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1 Science Fiction: East and West, SYLLABUS, Slavic 0660 Class Number 11683, 2131-Fall Semester 2012 (Last revised: August 26, 2012; Subject to Revision) General Information Instructor: Robert Carl Metil, PhD Office: 1433 CL, Stairwell A Office Hours: TBA Time: 9:30-10:45; Place: 169 Crawford Hall rcm6@pitt.edu Voic x45906 Two Class Contacts: Name Tel Name Tel Course Description This course compares Slavic and Anglophone science fiction on the page and screen. We will examine how a given culture s dominant concerns are articulated in a genre popular in the East (i.e., Eastern and Central Europe) and the West (i.e., North America and Great Britain). These concerns emerge in works that imaginatively posit fantastic situations rooted in spatial, temporal, and biological explorations beyond those currently verified by science. Based on a wide range of novels, stories, essays, and films, we will discuss such topics as progress, utopia/dystopia, human perfectibility, gender, the limits and scope of science, the nature of knowledge, human versus other identity, science versus religion, fantasy, and alien love affairs. We will also engage in analytical and theoretical approaches to our texts, and a portion of our discussion will involve an attempt to apply them to particular science fiction works. The words of my colleague Professor Thomas J. Garza at the University of Texas at Austin on Russian science fiction convey the spirit of what I hope will be a very enjoyable and stimulating time for us this semester: The country that brought us Sputnik and reinvented the robot also created some of the world s best creations of science fiction and fantasy. From the works of classic Russia writers (such as Pushkin, Lermontov, and Gogol), to the harsh images of Soviet-era utopias (such as Zamyatin s We and Bulgakov s Fatal Eggs and Heart of a Dog), to the films of the 20 th century (such as Tarkovsky s Solaris and Stalker), and current post-soviet works (such as the apocalyptic vampire thrillers Night Watch and Day Watch Whether you re a sci-fi fan, or a newcomer to the genre, prepare to discover a brave new world! Course Requirements Course requirements are as follows: (1) to complete the assignments scheduled for each class meeting (read a text, etc.) and be prepared to summarize and discuss them in class on the pertinent day; (2) to take the four scheduled exams, as well as the regular, unannounced quizzes administered throughout the semester. PARTICIPATION IN DISCUSSIONS IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED AND IS THE ONLY MEANS OF EARNING EXTRA CREDIT IN THE COURSE (from 1% to 10% maximum, see below).

2 2 Format, Attendance, and Collegiality This course carries three credits and satisfies the international foreign culture and comparative culture requirements. It meets twice a week throughout the semester and combines lecture and discussion format. Since attendance is critical to course performance, more than five absences will automatically translate into an F for the course. I will distribute index cards and markers at the beginning of the semester for students to make name plates, which I will require them to bring to each class. Failure to bring a name plate may result in the student being marked absent for that class. If serious illness prevents class attendance, documentation of that fact must be presented in the form of a doctor s letter, stating that ON THE DAY AT THE TIME THE CLASS MEETS the student was too ill to attend. These letters must be submitted to your instructor ON THE DAY THE STUDENT RETURNS TO CLASS; otherwise they will not be accepted. **PLEASE INFORM YOUR INSTRUCTOR IN ADVANCE IF YOU MUST ARRIVE LATE TO CLASS OR LEAVE THE CLASSROOM EARLY.** Punctual attendance and collegiality towards one s classmates, instructor, and guests are obligatory. Students that arrive late, do not return to class after exams, or who leave the classroom without returning during film screenings, etc., may be considered absent for that entire class meeting, with the absence factored into their grades accordingly. Inappropriate, distracting, inattentive, rude, and disruptive classroom behaviors, e.g., talking out of order, surfing the internet, texting, sleeping, etc., are potentially serious infringements of the University s Academic Integrity Code (see below) and will not be tolerated. Students are responsible for finding out FROM THEIR CLASSMATES whether important information or materials circulated during a session that they missed. Therefore students should exchange telephone numbers and addresses with their class neighbors (see above). I strongly encourage students experiencing problems in the course to make an appointment with me during my office hours or other suitable time. At the same time, I equally strongly discourage students from ing me about issues addressed in the syllabus and related communications (including group s that I will undoubtedly send regularly to students regarding changes to the course schedule, advice about which readings to emphasize when studying for quizzes, and other administrative matters). Quite simply, my schedule does not permit electronic exchanges that a familiarity with these media makes superfluous. Students with questions pertaining to their performance in the course should come to my office hours, for office hours are scheduled precisely for that purpose. When ing your instructor, please use the following format in your s subject heading: YOUR LAST NAME, THE COURSE S NAME, THE SUBJECT OF YOUR MESSAGE, as in the following example, ZAMYATIN, A&S SCI-FI, SISTER S WEDDING. Please check your Pitt accounts and CourseWeb announcements frequently for important information and updates on course content and administration. Grading Grades are based on the QUALITY of students performance in the following: (1) four exams 90%; (2) unannounced quizzes 10%. Students may earn extra credit from one to ten percent added on to their final grade, based on the quality and frequency of their participation in class discussions (see above). The template below indicates how the number of points accumulated for all assignments throughout the semester, tabulated with the aid of a calculator, will be assessed:

