Speculative Fiction
LW418-01
Start Date
06/03
Time
1:30pm–4:30pm
Format
Remote
End Date
07/24
Meeting Day
Tuesdays and Thursdays
Credits
3
Speculative fiction is a field of storytelling in which imaginative scenarios are created to illuminate real-life questions and problems. It encompasses many genres including science fiction, gothic novels, plays, films, and even operas and graphic novels. The syllabus ranges from *Utopia* to *Frankenstein*, Octavia Butler’s *Parable of the Sower*, *Ursula K. La Guin’s *Left Hand of Darkness*, and Alan Moore’s graphic novel *Watchmen*, and Kazuo Ishiguro’s *Klara and the Sun*. Assignments include oral presentations, two short critical essays, and a final project, incorporating writing and artwork, in which students design and illustrate a speculative fiction scenario addressing a contemporary question or problem.
This online class uses the ZOOM platform.
Holidays, No class
June 19, Juneteenth
July 3, Independence Day eve
MassArt BFA students. This class qualifies as a summative elective.
Joshua Cohen
Joshua Cohen holds a BA from Haverford College, and an MA and PhD from Boston University. He is Professor of English at MassArt. He has been published in the Classic Record Collector.