Meeting: Tuesdays 7:00-9:50 PM Room: Physics P127
Syllabus revised January 2024
Novels in red can be ordered through the bookstore,
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Short stories followed by an asterisk are not freely available on-line, but
can be accessed on the
AST 389 Brightspace page.
Class
Date
Topic
1
Jan 23
Introduction to Science Fiction
Lecture:
The scope of science FICTION and the scope of SCIENCE fiction
Reading:
Kurt Vonnegut: On Writing Science Fiction
Reading:
John Hodgman: Is Star Wars Science Fiction? New York Times, 1/25/24
Video:
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
2
Jan 30
Science (Fiction) and Society
Lecture:
Science, Pseudo-Science, and Non-Science in Contemporary Society
Readings:
Asimov: Nightfall
Haldeman: The Forever War
Supporting Documentation:
Liquid breathing moves a step closer thanks to measurement study
US Army trials exoskeletons for military use
3
Feb 6
The Long History of Science Fiction
Lecture:
Sci-Fi as an Echo of the Aspirations of an Age
Readings:
Cyrano de Bergerac: The Other World
Verne: From the Earth to the Moon
Campbell: Twilight *
Asimov: Pate de Fois Gras *
Other:
The Great Moon Hoax of 1835
Le Voyage dans la Lune
4
Feb 13
Gadgets in Science Fiction. I: Space Travel
Lecture:
Can't Get They'a from Hey'a - the Physics of Space Travel
Readings:
Weir: The Martian
Godwin: The Cold Equations *
Niven: Neutron Star * Image of a neutron star
Video Excerpt:
2001, A Space Odyssey
Bonus Reading:
Brin: An Ever-Reddening Glow
Musical Interlude:
Lou Nathanson: Duct Tape Madrigal in C Major
Supporting Documentation:
Is beaming down in Star Trek a death sentence? Ars Technica, 9/23/17
5
Feb 20
Gadgets in Science Fiction. II: Time Travel
Lecture:
Quantum Mechanics, Causality, Entropy, and Time
Readings:
Wells: The Time Machine
Andersen: Flight Forever *
Bradbury: A Sound of Thunder
 
Niven: The Theory and Practice of Time Travel *
Supporting Documentation:
Can we time travel? A theoretical physicist provides some answers The Conversation, 6/13/22
6
Feb 27
Fiction of the Apocalypse
Lecture:
Lucifer Is Fallen
Readings:
Miller: A Canticle for Liebowitz
Benet: By the Waters of Babylon
Bradbury: There Will Come Soft Rain *
Musical Interlude
Relevant songs by Tom Lehrer: We Will All Go Together When We Go
So Long Mom (A Song For World War III)
Other:
T. Cahill: How the Irish Saved Civilization (Anchor Books, 1995)
a non-fiction work documenting how monks may have preserved
Greek and Roman learning during the Dark ages
7
Mar 5
Fiction of the Near Future - Biology and Economics
Lecture:
Just Enough Genetics and Evolution
Readings:
Kress: Beggars in Spain *
Simak: Desertion *
Gibson: Johnny Mnemonic
Kollin & Kollin: The Unincorporated Man
Feinstein: It's a Trap: Emperor Palpatine's Poison Pill
Supporting Documentation
About CRISPR
A Use for CRISPR
8
Mar 19
Fiction of the Distant Future
Lecture:
Exoplanets.
the Kepler Orrery
The End of the Universe
Readings:
Herbert: Dune Introduction
Sheffield: At the Eschaton * Introduction
Sciencd
Dune: we simulated the desert planet of Arrakis to see if humans could survive there
Farnsworth, A. et al. 2021, The Conversation, 10/26/21
Musical Interlude
Zager & Evans: In the Year 2525
9
Mar 26
Present-day Dystopias
Lecture:
The Meaning of Exponential Growth
Readings:
Butler: Parable of the Talents
Bradbury: The Last Night of the World
10
Apr 2
Gadgets in Science Fiction. III: Aliens
Lecture:
Alien Biology
Asteroids
Arecibo
Readings:
Russell: The Sparrow
Brin: Lungfish
Shara & McDevitt: Lighthouse
Weinbaum: A Martian Odyssey
Fraknoi: The Unwelcome Reply
11
Apr 9
Communicating with Aliens
Lecture:
SETI
Readings:
Cherryh: Foreigner
Knight: To Serve Man *
Other:
Scientists say space aliens could hack our planet
Source: Hippke, M & Learned, J.G, 2018, arXiv:1802.02180
A Beacon in the Galaxy: Updated Arecibo Message for Potential FAST and SETI Projects, Jiang, J.H. et al., 2022, arXix:2203.04288 preprint
12
Apr 16
The End of the Earth
Lecture:
Impacts on the Earth: Risks and Rewards
Why Stars Explode (and Planets Do Not)
Readings:
Niven: Inconstant Moon *
Clarke: The Star *
Clarke: Rescue Party *
Optional Readings
Crichton: The Andromeda Strain
Mary Shelley: The Last Man
13
Apr 23
Futures that Never Were
Discussion:
Prospects for Artificial Intelligence
Robots
Readings:
Asimov: I, Robot
Asimov: The Last Question
Why the three laws of robotics do not work
Suggested Reading
Gibson: Neuromancer
Optional Reading
Karel Capek: R.U.R.
Other
Lehman et al. The Surprising Creativity of Digital Evolution
Non-technical summary in Popular Mechanics
14
Apr 30
Science Fiction as Allegory
Discussion:
That's a Wrap!
Readings:
Bradbury: The Martian Chronicles
Alternative chapters: The Fire Balloons (November 2002)
The Wilderness (May 2003)
Video
Dark Star