GHUM200: GREAT WORKS -- Speculative Fiction
(section 15, class number 80648, meeting time TTH 11:00-12:15, classroom K-G3)


Professor:
EMAIL:
Office: 		Prof. Sharon Cote
cotesa@jmu.edu
Keezell 209, Ext. 82510
 Availability: I am available during my office hours and by appointment.



Description: In this course we will focus on a humanistic examination of some major philosophical and social themes in speculative fiction. Also, while reading and discussing this diverse collection of both relatively contemporary and more historical works that may be categorized as "speculative," we will be led to consider the cultural factors that influence ideas about genre, about literary "greatness," and about canonicity in the humanities. More generally, we'll challenge our own first responses to readings and hone our ability to evaluate literature and its potential as a gateway to new ideas and insights. We'll explore some connections between particular literary works and other creative and/or intellectual works. Finally, through all these efforts, we'll work on improving our basic ability to approach ANY text (ie. not just "literature") and, in fact, any communicative act critically, developing basic vocabulary and skills in the techniques of textual analysis.


Required novels, including ISBN numbers: (Note -- If you choose to get these books from somewhere other than the JMU bookstore, you may feel free to use other editions of any book except Frankenstein. Just watch for page number differences.)
Bryant, Dorothy. The Kin of Ata are Waiting For You. Random House, ISBN 0679778438
Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game. Mass Market Paperback, ISBN 0812589041.
Irving, John. A Prayer for Owen Meany. Mass Market Paperback (Random House), ISBN 0345361792
McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. Vintage Books, ISBN 978-0-307-27792-3 .
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Bantam Books, ISBN 0553212478.
Stephenson, Neal (1992). Snow Crash. New York, NY: Bantam Doubleday Dell, ISBN 0553380958.


Recommended references:
A good, comprehensive dictionary-- You are expected to look up the meaning of any words in our reading with which you are unfamiliar!) (There is also a link to the OED online at the bottom of this webpage.)
A writing guide such as the MLA Handbook that includes citation guidelines. (There is also a link at the bottom of this webpage to the JMU library's page with a few MLA citation style examples.)


Additional required readings:
Short stories and supplemental materials will be made available online on Blackboard (under the course documents heading for our course) and/or distributed in class. Check the "readings" section of the syllabus regularly for new readings .

If we don't need a make-up day, the final short story reading for the course will be chosen by the class!


Work and Grading: Assignments (16%), Two Papers (21% each), Midterm (21%), Final (21%). All work must be submitted on time and in-class unless I give you permission for late submission or for an alternative submission method. (You must make requests in advance when at all possible and as soon as possible in other, extraordinary circumstances).
About assignments --
First, GHUM200 courses are designated as "writing infused." This means students will be required to write 10,000 words or more. In this particular course, writing will occur regularly in smaller assignments as well as in formal papers and in essay components of the midterm and final exams.
At-home assignments (i.e., ones you bring to class already completed), depending on their size, will be announced at least one class period before they are due and will be posted as links at the bottom of this webpage no later than the evening of that same day. These assignments must be typed unless otherwise specified. Note that assignment links are named and ordered by the date they are due. If you miss a class, you are responsible for checking these links and doing any assignment due the next class period.
Some additional assignments will also be done in-class, and these may not be announced in advance. Make-ups for these in-class assignments will only be made available, at my discretion, for excusable absences.
In general, while I collect and look at both at-home and in-class assignments, they will be graded only as an acceptable effort (full credit) or an unacceptable effort (no credit). In other words, you won't be penalized for incorrect information, but you must (of course!) make a careful attempt at all parts of the assignment to get credit. You are allowed to miss or skip a total of two assignments (but not ones directly related to one of the graded papers or otherwise described as required) without affecting your overall grade at all.
Notes: Of course, all your work for this course is subject to the JMU Honor Code. If you are not very familiar with the details of this code, you should review it before any assignments are due. I take plagiarism cases very seriously (a student can fail the course for plagiarism, even as a first offense, and stronger penalties may be imposed by the university for second offenses), and if you have any questions about what constitutes plagiarism or about other aspects of the honor code, you should see me for clarification.

Note too, that this course fulfills the General Education literature course requirement (cluster two, group three). As part of JMU's commitment to the idea that some understanding of the humanities is expected of anyone holding a university degree, every undergraduate JMU student must take at least one literature course. The shared academic objectives that shape this requirement regardless of which particular literature course a student chooses to take are described here.


