Radical Science Fiction: From Reputable to Dis-
Name of facilitator: Jane Franklin, John Till
Address: (Tentative) Arise Books, 2441 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis MN 55404
E-mail: jfranklin008@yahoo.com Phone: 612-624-1926
Course description: What is it about science fiction? Why are there so many left-wing science fiction novels? Why does science fiction stay so disreputable no matter how many "literary" writers--Margaret Atwood, Samuel Delany, Ursula Le Guin--publish science fiction novels? What does science fiction do?
In this class we're going to read some left-wing science fiction--exactly how much and exactly what is up to you. Potential material might be classics like The Dispossessed and selections from the Mars trilogy; new work by L Timmel DuChamp, China Mieville, Gwynneth Jones or Andrea Hairston; feminist and queer science fiction by writers like Octavia Butler, Samuel Delaney and Joanna Russ...We’re particularly interested in work by writers of color and work that deals with race, colonialism, empire. We’d be glad to read stuff you suggest, too.
We'd like to read a little bit _about_ science fiction, so we might look at some Joanna Russ essays, or a little Frederic Jameson, or some Franco Moretti. On the first day of class, we'll talk about texts, length of readings and so on.
We want to organize what we read around some big questions: How does race work in science fiction? What about landscape, place, region? How do writers talk about politics? (Infodump, anyone? Or something better?) What's a political science fiction novel _for_? What does it do in the world?
And of course, we want to sit around, eat snacks and talk about our favorite writers. Tentative meeting time 11am every other Saturday morning. Time and place subject to revision if needed.
Class Time: Tentatively 11am
Class Dates: Every other Saturday morning beginning on October 4
Place: Tentatively, Arise Books, Minneapolis
Class size: Minimum _____3____ Maximum _____20____....We're at capacity now, but if you're interested you can email us.
What experience do you bring to this class? Both Jane Franklin and John Till have done traditional and non-traditional teaching.
