last"moment"to"get"started,"
you"cannot"negotiate"these"hurdles"adequately."
6." Prepare$for$emergencies."Things"often"go"wrong"during"the"semester;"there"are"always"computer"
problems"and"unfortunately"there"are"family"emergencies"as"well."It"is"important"to"plan"for"the"
unexpected"by"making"backup"copies"and"to"be"ready"to"hand"in"a"paper"or"assignment"well"in"
advance"of"the"deadline"in"case"there"is"an"unexpected"calamity"that"will"prevent"you"from"using"
the"last"days"before"a"deadline."
"
Bibliography#
I"shall"refer"to"these"standard"reference"books"during"the"semester."Since"you"may"find"them"useful,"I"have"
placed"them"on"reserve"in"the"Bern"Dibner"Library"where"possible."
Ashley,"Mike."The$Gernsback$Days:$A$Study$of$the$Evolution$of$Science$Fiction$from$1911$to$1936."Holicong,"
PA:"Wildside"Press,"2004."
Aldiss,"Brian."Trillion$Year$Spree:$The$History$of$Science$Fiction.$New"York:"Athaneum"Books,"1988."
Asimov,"Isaac."In$Joy$Still$Felt:$The$Autobiography$of$Isaac$Asimov,$1954T1978."New"York:"Doubleday,"1980."
T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"."In$Memory$Yet$Green:$The$Autobiography$of$Isaac$Asimov,$1920T1954."New"York:"Avon,"
1980.""
T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"."“Social"Science"Fiction.”"In"Modern$Science$Fiction,$Its$Meaning$and$Its$Future.$Reginald"
Bretnor,"ed."New"York:"CowardTMcCann,"1953."
Berger,"Albert"I."The$Magic$That$Works:$John$W.$Campbell$and$the$American$Response$to$Technology."San"
Bernardino,"CA:"Borgo"Press,"1993.""
Bijker,"Wiebe"E.,"Thomas"P."Hughes,"and"Trevor"J."Pinch,"eds.$The$Social$Construction$of$Technological$
Systems:$New$Directions$in$the$Sociology$and$History$of$Technology.$Cambridge,"MA:"MIT"P,"1987."
3"
Bijker,"Wiebe"E.,"Of$Bicycles,$Bakelites$and$Bulbs:$Toward$a$Theory$of$Sociotechnical$Change."Cambridge,"
MA:"MIT"Press,"1995."
Chandler,"Alfred"D.,"Jr."The$Visible$Hand:$The$Managerial$Revolution$in$American$Business."Cambridge,"MA:"
Harvard"UP,"1977.""
Clareson,"Thomas"D."Understanding$Contemporary$American$Science$Fiction:$The$Formative$Period$(1926T
1970)."Columbia,"S.C.:"U"of"South"Carolina"P,"1990.""
Davin,"Eric"Leif."Partners$in$Wonder:$Women$and$the$Birth$of$Science$Fiction,$1926T1965."New"York:"
Lexington"Books,"2006.""
de"Camp,"L."Sprague."Science$Fiction$Handbook:$The$Writing$of$Imaginative$Fiction."New"York:"Hermitage"
House,"1953.""
Del"Rey,"Lester."The$World$of$Science$Fiction:$The$History$of$a$Subculture."New"York:"Ballantine,"1979."
Douglas,"Susan"J."1987."Inventing$American$Broadcasting,$1899–1922."Baltimore,"MD:"Johns"Hopkins"UP,"
1989."
Duncombe,"Stephen."Notes$from$Underground:$Zines$and$the$Politics$of$Alternative$Culture."New"York:"
Verso,"1997.""
Ellison,"Harlan,"ed."Dangerous$Visions:$The$35th$Anniversary$Edition.$I"Books,"2002.""
Galison,"Peter"and"Bruce"Hevly,"eds."Big$Science:$The$Growth$of$LargeTScale$Research."Sanford:"Stanford"
University"Press,"1992.""
Greenland,"Colin."The$Entropy$Exhibition:$Michael$Moorcock$and$the$British$“New$Wave”$in$Science$Fiction."
Boston:"Routledge"&"Kegan"Paul,"1983.""
Gunn,"James."Alternate$Worlds:$The$Illustrated$History$of$Science$Fiction.$Englewood"Cliffs,"NJ:"PrenticeT
Hall,"1975.""
Habermas,"Jürgen."The$Structural$Transformation$of$the$Public$Sphere:$An$Inquiry$into$a$Category$of$
Bourgeois$Society."Cambridge,"MA:"MIT"P,"1991."
Haraway,"Donna"J."Simians,$Cyborgs,$and$Women:$The$Reinvention$of$Nature."New"York:"Routledge,"1991."
Hayles,"N."Katherine."How$We$Became$Posthuman$Virtual$Bodies$in$Cybernetics,$Literature,$and$
Informatics.$Chicago:"U"Chicago"Press,"1999."
Jenkins,"Henry."Textual$Poachers:$Television$Fans$and$Participatory$Culture."New"York:"Routledge,"1992.""
Kevles,"Daniel"J."In$the$Name$of$Eugenics:$Genetics$and$the$Uses$of$Human$Heredity."Cambridge,"MA:"
Harvard"UP,"1995.""
T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"."The$Physicists:$The$History$of$a$Scientific$Community$in$Modern$America."ny:"Knopf,"1977.""
Knight,"Damon"Francis."The$Futurians."New"York:"John"Day,"1977."
