Course Catalogue

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This course explores recent Fantastika (Fantasy, Science Fiction and supernatural fiction) across a range of lengths and forms, examining the diverse roles that stories of impossible things play in contemporary culture. In seminars, we will assess the various affordances of genre; think about how to write critically on recently published texts; analyse the cultural framing of works of art; and engage in collaborative, discursive reading. The course will pay special attention to the ways in which genre communities value texts, touching on commerce, aesthetics, politics and forms of representation. The first part of the course will explore a syllabus of texts chosen by the instructor, drawn principally from recent award shortlists. Texts for the second part of the course will be contemporary Fantastika publications nominated by students and selected by group vote during the first part of the course.

1 x 1-hour introductory lecture

9 x 2-hour seminars

1 x 1-hour essay workshop

Successful completion of Junior Honours in English Literature, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Two short introductory oral contributions to seminars (2-3 mins each) - 10% 

■ Reviewing exercise: review(s) and reflection (1500 words total) - 30% 

■ Essay (3000 words) - 60% 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ Written self-evaluation reflecting on seminar contribution or written response to seminar material in advance or after seminar as alternative to oral contributions.

■ There are no alternatives to the reviewing exercise (1500 words total, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ There are no alternatives to the essay (3000 words), but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course aims to:

■ Introduce students to a wide range of contemporary Fantastika

■ Analyse different value systems at play in modern genre culture (aesthetic, commercial, political, representational, community-based)

■ Explore how a toolbox of academic approaches can be employed to shed light on newly published works

■ Consider how Fantastika is assessed by fans, in reviews and in scholarly discourse

■ Employ a co-created syllabus to examine the richness of modern genre writing and to reflect critically on the shaping of reading lists and seminar conversations

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Analyse the social and cultural affordances of recent genre fiction

■ Discuss recently published texts using a variety of critical and theoretical frameworks

■ Assess the qualities of works of contemporary Fantastika in oral discussions, review discourse and academic prose

■ Scrutinise the value systems within which contemporary genre fictions operate

■ Critically reflect on the process of selecting syllabus texts and on what makes for a productive seminar discussion