Module Details |
| The information contained in this module specification was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change, either during the session because of unforeseen circumstances, or following review of the module at the end of the session. Queries about the module should be directed to the member of staff with responsibility for the module. |
| Title | GENRE DEFINITIONS | ||
| Code | ENGL739 | ||
| Coordinator |
Dr WG Slocombe English W.Slocombe@liverpool.ac.uk |
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| Year | CATS Level | Semester | CATS Value |
| Session 2019-20 | Level 7 FHEQ | First Semester | 15 |
Aims |
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The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the critical debates within and about the field of Science Fiction. Over the module, Science Fiction texts and cinematic adaptations will be compared to analyse the potentialities and limitations of each medium, alongside an exploration of a broad gamut of its sub-genres, side-genres, and modes, from scientific romance to the New Weird. The module compares “mainstream” Science Fiction texts (including short stories) with selected texts which might be said to explore comparable imaginative territory, or to be conducting similar experiments with language, narrative, and the mythologies of scientific progress and decline. In so doing, this module attempts to address a most basic question as directly as possible: what does Science Fiction do that other kinds of fiction doesn’t, or can’t? |
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Learning Outcomes |
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(LO1) By the end of the module, students will be able to demonstrate a systematic understanding of the ways in which science fiction has been defined, historically and conceptually. |
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(LO2) Analyse and evaluate the ways in which texts can connect with each other to comprise a body of knowledge and field of study. |
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(LO3) Demonstrate advanced skills in textual analysis of a range of science fiction works with detailed attention to questions of genre, form, content, and narrative structure. |
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(LO4) Critically engage with academic research and/or theoretical discourses, and relate these to specific science fiction texts. |
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(LO5) Present their knowledge in a format appropriate to advanced academic study, and suitable for different audiences. |
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(S1) Communication (oral, written and visual) |
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(S2) Critical thinking and problem solving |
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(S3) Communication (oral, written and visual) |
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(S4) Communication (oral, written and visual) |
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(S5) Information skills - Critical reading |
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(S6) Research skills |
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(S7) Skills in using technology |
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(S8) Research skills |
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Syllabus |
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Texts can vary year by year, but the module comprises a mix of fiction, film, and criticism. Illustrative authors and critics studied include: Arthur C. Clarke, Ursula Le Guin, Margaret Atwood, Darko Suvin, Hal Duncan, Justina Robson, China Miéville, and John Clute. A Planet called Science Fiction Week 1: Science Fiction before Science Fiction: Scientific Romance & Utopias Week 2: Amazing Stories ? The Golden Age of SF Week 3: The New Wave Week 4: Cyber- and other punks Travels in Genre Space Week 5: Technology, Magic, and Clarke’s Third Law Week 6: Suvin—The Novum and Cognitive Estrangement Week 7: [reading week] Week 8: Space Opera, Hard sf, and Other Sub-genres Re-Drawing the Genre Map Week 9: Fantastika, Transrealism, Slipstream, and The New Weird Week 10: Plausible Meanings of “SF”—Speculative Fiction, Science Fiction, and Strange Fiction Week 11: SF across Genres Week 12: The Future(s) of SF? Purity, Popul arity, and Politics |
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Teaching and Learning Strategies |
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Teaching Method 1 - Seminar |
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Teaching Schedule |
| Lectures | Seminars | Tutorials | Lab Practicals | Fieldwork Placement | Other | TOTAL | |
| Study Hours |
12 |
12 | |||||
| Timetable (if known) | |||||||
| Private Study | 138 | ||||||
| TOTAL HOURS | 150 | ||||||
Assessment |
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| EXAM | Duration | Timing (Semester) |
% of final mark |
Resit/resubmission opportunity |
Penalty for late submission |
Notes |
| CONTINUOUS | Duration | Timing (Semester) |
% of final mark |
Resit/resubmission opportunity |
Penalty for late submission |
Notes |
| 1,500-word encyclopaedia entry, due in wk 9 There is a resit opportunity. Standard UoL penalty applies for late submission. This is an anonymous assessment. Assessment Schedule (When) :Semeste | 1,500 words | 40 | ||||
| 3,500-word essay, There is a resit opportunity. Standard UoL penalty applies for late submission. This is an anonymous assessment. Assessment Schedule (When) :End of Semester 1 | 3,500 words | 60 | ||||
Recommended Texts |
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| Reading lists are managed at readinglists.liverpool.ac.uk. Click here to access the reading lists for this module. | |