What can Chinese science fiction teach us about ourselves, modern China, and the world? In this course we will grapple with this question in a profound and personal way by reading, reflecting, discussing, and writing about a variety of science fictional works from the early 1950s to the present. We will encounter strange alien societies, post-human figures and visions, fascinating scientific and technological ideas, utopian thought and dystopian critique, as we consider themes such as nationalism, environmental degradation, social and economic inequality, the benefits and dangers of technology, and the future of humanity. We will discover how Chinese authors use science fiction to imagine how the world might work, to unsettle our perception of reality, and to reveal the unseen and suppressed underside of modern society. .
Professor Andrew Kauffman (andrew.kauffman@unlv.edu)
MoTuWeThFr 11:50am-1:30pm