Daily Schedule: This is a tentative schedule for what will be discussed in each class period, for when papers will be due, and for when exams will be given. You should have readings done BEFORE the class date on which they will be discussed. The topics listed are designed to give you perspective for your reading and to help begin class discussions. Topics, short story choices, supplemental readings, and paper and exam dates may be modified to support the direction and duration of class discussions, so check this schedule frequently. (Schedule changes may also need to be made for snow days or other unforeseen events.) Links to smaller assignments, with their due dates, will be posted below this schedule throughout the semester.

Date Topic Reading
8/31 Introduction to the course: What is "Speculative Fiction"? What is a "Great Work"? Why would we care? In class: "They're Made Out of Meat"
9/2 Life, Death, and the Story "Death and the Librarian" AND Robert Walton's letters at the beginning of Frankenstein (to page 16 in assigned edition)
9/7 What it is to be Human -- and to tell one's own story Frankenstein -- through Ch. 15
9/9 Nature, Alienation, and The Voices of the Novel
Frankenstein -- remainder
9/14 Nature vs. Nurture "The Small Assassin" + Chap. 1 of Ender's Game
9/16 Moral Responsibility Ender's Game- through Chap.10
9/21 Heroes, Friends, and Enemies Ender's Game- through Chap. 12
9/23 Reality, Perspectives, Games Ender's Game-- complete novel
9/28 DEBATE No new reading but might start on Snow Crash
9/30 Good Intentions? "Rappaccini's Daughter" and Snow Crash- through end of chapter 4 (page 35 in my Spectra edition)
10/5 Cyberpunk and Impacts of Technology Snow Crash- through Chap. 14 (page 121 in my Spectra edition)
10/7 Social Changes Snow Crash continued - through Chap. 29 (page 227 in my Spectra edition)
10/12 Science and Myth [** NOTE CHANGE --New Due Date for First Paper**] Snow Crash continued -- through Chap. 47 (page 346 in my Spectra edition)
10/14 Language, Information, Perpective Final Discussion of Snow Crash - whole novel
10/19 MIDTERM
10/21 The Value of Life --Details, utilitarianism and aesthetics "Driftglass"
10/26 Dystopias "Harrison Bergeron" and The Road, ( just through the "query" on page 32)
10/28 Carrying the Fire The Road, through top half of page 130
11/2 The Old Guy, good fortune, and the road In-class dystopia assignment and The Road through page 220
11/4 Hope, Faith, or None of the Above The Road, remainder
11/9 Magical Realism and the power of knowledge [+ CHOOSING FINAL "CLASS CHOICE" READING] "Two Words" and "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings"
11/11 What is Real? "Walimai"
11/16 Utopias The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You, first half
11/18 Atonement and Transcendence, What are Fairytales/Myths (plus choosing presentation groups) The Kin of Ata are Waiting for You, remainder
11/23 NO CLASS work on second paper and start reading A Prayer for Owen Meany
11/25 NO CLASS -- THANKSGIVING
11/30 Self and Sacrifice "The Bottle Imp" + short group meetings
12/2 Presentations A Prayer for Owen Meany
12/7 Presentations A Prayer for Owen Meany
12/9 [** THIS IS THE NEW DUE DATE FOR THE SECOND PAPER] Class Choice and Final Words...
12/16 (THURSDAY) FINAL EXAM 10:30-12:30 regular class location (Confirm this date and time on the office JMU final exam schedule.)

"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." Mark Twain


Look Here for At-Home Assignments and Information:

**NEW** --LOOK HERE FOR EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS FOR THE FINAL EXAM: Final Extra Credit Options



LOOK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON TOPICS AND GUIDELINES FOR THE SECOND PAPER: Second Paper Topics and Guidelines


REMINDER: Optional "targeted re-write tasks" for the first paper are due by Tuesday, 11/9.


LOOK HERE FOR EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS FOR THE MIDTERM: Midterm Extra Credit Options


LOOK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON TOPICS AND GUIDELINES FOR THE FIRST PAPER: First Paper Topics and Guidelines



MLA style examples Oxford English Dictionary Send email to Prof. Cote

GHUM200, fall 2010, © JMU