Fall 2015

ENG 181, Section 004: Writing about Literature

Meeting time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11:30–12:45

Meeting location: Calloway N204

Instructor: Marlo Starr

Contact: Marlo [dot] starr [at] emory [dot] edu

In our modern industrialized society, science fiction allows us to reflect on our present by imagining our future. In this composition course, we’ll explore elements of writing through the lens of speculative fiction, considering the position of humans in relation to the environment, technology, time and space, and each other. We’ll look at how increased globalization and rapid technological changes have altered human relations and power dynamics, and we’ll evaluate arguments about whether we should welcome or resist these changes. Readings and screenings include classic examples of the genre (Frankenstein and the film version of Fahrenheit 451) and more recent representations of the not-so-distant future (Super Sad True Love Story, The Fly, and Her, among others). We’ll consider how each of these works of art takes a position about current cultural and technological trends, and in order to develop our own arguments about the role of science fiction, we’ll develop a portfolio with a variety of artifacts: weekly blog posts, a visual presentation, a literary response letter, and a researched analysis.