English: Climate Change in Sci. Fiction (D)

About ENGL 1002 D

Intensive instruction and practice in writing, reading, research, and revision through the exploration of a theme related to the instructor's expertise. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years.

Notes

PACE students with permission and override during first week of registration Sophomores, juniors and seniors only System waitlisting enabled for this section

Section Description

Climate change isn’t science fiction, but there’s plenty of thought-provoking science fiction about it, both cautionary tales and the more hopeful and aspirational sub-genre of 'solarpunk.'

We’ll start the semester by reading and talking about the ways in which sci-fi can tackle the climate crisis more effectively than literary fiction and where it still falls short. Then, we’ll use journalism, non-fiction essays, and of course, fiction novels and short stories to examine how climate change threatens sustainable development and how lack of investment in sustainable development in turn contributes to climate change.

We will read each work of fiction through the lens of one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enabling you to see the intersections between goals. Through close reading and discussion, we will link the causes and impacts of the climate crisis with the specific, hypothesized events in the world each author creates and examine how those impacts both jeopardize the sustainability goals in question and emerge from failures to achieve sustainable development.

Section Expectation

This course is primarily discussion-based. The book list for the course will include The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable (Amitav Ghosh), A Half-Built Garden (Ruthanna Emrys), and Monk and Robot (Becky Chambers).

Evaluation

Grading will include attendance and participation, brief reading responses, a short story and commentary, and an individual research project leading to a group research presentation.

Important Dates

Note: These dates may change before registration begins.

Courses may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Show your interest by enrolling.

Resources

• Parking
• PACE Course Pricing
• Textbooks

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