HUMN 1011/Fall 2020/Lessons/2

Introduction	Requirements	Policies	Lessons	Instructor

Before beginning your work each week, read through the whole lesson so you know what to expect and understand what’s expected. Each tab corresponds to a lesson. All assignments are contained therein. Any questions should be posted to the class forum, and be sure to read my weekly feedback.

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August 19 – September 1: What Is Science Fiction?
In this lesson, we’ll try to get a grasp on our subject matter: it may not be what you think.

In his essay on sf, J. G. Ballard writes:

“ I firmly believe that only science fiction is full equipped to become the literature of tomorrow, and that it is the only medium with an adequate vocabulary of ideas and situations. ”

It seems, at least in part, that Ballard, writing on 1962, upholds science fiction as the only literature able to help humanity travel into the space age. Likewise, Isaac Asimov seems to support this idea:

“ Science fiction is that branch of literature which is concerned with the impact of scientific advance upon human beings. ” — Isaac Asimov, Modern Science Fiction, edited by Reginald Bretnor (1953)

Like all artistic expressions, sf says something about those who create and popularize: i.e., us. What can we learn about ourselves by looking at science fiction? Hopefully we’ll get an idea or two in this lesson.

Lesson Instructions and Explanation

Generally to avoid confusion, I have tried to make all lessons work the same way. Each lesson will have its weekly section presented in a chart. Work your way from left to right. Open links in tabs, so you don’t lose track of this page. Due This is the date this sections’s work is due. Complete everything in the row before 11:59:59 pm on this date. Read These are the readings for this section. Read them carefully, taking notes as you do. I recommend reading from a book or on paper, as you can highlight an annotate as you progress. This will help you in the next sections. Do This section will usually be a reading quiz on what you just read, so be sure to take it while the reading is fresh in your mind. However, it may also include other assignments or activities that must be accomplished. Write Most writing will be on the class forum. This section will contain instructions and guidance for completing your writing. Often, this will link to a series of discussion prompts for the text you’re reading. Choose one prompt, or thread, to answer, or create your own post (especially if there are none there you can or want to respond to) by clicking + New Topic. I’m looking for your engagement here, so aim for a single longish post and a shorter response to someone else’s post. Using secondary sources correctly for support will always earn you more points. Be sure you’re following the conventions outlined in Writing in the Liberal Arts and the guidelines in Academic Forum Posts. Test The test will be the last activity. It will test your knowledge of the entire lesson’s materials. Take this only after you have accomplished everything else in the lesson. The idea here is that you show me what you learned about the all of the lesson’s material. Please write in complete sentences and give enough detail to answer the questions. Your answers should convince me that you have learned and thought about the materials.

Due	Read/View	Do	Write	Test
08/25	Some Views of Science Fiction Le Guin “Intro to the Norton Book of SF,” pp. 15–32 (PDF) Ballard “Which Way to Innerspace” (PDF)	Quiz	Respond	-
09/01	Brave New Worlds: The Science Fiction Phenomenon (Films on Demand) “The Value of Science Fiction” (YouTube)	Quiz	Respond	Test

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