What other undergraduate courses I teach:

Oh Lord, the "F" word already. Yes, I am female. Yes, I teach Women's Studies. Yes, I am a feminist. This does not mean I hate or even dislike men. (How could I read and teach science fiction and not like men?) All it means is that I think women and men are equal and should have equal rights and responsibilities. In terms of the science fiction course, it means that I am interested in gender issues, but I won't force you to be interested in them. I am interested in a lot of other things too, like enviornmental issues, and alien biologies, and computers.

SF authors for whom I have a nearly complete collection of books; ie., I like them enough I pretty much buy anything they write.

  • Michael Bishop
  • Marion Zimmer Bradley
  • David Brin
  • John Brunner
  • Octavia Butler
  • Samuel Delany
  • Philip K. Dick (includes extensive collection of criticism, especially on Blade Runner
  • Goron Dickson (Dorsai Series mostly)
  • Ursula le Guin
  • Andre Norton
  • Marge Piercy
  • Joan Slonczewski
  • Bruce Sterling
  • Sherri Tepper
  • James Tiptree
  • John Varley

"New" SF Authors whose books I am working through, starting to collect:

  • C.J. Cherryh (especially Union Alliance/ Merchanter series)
  • Judith Moffett
  • Kim Stanley Robinson
  • Melissa Scott

"Best" SF books I have read in the last couple of years:

  • Kim Stanley Robinson, Mars Triology
  • Bruce Sterling, Heavy Weather
  • Marge Piercy, He, She, and It
  • Vonda McIntyre, Starfarers Series
  • Melissa Scott, Trouble and Her Friends
  • Kathleen Ann Goonan, Queen City Jazz
  • Nancy Kress, Beggars in Spain and sequel

    Any of these would be candidates for the end of the course. Since I'm writing a book on Marge Piercy, I would like to do He, She, and It, but I won't impose it on you.

My list of the five best SF movies of all time

  1. Blade Runner Ridley Scott
  2. Alien Ridley Scott
  3. Terminator John Cameron
  4. Aliens John Cameron
  5. Brazil Terry Giliam
Yes, I love Star Wars, but I'm not really sure I'd call it science fiction; it's more science fantasy, which is kind of how I feel about the Star Trek films -- of which, I like the fourth one best (the one where they go back to San Francisco and kidnap the whales).

The only movie we will actually watch and analyze during the class will be Blade Runner, which we'll talk about in comparison to Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. However, I have a list of sf movies correlated to the various units of the course which I will put into the xerox book, and eventually on the website, so that if you want to you can watch films that tie in with the historical stages of the course.


Back to Engl356 Home Page


Website designed and maintained by Dr. Elisa Kay Sparks
sparks@hubcap.clemson.edu

Last update: 11/7/96