McDougall,"Walter"A."...$The$Heavens$and$the$Earth:$A$Political$History$of$the$Space$Age.$Baltimore:"Johns"
Hopkins"UP,"1997."
Mindell,"David."Between$Human$and$Machine:$Feedback,$Control,$and$Computing$before$Cybernetics."
Baltimore,"MD:"Johns"Hopkins"Press,"2002."
Moskowitz,"Sam."Seekers$of$Tomorrow:$Masters$of$Modern$Science$Fiction."Cleveland,"OH:"World"
Publishing"Co.,"1966."
T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"T"."The$Immortal$Storm:$A$History$of$Science$Fiction$Fandom."Westport,"CT:"Hyperion,"1974."
Patterson,"William"H.,"Jr."Robert$A.$Heinlein$in$Dialogue$with$His$Century,$Volume$1$(1907T1948):$Learning$
Curve."New"York:"Tor,"2010.""
Shapin,"Steven."The$Scientific$Life:$A$Moral$History$of$a$Late$Modern$Vocation.$Chicago:"U"Chicago"Press,"
2008.""
Westfahl,"Gary."Cosmic$Engineers:$A$Study$of$Hard$Science$Fiction."Westport,"CT:"Greenwood,"1996."
"
4"
Tentative#Assignment#Schedule#
"
Monday,#June#3#
Early#Science#Fiction#
#
Weinbaum,"“A"Martian"Odyssey”"
"
Campbell,"“Forgetfulness”"
"
Campbell,"“Wouldst"Write,"Wee"One?”"
"
del"Rey,"“Helen"O’Loy”"
"
Callon,"“Society"in"the"Making:"The"Study"of"Technology"as"a"Tool"for"
Sociological"Analysis”"
Thursday,#June#6#
Social#Science#Fiction#
"
Sturgeon,"“Microcosmic"God”"
"
Asimov,"“Nightfall”"
"
Asimov,"“Social"Science"Fiction”"
"
A."E."van"Vogt,"“The"Weapon"Shop”"
Note:&Friday,&June&7,&is&the&last&day&for&program&adjustments&in&the&X&session.&If&you&drop&before&this&
deadline,&no&notation&will&appear&on&your&transcript.&No&one&may&add&the&course&after&this&date.&
Monday,#June#10#
The#Golden#Age#
"
Padgett,"“Mimsy"Were"the"Borogoves”"
"
Brackett,"“The"Halfling”"
"
Simak,"“Huddling"Place”"
"
Brown,"“Arena”"
"
Writing"assignment:"workshop"paper"1"
Thursday,#June#13#
Big#Science#
"
Leinster,"“First"Contact”"
"
Smith,"“Scanners"Live"in"Vain!”"
"
Kornbluth,"“The"Little"Black"Bag”"
"
Matheson,"“Born"of"Man"and"Woman”"
"
Writing"assignment:"paper"1"due"
Monday,#June#17#
The#Cold#War##
"
Blish,"“Surface"Tension”"
"
Bixby,"“It’s"a"Good"Life”"
"
Godwin,"“The"Cold"Equations”"
"
Bester,"“Fondly"Fahrenheit”"
5"
Thursday,#June#20#
MilitaryUIndustrial#Complex#
"
Knight,"“The"Country"of"the"Kind”"
"
Keyes,"“Flowers"for"Algernon”"
"
Zelazny,"“A"Rose"for"Ecclesiastes”"
"
Schiffer,"“Cultural"Imperatives"and"Product"Development:"The"Case"of"the"ShirtT
Pocket"Radio”"
"
Writing"assignment:"portfolio"check"1"
Monday,#June#24#
The#New#Wave#
"
Vance,"“The"Last"Castle”"
"
Moorcock,"“My"Experiences"in"the"Third"World"War”"
"
Dick,"“We"Can"Remember"It"for"You"Wholesale”"
"
Alvin"M."Weinberg,"“Impact"of"LargeTScale"Science"on"the"United"States”"
#
Writing"assignment:"workshop"paper"2"
Thursday,#June#27#
Counterculture#
"
Russ,"“Nobody’s"Home”"
"
Vinge,"“Phoenix"in"the"Ashes”"
"
Correy,"“Industrial"Accident”"
#
Writing"assignment:"paper"2"due"
Note:&Thursday,&June&27&is&the&withdrawal&deadline&for&the&X&session.&If&you&withdraw&before&this&date,&
you&will&see&a&“W”&on&your&transcript.&Otherwise,&you&will&see&a&grade&A&to&F&at&the&end&of&the&course.&
Monday,#July#1#
After#the#New#Wave#
"
Card,"“Ender’s"Game”"(1977"story)"
"
Gibson,"“Burning"Chrome”"
"
Wilson,"Alif$the$Unseen,"chapters"1–3"
Friday,#July#5#
Web#2.0#and#Social#Media#
"
Wilson,"chapters"4–7"
"
Writing"assignment:"portfolio"check"2"(with"resume"and"cover"letter)"
Monday,#July#8#
Dystopia#in#the#Popular#Imagination#
"
Wilson,"chapters"8–12"
Thursday,#July#11#
Conclusions#
#
Wilson,"chapters"13–end"
#
Workshop"Paper"3"and"discussion"(1"hour"15"minutes)"
#
Final"Exam"(2"hours)#
Friday,#July#12#
Upload"paper"3"by"4"pm."
6"