Gwybodaeth Modiwlau
Module Identifier
WR31430
Module Title
WRITING SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY
Academic Year
2012/2013
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Other Staff
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Seminars / Tutorials | 10 x 2 hours seminar/workshops |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Two x 3000 word portfolios of short stories Each portfolio to include 500-1000 words of critical commentary | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate, in both creative and evaluative writing, an increased awareness of the thematic and structural possibilities of science fiction and fantasy.
2. Demonstrate, in both creative and evaluative writing, an increased command of a variety of techiques of science fiction and fantasy writing.
3. Demonstrate, in critical prose, an awareness of their own writing processes.
4. Demonstrate, by the revision of work previously discussed in workshops, an ability to improve their writing in response to criticism
Aims
The module will enhance the coverage of fiction-writing by offering an introduction to two closely related modes that are critically and commercially important.
Content
1. Other worlds: space travel and alien planets.
2. Other beings: aliens and mutants.
3. Other beings (2): robots, cyborgs, androids and artificial intelligence.
4. After the apocalypse.
5. Dystopias.
6. Other worlds (2): portals and fantasy realms.
7. Other beings (3): wizards, witches, fairies.
8. Other beings (4): shapeshifters (vampires, werewolves etc.)
9. The Quest.
10. Alternat(iv)e histories.
2. Other beings: aliens and mutants.
3. Other beings (2): robots, cyborgs, androids and artificial intelligence.
4. After the apocalypse.
5. Dystopias.
6. Other worlds (2): portals and fantasy realms.
7. Other beings (3): wizards, witches, fairies.
8. Other beings (4): shapeshifters (vampires, werewolves etc.)
9. The Quest.
10. Alternat(iv)e histories.
Brief description
This module falls into two halves with five weeks being devoted to science fiction and five to fantasy. Each workshop will deal with a key theme. Students will be given a brief introduction to each theme and asked to produce a piece of writing, typically a short story, based on it. These stories will then be discussed in the workshops.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | N/A |
| Communication | Interaction in group discussion will be essential to the seminars, which will take the form of workshops. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Students will be expected to improve their work in response to criticism from the tutor and other students. |
| Information Technology | Students will draw on resources located on Blackboard and the Internet. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Developed through self-reflection on one¿s own creative practice and through transferrable communication and research skills. |
| Problem solving | Students will, with the help of the tutor, learn to overcome such problems of writing technique (inaccurate language, faulty structure, uninvolving writing etc) as become apparent in the seminars and assessments. |
| Research skills | Developed through the encounter with issues of genre and language that underpins the creative work, and through the synthesizing of information in the reflective critical commentary. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Creative imagination, plot construction, characterization, prose style, revision and editing, critical analysis, understanding of genres of fantasy and science fiction. |
| Team work | See 3. |
Reading List
Recommended TextAsimov, Isaac (1994) Foundation Recommended SF text Collins Primo search Asimov, Isaac (1994) Foundation and Empire Recommended SF text Collins Primo search Asimov, Isaac (1994) Second Foundation Recommended SF text Collins Primo search Asimov, Isaac (1983) The Complete Robot Recommended SF text Voyager Primo search Bester, Alfred (1999) The Demolished Man Recommended SF text Gollancz Primo search Bester, Alfred (1999) The Stars My Destination Recommended SF text Gollancz Primo search Bradbury, Ray (1993) Fahrenheit 451 Recommended SF text HarperVoyager Primo search Bradbury, Ray (1995) The Martian Chronicles Recommended SF text HarperVoyager Primo search Bulgakov, Mikhail (2007) The Master and Margarita Recommended Fantasy text Penguin Primo search Burgess, Anthony (2000) A Clockwork Orange Recommended SF text Penguin Primo search Calvino, Italo (1997) Invisible Cities Recommended SF text Vintage Primo search Campbell, Ramsey (1992) Obsession Recommended Fantasy text Little, Brown Primo search Carroll, Jonathan (2002) Voice of Our Shadow Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search Dick, Philip K. (1999) Martian Time-Slip 978-1857988376 Recommended SF text Gollancz Primo search Dick, Philip K. (2009) The Man in the High Castle 9780575082052 Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search Dick, Philip K. (2000) We Can Remember it for You Wholesale Recommended SF text Gollancz Primo search Garner, Alan (2002) The Owl Service Recommended Fantasy text CollinsVoyager Primo search Gibson, William (1995) Neuromancer Recommended SF text Voyager Primo search Gibson, William and Sterling, Bruce (1996) The Difference Engine Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search Grimwood, Ken (2005) Replay Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search Harrison, M. John (2000) Viriconium Recommended Fantasy text Gpllancz Primo search Hoban, Russell (2002) Riddley Walker Recommended SF text Bloomsbury Primo search Irwin, Robert (1987) The Arabian Nightmare Recommended Fantasy text Viking Primo search Kingston, Maxine Hong (1981) The Woman Warrior Recommended Fantasy text Picador Primo search LeGuin, Ursula K. (1993) The Earthsea Quartet Recommended Fantasy text Puffin Primo search Masefield, John (2008) The Box of Delights Recommended SF text Egmont Primo search Matheson, Richard (1999) I Am Legend Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search McCarthy, Cormac (2007) The Road Recommended SF text Picador Primo search Miller, Walter M. (1993) A Canticle for Leibowitz Recommended SF text Orbit Primo search Murukami, Haruki (2001) Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World Recommended Fantasy text Vintage Primo search Noon, Jeff (2000) Automated Alice Recommended Fantasy text Black Swan Primo search Pohl, Fredrik and Kornbluth, C.M. (2003) The Space Merchants Recommended SF text Gollancz (SF Masterworks) Primo search Powers, Tim (2005) The Anubis Gates Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search Roberts, Keith (2000) Pavane Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search Stephenson, Neal (2002) Snow Crash Recommended SF text Penguin Primo search Tenn, William (2001) Here Comes Civilization Recommended SF text Nesfa Primo search Tenn, William (2001) Immodest Proposals Recommended SF text Nesfa Primo search Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr (1991) Slaughterhouse 5 Recommended SF text Vintage Primo search Wolfe, Gene (2002) Peace Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search Wolfe, Gene (2007) Severian of the Guild Recommended Fantasy text Gollancz Primo search Wyndham, John (2008) The Day of the Triffids Recommended SF text Penguin Primo search Recommended Consultation
Clute, John and Grant, John (1997) The Encyclopedia of Fantasy Recommended Reference Orbit Primo search Clute, John and Nicholls, Peter (1993) New Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Recommended Reference Orbit Primo search Purkiss, Diane (2007) Fairies and Fairy Stories: A History Recommended fantasy background reading Tempus Primo search
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6