Science Fiction and Critical Theory

Professor Douglas GABRIEL, Ph.D.

Email: douglas.c.gabriel@gmail.com
Kakao ID: douglascg2

Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

Room 220-

Teaching Assistant: Ms. Seoyoung LEE

Email: paarana@snu.ac.kr

Course Description

While holding widespread appeal in popular culture, the genre of science fiction has, over the
past decades, garnered much interest in academic circles. This class aims to explore the
fundamental themes and possibilities of science fiction across different media: while focused on
contemporary art and classic examples of film and literature, other objects of discussion might
pertain to such cultural phenomena as music videos and video games. Throughout the class,
works of contemporary art will be used to unpack dense and complex theoretical ideas about
science fiction and help us think more deeply about the narrative devices and visual effects
operative in diverse media. Key questions include: How have ideas and approaches to science
fiction changed over time? How can science fiction help us to understand and think more
critically about the world we inhabit in the present? Beyond their mere entertainment value, what
does the appeal of creatures like aliens, monsters, and cyborgs reveal about our relations with
others (of different genders, ethnicities, ages, etc.)? Can the dystopian landscapes, and
spectacular utopias in science fiction help us to work towards a better world now?

Grades

● Attendance 20%
● Participation (reading responses) 15%
● Midterm Exam (take-home) 20%
● Final Exam (take-home) 20%
● Final Presentation & Paper 25%

Objectives

● To identify major forms, actors, and episodes of science fiction across media
● To describe examples of science fiction both formally and historically
● To comprehend different definitions of and approaches to science fiction
● To develop skills of close reading and visual analysis, active listening and engaged
discussion
Discussion Posts

Occasionally short responses to readings, films, etc. will be required. We will use the 토론
feature on New eTL for these short posts. I will let you know each week whether we will have a
response due or not. The purpose of these is just to get some ideas flowing before class, and also
for me to see specific areas of interest, questions, points of confusion, etc. Please do not spend a
long time on these and try to keep them to around 3-4 sentences.

Presentation Files and Lecture Recordings

All files for this course can be accessed via our class Google Drive folder:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SSb2mdwjGR2BXFCWqnFszNhAjh99EDyc?usp=share
_link

Schedule

Week 1: Introductions, Review of Syllabus, and Preview of Course

Thursday, March 2:

● No assignments

Week 2: Science Fiction: The History of an Idea across Art, Film, and Literature

Tuesday, March 7: Definitions of Science Fiction and Early Examples

● Listen / Read: “War of the Worlds,” originally broadcast on CBS radio, October 30, 1938.

Thursday, March 9: The Cold War, Cybernetics, Consumerism: SF in the 1950s and Beyond
(no readings)

Week 3: Significant Others: On Being Alien and Monstrous

Tuesday, March 14:

● Read: Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, Jr., “On the Grotesque in Science Fiction,” Science Fiction
Studies 29.1 (2002): 71–99.

Thursday, March 16:

● Watch: Alien (dir. Ridley Scott, 1979)

Week 4: Time Machines: Living in the Past, Present, and Future

Tuesday, March 21:

 ● No assignments; in-class viewing of Chris Marker, La Jetée (1962)

Thursday, March 23:

● Watch: Back to the Future (1985)

Week 5: The World as Disneyland: Virtual Reality, Simulacra, and Simulation

Tuesday, March 28:

● Read: Purdue University module on Jean Baudrillard and simulacra:

https://cla.purdue.edu/academic/english/theory/postmodernism/modules/baudrillardsimul
ation.html

Thursday, March 30:

● Watch: The Matrix (1999)

Week 6: Cyborgs and the Post-Human

Tuesday, April 4:

● No readings

Thursday, April 6:

● Watch: Blade Runner (dir. Ridley Scott, 1982)

Week 7: Cyberpunk, Steampunk, and Other Punks

Tuesday, April 11:

● Read: Henry Jenkins, “Cyberpunk”:

http://web.mit.edu/m-i-t/science_fiction/jenkins/jenkins_5.html

Thursday, April 13:

● Watch: Akira (dir. Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988)

Week 8: Utopia / Dystopia

Tuesday, April 18:

● Read: Raymond Williams, “Utopia and Science Fiction,” Science Fiction Studies 5.3
(1987): 203-14.
Thursday, April 20:

● Watch: The Truman Show (dir. Peter Weir, 1998)

Week 9: MIDTERM WEEK

Tuesday, April 25: NO IN-PERSON CLASS (Individual Meetings via Zoom)

Thursday, April 27: NO IN-PERSON CLASS: Take-Home Midterm

Week 10: The Future City: Speculative Urbanism

Tuesday, May 2:

● Read: William Gibson, “Skinner’s Room,” in Visionary San Francisco, exhibition

catalogue.

Thursday, May 4:

● Watch: Alphaville (dir. Jean-Luc Godard, 1965)

Week 11: Afro-Futurism / Asia-Futurism

Tuesday, May 9:

● Read: Dawn Chan, “Tomorrow Never Dies: Asia-Futurism” (2016), pp. 136–39.

Thursday, May 11:

● Watch: Astria Suparak, Asian Futures Without Asians (2021)

Week 12: Speculative Fiction / Para-Fiction

Tuesday, May 16:

● Read: Carrie Lambert-Beatty, “Make-Believe: Parafiction and Plausibility,” October 129

(2009): 51–84.

Thursday, May 18:

● Watch: The Yes Men Fix the World (dir. Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, and Kurt
Engfehr, 2009).

Week 13: Assessing Science Fiction in Korea

Tuesday, May 23:

● Small groups will be responsible for different short stories available at:
https://smokingtigers.com/korean-science-fiction-in-translation/

Thursday, May 25:

● Watch: The Host (2006)

Week 14: The World on Fire: Eco-Critical Science Fiction

Tuesday, May 30:

● Read: T.J. Demos, “Gardening Against the Apocalypse” (2016), pp. 201–10.

Thursday, June 1:

● No assignments; in-class viewing of Wanuri Kahiu, Pumzi (2009)

Week 15: Fun and Games

Tuesday, June 6: Exhibition Visit (TBA)

Thursday, June 8: Picnic and SF Board Game Party

Week 16: FINALS

Tuesday, June 13: NO IN-PERSON CLASS: Take-Home Exam