Religion in Science Fiction

Transcription

1 Religion in Science Fiction Science fiction is a genre that imagines other worlds: futures, alternate pasts, different dimensions, and spaces hidden within the present. Science fiction authors populate these speculative worlds with governments and cultures, sciences and technologies, families and communities. Science fiction inevitably, then, asks questions about religion. Will religion exist in our collective future? Will science one day answer our deepest questions? Will technology change what it means to be human? What kinds of gods await us? This course explores religion in science fiction, but it is far from a systematic survey. We ll read sci- fi, fantasy, and scholarly texts. We ll watch films and television shows, and listen to music. We ll investigate how science and religion are portrayed in these media, and then we ll look at how science fiction can itself become part of a religious phenomenon.

2 Course Goals Where some courses facilitate mastery of a defined body of knowledge, this one is concerned with the cultivation of skills. Students will: Learn how to analyze and critique media, including film, television, novels, and academic texts. Practice writing, through regular assignments and discussions about the craft. Develop conversation skills, including public speaking, collaborative dialogue, and conversational leadership. Required Materials Physical Books (available at bookstore or at Amazon.com) American Gods by Neil Gaiman. HarperTorch's Mass Market Paperback edition, ISBN- 10: Religion and Science Fiction ed. James F. McGrath Digital Resources Collected Readings. Any required articles, chapters, and excerpts that aren t from the books above will be available via EReserves, (password: reliscifi). Search for or Aghapour under the EReserves Index, or go to Netflix Membership. For this course you will need regular access to Netflix s streaming catalogue. If you do not already have an account, go to Netflix.com for a one- month free trial that will last throughout the duration of the class. Twitter Membership. Throughout the course we will use Twitter for class discussions, announcements, and mobile office hours. Sign up at Twitter.com, and use the hashtag #reliscifi. Course Requirements Attendance/Participation: 25% Attendance to every class is required. Absences are excused only if negotiated in advance or if there is a medical emergency. You can earn one free unexcused absence by attending office hours (mobile or by appointment) for a 15- minute chat. Being late to class counts as only partial attendance. You will also be graded on both oral and mental participation. Oral participation involves speaking in class, contributing to conversations, and actively listening to others. Mental participation involves being with it, and actively paying attention to the rest of the class. Laptops and cell phones are strictly disallowed; their use will result in a one- percentage- point drop from your grade each time. 2

3 You will also serve as a discussion leader for the class once this semester. Discussion leaders facilitate conversation by steering dialogue, asking questions, and having quotes and ideas at the ready. Twitter Discussion Questions: 10%. We will use Twitter as a way to share thoughts and questions about the reading, post relevant links, and increase general communication outside of the classroom. You are required to send out course- related tweets 3 days per week using the hashtag #reliscifi. These tweets should relate to content in the course: they could be comments that come to mind as you read, a question about the homework material, a link to something you ve found online that relates to themes we covered in class, or a response to someone else s tweet. Retweets without further comment do not count, nor do messages or mentions to me about course details, such as questions about office hours. Active participation on Twitter will count positively towards your participation grade, and is a great venue for students who feel shy or quiet in the classroom. Note: for your #reliscifi posts to be available to the rest of the class, you will have to make your account public. If you want to keep your private Twitter life private, I recommend creating a disposable account just for this class. Reading Quizzes: 10%. Random quizzes will be given throughout the course, always at the start of class. They will involve 3 easy questions: 1) Are you here now? 2) Do you have your readings with you? 3) What happened in the readings? 5 Short Response Papers: 25%. 5 Response Papers (RP s) will be due over the course of the semester, on topics that will be announced in class and via . Response papers should be words in length and must be typed, 1.5- spaced and turned in at the beginning of class in hard copy. Paper saving measures are encouraged. RP s cannot be turned in late. RP s should be well edited and must include at least one direct citation of the assigned readings. 3 Film Responses: 15%. On 3 class days you will be required to bring a short, word response to class based on an assigned film or television episode. Each class member will read their response out loud, with brief discussions between each reading. You are free to write on any elements you wish: it might be a scene, character, theme, dialogue, or anything else that you notice and find interesting. Try to focus on some of the themes of the class, though this is not strictly necessary. Film responses will be turned in and graded, so they should be typed and clearly written. 3

4 Final Paper: 15%. In lieu of a final exam there will be a 1,000-1,500 word essay assignment due on the exam day. A handout detailing the assignment will be distributed in advance. Final papers must be turned in by 12:45 on Tuesday, August 7, submission details TBA. Honor Code Lying, cheating, and plagiarism are violations of the Honor Code and are not permitted at the College. Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be reported directly to the Dean of Students. A student responsible for academic dishonesty will receive a XF in the course, indicating failure based on dishonesty. Students should be aware that unauthorized collaboration- - working together without permission- - is a form of cheating. Safe Zone I am a member of the Safe Zone community network, which trains faculty to maintain a safe and equitable campus for persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. As a Safe Zone Ally, I am available to listen to you and trained to support you if you face any problems that interfere with your academic success, particularly issues of sexual violence, hateful acts, or discrimination. Although Safe Zone training concerns support for LGBTQ students, I am also available and open to concerns regarding race, ethnicity, religion, and physical or mental health. If you face discrimination, fear, hardship, or other difficulties that interfere with your success in this class, I am happy to be a resource for you. Disabilities If you have a disability that qualifies you for academic accommodation, please present a letter to me from the Center for Disability Services at the beginning of the semester. For more information regarding accommodation and the SNAP program, see: Grading Numerical and letter grades will be used as follows: A = ; A- = 92-90; B+ = 89-87; B = 86-83; B- = 82-80; C+ = 79-77; C = 76-73; C- = 72-70; D+ = 69-67; D = 66-63; D- = 62-60; F =

