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Intensive English Institute on the Teaching
of Science Fiction for 2008

The University of Kansas continues its role as the leader in science fiction education. I can do no greater service to teachers than to repeat the advice that I gave in Anatomy of Wonder 4: you should attend one of the Intensive English Institutes on the Teaching of Science Fiction offered at the University of Kansas each summer.

-Dennis M. Kratz, Anatomy of Wonder 5

 

For 2008 - the 24th anniversary of the program - the Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction is scheduled for July 14 - 25. The Campbell Conference will be July 10 - 13, and students are strongly encouraged to attend at least the Saturday and Sunday events of the Conference. The Campbell Conference plans to bring the winners of the Campbell and Sturgeon Awards to the campus as special guests, as well as other special guests. This year, we are hosting a special joint event with the Science Fiction Research Association, so we especially encourage students to attend - and perhaps present at the event! 

This year's SF Institute will focus on the readings listed below. Housing information is also available below.

Institute Information

This year's offering of the Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science Fiction will begin July 14 and concludes on July 25. Students are expected to attend at least the Saturday and Sunday events of the Campbell Conference (Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th) before classroom discussion begins on the 14th. The subjects for discussion in the Institutes alternate each year between the stories in the first four volumes of James Gunn's six-volume historical anthology, The Road to Science Fiction, and a list of 25 novels.

This year's discussion (2008) focuses on the novels. Next year (2009), discussion will focus on the short fiction.

The purpose of the Institute is to provide students with an understanding of contemporary and future science fiction through a study of how SF got to be the way it is. The class discusses how SF got to be what it is by comparing stories and their place in the evolution of SF, from the earliest prototypical examples through the 1980s. Permission from James Gunn or Chris McKitterick must be obtained at least a month before the first session so that reading can be completed before the class begins.

As in the past, the director and discussion leader for the Institute is James Gunn, one of the pioneer teachers of science fiction; author of 15 SF novels, eight collections of stories, and five books about SF; editor of eleven more books about SF; and the winner of the Pilgrim, Hugo, and Eaton awards. CSSF Associate Director Chris McKitterick joins the discussions this year.

This summer, so as not to compete with other summer English courses - which are almost all scheduled for the morning hours - Institute sessions will begin at 1:00 p.m. and normally end by 4 p.m. Class meets in Nunemaker Hall, room 102. Classes will meet on both Saturday, July 14 and Sunday, July 15, and students are encouraged to attend the Campbell Conference weekend, as well.

Housing and meals, if desired, can be arranged separately. Information on housing and a form to indicate interest in the Institute or Workshop can be found below.

The reading for the course should be completed before the course begins. There are no exams. Your grade (if taking the class for credit) is based on attendance and a paper due two weeks after the course ends. This paper may be one of the following:

  • An ambitious essay about a few books by one author, novels by varied authors discussing a single theme, or several short stories (recommended for SF scholars).
  • A lesson plan for an SF course (recommended for educators).
  • An original science-fiction short story (recommended for aspiring authors).

Permission to enroll must be obtained from James Gunn or Chris McKitterick well before the course begins so you have time to read the course materials before discussions begin. We will also have available the discussion order for the readings.

2008 Institute Discussion Schedule

For the 2008 summer novel program, we will study and discuss the following novels in this order:

  1. Session One: In the beginning: The Time Machine and Childhood's End
  2. Session Two: The alien peril: The War of the Worlds and The Puppet Masters
  3. Session Three: The human condition: The Caves of Steel and Dune
  4. Session Four: Thought experiments: Mission of Gravity and The Left Hand of Darkness
  5. Session Five: Evolution continues: The World of Null-A and More than Human
  6. Session Six: Invoking the social sciences: The Demolished Man and The Languages of Pao
  7. Session Seven: SF and the mainstream: The Sirens of Titan, Dying Inside, and The Listeners
  8. Session Eight: Dystopia and beyond: Stand on Zanzibar and Gateway
  9. Session Nine: Tinkering with history: The Man in the High Castle and Timescape
  10. Session Ten: The biological imperative: Darwin's Radioand Dawn (book one of the Xenogenesis trilogy)
  11. Session Eleven: Cyberpunk and the Singularity: Neuromancerand Accelerando (free download here)
  12. Session Twelve: Looking backward and forward: Perdido Street Station and Consider Phlebas

Reading List

NOTE: This list has recently been updated. Books with * before the author's name means they are new additions to the list, and books removed from the list are noted below. Required reading:

Here are the books that have been removed:

Some of these volumes might be difficult to find, so students are urged to seek out copies early and, when books are out of print, search used bookstores and online services (we provide links to two major online booksellers after each title, above). The University of Kansas Oread Book Store tries to always have copies of these books on hand. Address: Kansas Union, Lawrence KS 66045. Phone: 1-800-458-1111. Email: jayhawks@ku.edu. Web: http://www.kubookstore.com/. The Center holds a few copies of many of these books, so if you are local to Lawrence or are in town for our other summer programs, check with us to see if we can lend you a copy. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and our little library is supplied by previous students donating copies after completing their course.

Next year for the 2009 summer Institute, we will study the first four of the six volumes of The Road to Science Fiction, edited by James Gunn.

