ENG 376 Science Fiction: Humans+ Machines+ In-Betweens
Maymester 2023 (in person)
90-sec intro video https://youtu.be/WtvGGrVF0CY
“Science Fiction: Humans+ Machines+ In-Betweens” explores the long literary history of artificial intelligence from nineteenth-century machine fantasies to contemporary AI. We investigate how the genre of science fiction develops as a way of defining (and often redefining) boundaries of humans, machines, computers, cyborgs, and artificial consciousness. Students will gain an understanding of the genealogy of science fiction, analyze how sci-fi evolves through different mediums, pursue sci-fi’s creative insights into futures thinking, and reflect upon the ethics of science, technology, and engineering. Students will develop a critical thinking toolkit for literary study and media analysis, and undertake critical as well as creative writing projects, including using artificial intelligence software to compose a sci-fi story.