5 Week 1- Introductions and the Death of God 9 M Introductions In class reading: Brown, Answer (attached) 10 T Intro to ReliSciFi and Questions of Authorship Read: Course Syllabus McKee, The Gospel According to Science Fiction, excerpts Weingrad, Why There is No Jewish Narnia View: Shelley, The History of Science Fiction 11 W Science Playing God Read: MacWilliams, Science Playing God in Religion and Science Fiction Chiang, Catching Crumbs from the Table Fulda, Godshift 12 Th The Death of God Read: Nietzsche, The Gay Science, aphorisms 125, , 115, Ballard, The Drowned Giant RP1 due 13 F Planet of the Apes Watch: Planet of the Apes (1968 Original), available on Netflix FR1 due Week 2- American Gods: Roadside Religion and Sacred Space 16 M Sacred Space Read: Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane, excerpts Gaiman, American Gods, RP2 due 17 T American Gods Read: Gaiman, American Gods, W American Gods cnt d Read: Gaiman, American Gods, Th Roadside Religion and the American Sacred Read: Gaiman, American Gods, Beal, Roadside Religion, excerpts RP3a due 5

6 20 F American Gods cnt d Read: Gaiman, American Gods, Week 3- The New Super- Naturals: Robots, Aliens, and Superheroes 23 M The Death of American Gods Read: Gaiman, American Gods, RP3b due 24 T Robot Religion Read: McGrath, Robots, Rights, and Religion in Religion and Science Fiction Asimov, Reason Listen: The Flaming Lips, One More Robot/Sympathy , Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots RP4a due 25 W Apocalyptic Artificial Intelligence Read: Geraci, Apocalyptic AI Kurzweil, The Age of Spiritual Machines, excerpts View: Trailer for The Singularity is Near RP4b due 26 Th Superheroes Read: Robertson, Sorcerers and Supermen, in Religion and Science Fiction Watch: Thor (2011), available on Netflix 27 F Ancient Aliens Watch: Ancient Aliens, The Evidence, Season 1 Episode 1 (Netflix) FR2 due Week 4- Star Trek: Religious Fandom and Secular Utopias 30 M Star Trek and Secular Humanism Read: Star Trek and Sacred Ground, excerpts Watch: The Apple, TOS: Season 2, Episode 5 (all ST available on Netflix) Who Watches the Watchers, TNG: Season 3, Episode 4 RPa due 31 T Star Trek and Post- Nationalism Read: Lozanda, Star Trekking in China, in Religion and Science Fiction 6

7 Watch: The Chase, TNG: Season 6, Episode 20 R5b due 1 W Religious Fandom Read: Jindra, Star Trek Fandom as a Religious Phenomenon 2 Th Star Trek and Religion Watch: Emanations, Voyager: Season 1, Episode 8 Blink of an Eye, Voyager: Season 6, Episode 12 F3 due Take Home Final distributed 3 F Final Meeting Bring: Syllabus and Final Paper ideas 7 T Final Exam Take home final due. Scheduled for 9:45 12:45, details to be announced. 7

8 Fredric Brown, Answer Dwan Ev ceremoniously soldered the final connection with gold. The eyes of a dozen television cameras watched him and the subether bore throughout the universe a dozen pictures of what he was doing. He straightened and nodded to Dwar Reyn, then moved to a position beside the switch that would complete the contact when he threw it. The switch that would connect, all at once, all of the monster computing machines of all the populated planets in the universe - - ninety- six billion planets - - into the supercircuit that would connect them all into one supercalculator, one cybernetics machine that would combine all the knowledge of all the galaxies. Dwar Reyn spoke briefly to the watching and listening trillions. Then after a moment's silence he said, "Now, Dwar Ev." Dwar Ev threw the switch. There was a mighty hum, the surge of power from ninety- six billion planets. Lights flashed and quieted along the miles- long panel. Dwar Ev stepped back and drew a deep breath. "The honor of asking the first question is yours, Dwar Reyn." "Thank you," said Dwar Reyn. "It shall be a question which no single cybernetics machine has been able to answer." He turned to face the machine. "Is there a God?" The mighty voice answered without hesitation, without the clicking of a single relay. "Yes, now there is a God." Sudden fear flashed on the face of Dwar Ev. He leaped to grab the switch. A bolt of lightning from the cloudless sky struck him down and fused the switch shut. 8