Extended Syllabus

Course
Course Title Science Fiction Number AMC 3057

Course
Credit 3 Level juniors/sophomores

Class time M/W 10.30—11.45 Classroom t.b.d.

Name: Prof. Steffen Hantke Homepage: n/a

E-mail: steffenhantke@gmail.com
telephone: 705-8810
shantke@sogang.ac.kr

Office: J 806
Office hours:
M/W 1.30—3.30
TU 9.00—1.00
and by appointment

Ⅰ. Course Description
1. Description
Science fiction has been among the most popular forms of popular fiction in the twentieth
century and beyond. It provides material for blockbuster movies, as much as it
contributes to serious literature. Its key images—outer space, robots, aliens, etc.—are
familiar to us all as they explain the world to us and embody our fears and aspirations.
As a way of imagining and describing humanity’s technological and social progress,
science fiction deserves close critical attention: to understand how it works and how it
speaks to us is essential for operating effectively in the modern world.
2. Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites, but it would be useful if students had taken the required
introductory courses (like the Introduction to the Study of Culture and/or Writing about
Culture)
3. Course Format (%)

Lecture Discussion Experiment/Practicum Field study Other

75 % 25 %
% % %
(variable) (variable)
4. Evaluation (%)
Mid- Final Small
term Presentations Projects Assignments Participation Other
Exam Exam Homework
% % 40 % % % % % %
Ⅱ. Course Objective
The aim of the class is to give students a basic understanding of science fiction as a
popular genre, and to provide a rough overview of the genre’s development throughout
the twentieth century, primarily, but not exclusively, with examples from American
literature, film, and television.
 III. Course Requirements/Evaluations
Work Load: Over the course of the semester, there will be a number of in-class quizzes. These quizzes are
supposed to make sure that students have read or watched the assigned material carefully, and are coming to
class prepared. There will also be an in-class midterm and the final exam about material and ideas presented
during class lectures and developed in class discussion.

Grading Policy: 50% for the in-class quizzes

50 % for two in-class exams (25% each for midterm and final paper)

Attendance: You are expected to be in class regularly. Missing a class altogether, or missing a substantial
amount of class time, whether at the beginning, the end, or the middle of the class, constitutes an absence. If
the number of your absences exceeds the limit established by the Sogang absence policy, you cannot pass
the class any more. Let me know in advance, if possible that you are about to miss a class, so that we can
make specific arrangements to keep you posted on assignments and schedule changes.

Office Hours: In order to help you with your work, I am holding office hours regularly, and by appointment.
Since I will try to adjust the pace and difficulty of the class to the majority of the students, I encourage you
to come to me at any time and discuss any questions you may have. Please let me know about problems as
soon as they arise so that I can address them quickly and effectively. Please let me know briefly in advance,
if possible, if you are planning to visit me during office hours. If you cannot see me in person in office hours
during the regular course of the semester, the best way to get in touch with me is via e-mail.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism means using another person’s ideas, information, or expressions as your own.
Plagiarism is a form of intellectual theft and constitutes a serious academic offense. The English Department
of Sogang University does not tolerate plagiarism. In this class, any proven case of plagiarism will result in
a failing grade for the course. Just as the demand for academic honesty, this policy applies universally—to
all homework and in-class assignments, whether explicitly announced or not, and all performances, whether
graded or not, within the university context.

Plagiarism means:
- - copying text from books, magazines, journals, and other conventional sources, as well as from internet or
other electronic sources, and pasting it into your work without quotation marks or -acknowledging the
source;
- - summarizing or paraphrasing someone else’s exact wording without proper acknowledgement;
- - summarizing or paraphrasing someone’s argument or unique line of thought without proper
acknowledgement;
- - buying or otherwise acquiring a research paper and submitting it as your own;
- submitting collaborative work without giving proper credit to all contributors, unless explicitly permitted by
a general class policy or a specific writing assignment.

For further explanations and detailed examples, consult Joseph Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of
Research Papers, 6th Ed. (New York: MLA, 2003).