  • The Road to Science Fiction; From Gilgamesh to Wells, 1977 (New American Library), 2002 (Scarecrow Press)
  • The Road to Science Fiction #2: From Wells to Heinlein, 1979 (New American Library), 2002 (Scarecrow Press)
  • The Road to Science Fiction #3: From Heinlein to Here, 1979 (New American Library), 1996 (White Wolf), 2002 (Scarecrow Press)
  • The Road to Science Fiction #4: From Here to Forever, 1982 (New American Library), 1997 (White Wolf), 2002 (Scarecrow Press)

New volumes (not required reading):

  • The Road to Science Fiction #5: The British Way, 1998 (White Wolf)
  • The Road to Science Fiction #6: Around the World, 1998 (White Wolf)

Some of these books might be difficult to find, so students are urged to seek out copies early and, when books are out of print, search used bookstores and online services. The University of Kansas Oread Book Store tries to always have copies of these books on hand. Address:
Kansas Union, Lawrence KS 66045. Phone: 1-800-458-1111
Email: jayhawks@ku.edu
Web: http://www.jayhawks.com/

You can also order the revised editions of the first four volumes directly from Scarecrow Press: http://www.scarecrowpress.com/. Use the Quick Search keywords "James Gunn."

Schedule

Sessions are often held in the 6th floor lobby of the residential dorm or in neighboring Nunemaker Hall. Classes meet every day of the period including Saturday, July 14, and Sunday, July 15. Institute sessions begin at 1:00 p.m. and normally end by 4p.m.

Academic Credit

The Institute offers three hours of graduate or undergraduate credit for English 506 "Science Fiction" or English 790 "Studies in a Genre." The course may also be taken not for credit at a lower cost, but you must first get permission from James Gunn.

Housing for the Institute

Last year, our official dorm housing was Lewis Hall, a renovated residence located at the top of the hill. Each room in this dorm has a private bathroom and bedroom as well as a central area with a sink and counter space for a microwave or other small kitchen equipment. Dormitory rooms are available at the rate of $18 a night double, $36 a night single; if you want the double rate, you will need to work out a roommate in advance, because the Center is charged per room, not per occupant. Institute participants must confirm their dorm reservations by May 29th. Please pay for your room in advance by calculating the nightly rate times how many nights you will stay in the dorm, and make this check payable to CSSF (you may combine checks for CSSF).

See this map of the University of Kansas to find your way to the dorm: http://www.ku.edu/~parking/ParkingMap.pdf

Check out VisitLawrence.com for local hotel information.

Meals are available in a variety of places, including the Kansas Union and a myriad of local restaurants. Check out Lawrence.com for a list of just a few of the local eating establishments.

Costs

For credit-earning students, cost is the University of Kansas tuition for 3 credits of English 506 (undergraduate credit) or English 790 (graduate credit). Non-residents should expect to pay more for KU credit. To take this class through the Center for the Study of Science Fiction (not for credit), we request a $250 donation, payable to CSSF. If required for a non-credit student, we will provide a certificate of completion for the course.

Dorm and meal costs rise the longer you stay, of course, so plan appropriately. Meals vary in cost depending on where you eat. Please send a check payable to KU Housing before you arrive.

If you want to reserve a spot for next year's Institute, please fill out one of the forms below and submit it via email or mail. We require that non-credit students send their reservation and check by June 1, 2008, or we cannot reserve a position in the class. Our mail address:

Chris McKitterick
English Department
University of Kansas
Wescoe Hall
1445 Jayhawk Blvd, Room 3116
Lawrence Kansas 66045-7590

Enrollment Information and Request Form

Both an electronic form and a printable text form are available on line.

Contact us for any logistical help you might need in getting settled for your stay:

Transportation from Airport to Lawrence

The shuttle most people use to get to and from the airport is the "KCI Airport Shuttle" (also known as the "Roadrunner Shuttle"). Full information here (scroll to the bottom of the page for rates).

Toll-free phone contact number: (800) 747-2524 or call your travel agent
Local phone numbers:
    Junction City: (785) 238-6161
    Manhattan, KS: (785) 537-2086
    Topeka: (785) 272-9995

Maps

University of Kansas map:
http://www.ku.edu/visit/maps.shtml 

Kansas Union map:
http://www.jayhawks.com/union/images/KansasUnionMap2.pdf 

Lawrence map (a bus-route map, but very useful):
http://www.lawrencetransit.org/maps/ltspage2.pdf

Lawrence in the Summer

Lawrence, the location of the University of Kansas, is a pleasant college town of about 85,000 situated 40 miles from Kansas City and 20 miles from Topeka. Summers can be hot, but classrooms and housing are air-conditioned.

Among its many amenities, the University of Kansas has a large science-fiction collection and good reference collections; museums of natural history and art; and sports, theater, and concerts. Lawrence has many excellent restaurants and shopping and recreational opportunities. Kansas City is less than an hour away. Nighttime opportunities include movies, dinner, concerts, and star-gazing sessions.

The nearest major airport is Kansas City International, about 55 miles from Lawrence. Transportation to Lawrence from Kansas City International can be arranged through one of several airport shuttle services. By car, Lawrence is at the intersection of U.S. 59 and I-70 (Kansas Turnpike). The west interchange is closer to the campus. Lawrence can also be reached by Kansas Highway 10.

Find out all about Lawrence - its history, stores, museums, observatories, and SFnal activities - here.

Contact us for any logistical help you might need in getting settled for your stay:
Chris McKitterick (cmckit@ku.edu) or James Gunn (jgunn@ku.edu).

updated 6/13/2008

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