3 3 A A B B B C C C D D D F 0-59 **NO MAKE-UP QUIZZES WILL BE ADMINISTERED. IF A STUDENT MISSES A QUIZ OWING TO ABSENCE, S/HE WILL RECEIVE NO CREDIT FOR THAT QUIZ. MAKEUP EXAMS WILL NOT BE GIVEN, EXCEPT AT THE INSTRUCTOR S DISCRETION UNDER EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES.** Academic Integrity By remaining enrolled in the course, students not only agree to abide by the above stipulations, but also understand that the instructor will follow with utmost rigor the rules regarding cheating, plagiarism, etc. spelled out by the University's Academic Integrity policies and procedures It is the students responsibility to familiarize themselves with these regulations and to observe them. Any infraction will be penalized according to these rules. PLEASE NOTE THAT SIGNING THE ATTENDANCE SHEET FOR A CLASSMATE IS EASY TO DETECT, CONSTITUTES A VIOLATION OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY, AND WILL BE PENALIZED ACCORDINGLY. Disability Students officially registered with the Disability Resources and Services (DRS in William Pitt Union 216, or ) should inform your instructor of their disability during the first week of class. Anyone who needs to register with that office should contact DRS at Information about URL is available at Official University Events Athletes, musicians, and cheerleaders who have out-of-town/state games or performances scheduled by the University should submit a copy of their official schedule of commitments to your instructor during the first week of class. Note about Readings Because I am currently revising this course, I may on occasion change an assigned reading, or assign a different reading not listed in the current syllabus. If I do this, I will notify students by and/or in class in advance of the revised assignment, and make new readings available online if they are unavailable as hard copies. Required Readings A number of literary works are required as textbooks and available in the Book Center (see below). I will also provide many readings through CourseWeb and other online sources. CourseWeb readings are indicated by the code (CW) in the Proposed Reading Schedule below. You must print and bring all your assigned readings and textbooks to class with you. I reserve the right to modify the syllabus and assigned readings at any point in the semester, as circumstances demand. I will announce any changes through and/or in class in advance of implementation. Please complete assigned readings for the date under which they appear below. If I decide to order any other books in the course of the semester I will inform you.

4 4 Be aware that translations often differ substantially from one another, so please read only the translation I have assigned, or you will miss valuable nuances and be out of synch with your classmates and me. Required Books Available in the Book Center 1. Mikhail Bulgakov, Heart of a Dog. Grove Press, Mirra Ginsburg translation only. 2. Evgenii Zamyatin, We. Penguin Twentieth Century Classics, Clarence Brown translation only. 3. H.G. Wells, The Time Machine. Dover Publications, Wells, H.G., War of the Worlds. Dover Publications, Stanislaw Lem, Solaris. Mariner Books, Victor Pelevin, Omon Ra. New Directions, 1998 PROPOSED READING SCHEDULE (Last Revised August 26, 2012; Subject to Revision) NOTE: Where no pages numbers are indicated read the entire work; further lecture and discussion of works that students completed reading previously in indicated by (cont.). Week 1 Tuesday August 28. No reading. Thursday August 30. Griffiths, What is Science Fiction (CW). Hartwell, Why Science Fiction is the Wrong and Only Name for It (CW). Week 2 Tuesday September 4. Metil, Jungian Analysis of Fairy Tales Part One: Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious and Individuation (CW). Hyde & McGuinnes, Introducing Jung (CW). Freud, The Uncanny, available online at Thursday September 6. Metil, Hyde & McGuiness, Freud (cont.). Other reading TBA. Week 3 Tuesday September 11. Metil, Hyde & McGuiness, Freud (cont.). Other reading TBA. Thursday September 13. Wells, Country of the Blind (CW) Week 4 Tuesday September 18. FIRST EXAM. Moore, Shambleau (CW) Thursday September 20. Moore, Shambleau (cont.)

5 5 Week 5 Tuesday September 25. Wells, The Time Machine Thursday September 27. Wells, The Time Machine (cont.) Week 6 Tuesday October 2. Wells, War of the Worlds, Book I Thursday October 4. Wells, War of the Worlds, Book II Week 7 NO CLASS! Tuesday October 9 Thursday October 11. SECOND EXAM. Dostoevsky, The Grand Inquisitor (CW) Week 8 Tuesday October 16. Zamyatin, We, Records 1-21 Thursday October 18. Zamyatin, We, Records Week 9 Tuesday October 23. Zamyatin, We (cont.) Thursday October 25. Lem, Solaris, pp Week 10 Tuesday October 30. Lem, Solaris, pp Thursday November 1. Lem, Solaris (cont.) Week 11 Tuesday November 6. THIRD EXAM. Bulgakov, Heart of a Dog Thursday November 8. Bulgakov, Heart of a Dog (cont.) Week 12 Tuesday November 13. Bulgakov, Heart of a Dog (cont.) Thursday November 15. Bulgakov, The Fatal Eggs

6 6 Week 13 Tuesday November 20. Bulgakov, The Fatal Eggs (cont). NO CLASS! Thursday November 22 Week 14 Tuesday November 27. Strugatsky, Roadside Picnic Thursday November 29. Strugatsky, Roadside Picnic (cont.) Week 15 Tuesday December 4. Pelevin, Omon Ra Thursday December 6. FOURTH EXAM.