Writing in 1978 amid fears of nuclear apocalypse, Isaac Asimov wrote, “The core of science fiction has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all.” Salvation. This is a compelling description of a popular genre pioneered in interwar pulpwood magazines, a mass medium traditionally allied with the same technological acceleration that brought about the very existential crisis that premises Asimov’s statement. In our seminar, we will explore this ambivalence, seek to understand how SF celebrates and also condemns technology, imagines utopias and dystopias, the emancipation of humanity via mastery of nature or its bondage to sinister A.I. overlords, as well as test world-building techniques. Students should expect to leave the seminar with drafts of three flash fictions in the SF genre they can later expand. Students will also receive information about current markets for short fiction in SF.

Please note: This class or event will be held online (using Zoom or a similar live platform). To participate, students or attendees should have a stable internet connection. Class participants: you should have a computer or device with a webcam and microphone; and your Zoom link will be automatically sent to you after you register. Check your spam box if you don't see it.