Grading Scale: 100-99 A+

98-95 A Outstanding Scholarship
94-90 A-
89-85 B+
84-80 B Superior Work/Satisfactory
79-75 B-
74-70 C+
69-65 C Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
64-60 C-
59-55 D+
54-50 D Unsatisfactory
40-30 D-
 below 30 F

IV. Materials and References

All shorter materials (short stories, essays, etc.) will be made available on the
cybercampus. Films will be made available in class.

Students must buy these two novels:

Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers (1959)

Philip K. Dick, Now Wait for Last Year (1966)

V. Course schedule
General Introduction to the Class
Objective
Week
1
Topic Explanation of Syllabus & Class Policies
Sept
2
Reading No assignment for this week
Assignment
4
Homework No homework for this week

FILM
Objective Defining Science Fiction (Gothic/Horror/SF)
Week
2
Topic James Whale, Frankenstein
Sept
9
Reading Watch the film in preparation for this week’s class
Assignment
11
Homework Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week

Week Objective Classes cancelled this week

3

Sept Topic See schedule for replacement classes

16
Reading No reading assignment for this week
18 Assignment
Homework No homework assignment for this week

LITERATURE
Objective The Pulp Tradition (American Frontier Mythology)
Week
4
Topic Selected short stories from the Pulp Magazines
Sept Reading Read the stories in preparation for this week’s class
23 Assignment
Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week
25 Homework

FILM
Week Objective Cold War SF/Time Travel
5
George Pal, The Time Machine (1960)
Sept Topic
30
Reading Watch the film in preparation for this week’s class
Oct 2 Assignment
Homework Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week

LITERATURE
Objective Golden Age SF/Military SF/Space Opera
Week
6
Topic Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers (1959)
Oct 7

9 Reading Read the novel in preparation for this week’s class

Assignment
Homework Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week

FILM
Week Objective Dystopian SF
7

Oct Topic Richard Fleischer, Soylent Green (1973)

14
Reading Watch the film in preparation for this week’s class
16 Assignment
Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week
+
Oct Extra class this week, Review Session for Midterm Exam
Homework
17 (makeup-class for cancellation September 16): Thursday,
Extra Oct. 17, 6.00 p.m.
class

Week Objective Midterm Exam Week

8

Oct Topic Midterm Exam

21
Reading Midterm Exam Week
23 Assignment
Homework Midterm Exam Week
 LITERATURE
Week Objective Feminist SF
9

Oct Topic Selected short stories

28
Reading Read the stories in preparation for this week’s class
30 Assignment
Homework
Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week

FILM
Objective SF between Art and Entertainment
Week
10
Topic Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Nov
4
Reading Watch the film in preparation for this week’s class
Assignment
6
Homework Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week

LITERATURE
Week Objective The New Wave
11

Nov Topic Selected short stories

11
Reading Read the stories in preparation for this week’s class
13 Assignment
Homework Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week

FILM
Week Objective
12

Nov Topic Nicholas Roeg, The Man Who Fell to Earth

18
Reading Watch the film in preparation for this week’s class
20 Assignment
Homework Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week

LITERATURE
Objective The New Wave
Week
13
Topic Philip K. Dick, Now Wait for Last Year (1966)
Nov
25
Reading Read the novel in preparation for this week’s class
Assignment
 27 Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week
Homework

FILM
Objective Cyberpunk
Week
14
Topic Ridley Scott, Blade Runner (1982)
Dec 2

4 Reading Watch the film in preparation for this week’s class

Assignment
Homework Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week

TELEVISION AND/OR CINEMA

Week Objective SF TODAY
15

Dec 9 Topic TO BE DETERMINED

11 Reading Watch the assigned materials in preparation for this

Assignment week’s class
+ Short in-class quiz at the beginning of the week
Dec
13 Extra class this week, Review Session for Final Exam
extra Homework
(makeup-class for cancellation September 18): Thursday,
class Dec. 12, 6.00 p.m.

Final Exam Week

Objective
Week
16
Topic Final Exam
Dec 18
Reading Final Exam Week
23 Assignment
Homework Final Exam Week