Science Fiction as an Academic Subject
It's possible to study Science Fiction as a module in the History BA, of all things, at my local university. Here are some questions from past papers.
‘The science fiction film genre is very often dumbed down to a mere spectacle of loud explosions and special effects.’ Is the use of spectacle in science fiction film anything more than such trivialisation?
‘The successful story worlds of science fiction and fantasy tend to escape the control of their initial creator, turning into the collective product of a social activity. Asimov’s robot stories, and the TV series Star Trek, serve as examples.’ Discuss in relation to any sf story world with which you are familiar.
(Translation - can you recommend any good fic?)
Construct a set of ground rules to guide whether, and to what degree, we should be ‘cautiously suspicious’ or ‘openly friendly’ on our very first contact with extraterrestrial aliens.
(Isn’t ‘extraterrestrial aliens’ tautology?)
Can you establish here and now (as you sit this exam) and to the examiners’ satisfaction whether or not you are an android?
‘The science fiction film genre is very often dumbed down to a mere spectacle of loud explosions and special effects.’ Is the use of spectacle in science fiction film anything more than such trivialisation?
‘The successful story worlds of science fiction and fantasy tend to escape the control of their initial creator, turning into the collective product of a social activity. Asimov’s robot stories, and the TV series Star Trek, serve as examples.’ Discuss in relation to any sf story world with which you are familiar.
(Translation - can you recommend any good fic?)
Construct a set of ground rules to guide whether, and to what degree, we should be ‘cautiously suspicious’ or ‘openly friendly’ on our very first contact with extraterrestrial aliens.
(Isn’t ‘extraterrestrial aliens’ tautology?)
Can you establish here and now (as you sit this exam) and to the examiners’ satisfaction whether or not you are an android?