21W.759
Writing Science Fiction
Students write and read science fiction and analyze and discuss stories written for the class. For the first eight weeks, readings in contemporary science fiction accompany lectures and formal writing assignments intended to illuminate various aspects of writing craft as well as the particular problems of writing science fiction. The rest of the term is given to roundtable workshops on students' stories.
Spring 2016
Topics
- Introduction: What is speculative fiction? Various forms and subgenres.
- Discussion of speculative fiction: What is its function? Why is it popular?
- Build the World to Destroy the World
- World Building 101
- World Building Exercises
- Creating Characters Within the World
- Exercise: Creating Characters Within the World (Scenario Work)
- How the Science (or Magic) is Central, but the Story is Not Always About the Science (or Magic)
- Exercise: Locating the Science / Magic / Speculation (Scenarios)
- Where worldbuilding can go wrong. Examining the economics of how worlds and societies function—and don’t.
- Troubleshooting Societies
- Does science fiction try to predict the future, or address questions of the current day? The answer, of course, is yes.
- Long Form Structure
- Workshop
- Contracts
- The way a professional writer works in the world The business of publishing: Conglomerates, agents, distributors, etc.
- Course evaluations, stories about publishing life in the real world, The Scotch Lecture, and cupcakes!
Readings
- SES #: 1 · TOPICS: Introduction: What is speculative fiction? Various forms and subgenres. · READINGS: There are no readings for this session.
- [Evans] Dick, Philip K. “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale.” Original work published 1966.
- [Evans] Varley, John. “Air Raid.” Original work published 1977.
- [Evans] Ryman, Geoff. “Everywhere.” Original work published 1999.
- [Evans] Chiang, Ted. “Exhalation.” Original work published 2008.
- SES #: 4 · TOPICS: World Building 101 · READINGS: There are no readings for this session.
- SES #: 5 · TOPICS: World Building Exercises · READINGS: There are no readings for this session.
- [Evans] Merril, Judith. “That Only a Mother.” Original work published 1948.
- [Evans] Davidson, Avram. “The Golem.” Original work published 1955.
- [Silverberg] Zelazny, Roger. “A Rose for Ecclesiastes.” Original work published 1963.
- [Evans] Gunn, Eileen. “Computer Friendly.” Original work published 1989.
- [Evans] Kelly, James Patrick. “Think Like a Dinosaur.” Original work published 1995.
- SES #: 7 · TOPICS: Exercise: Creating Characters Within the World (Scenario Work) · READINGS: There are no readings for this session.
- [Silverberg] Asimov, Isaac. “Nightfall.” Original work published 1941.
- [Silverberg] Godwin, Tom. “The Cold Equations.” Original work published 1954.
- [Evans] Tiptree, James, Jr. “And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hillside.” Original work published 1973.
- [Evans] Gibson, William. “Burning Chrome.” Original work published 1981.
- SES #: 9 · TOPICS: Exercise: Locating the Science / Magic / Speculation (Scenarios) · READINGS: There are no readings for this session.
- SES #: 10 · TOPICS: Where worldbuilding can go wrong. Examining the economics of how worlds and societies function—and don’t. · READINGS: Lob, Jacques, and Jean-Marc Rochette. Snowpiercer Vol. 1: The Escape . Titan Comics, 2014. ISBN: 9781782761433.
- SES #: 11 · TOPICS: Troubleshooting Societies · READINGS: There are no readings for this session.
- [Evans] Russ, Joanna. “When It Changed.” Original work published 1972.
- [Evans] Kress, Nancy. “Out of All Them Bright Stars.” Original work published 1985.
- [Silverberg] Clarke, Arthur C. “The Nine Billion Names of God.” Original work published 1954.
- [Evans] Egan, Greg. “Closer.” Original work published 1992.
- SES #: 13-26 · TOPICS: Additional Topics and Workshops · READINGS: There are no readings for these sessions.
Prerequisites & course information
Prereq: None U (Spring) 3-0-9 units. HASS-A
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
- MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2016
- MIT OCW syllabus ↗
- MIT OCW calendar ↗
- MIT OCW readings ↗
- Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.