Science Fiction 2010

Hi guys,

Welcome to our SF class! We are more than happy that you are interested in studying SF.We promise that you will learn a lot as well as enjoy the class.
Here is the BCO:

Week 1 : What is Science Fiction?
2 : The History of Science Fiction
3 : "A True Story" by Lucian Samosata
4 : "Reason" by Isaac Asimov
5 : Holiday (Idul Fitri)
6 : "Slow Tuesday Night" by R.A. Lafferty
7 : "The Cold Equation" by Tom Godwin
8 : "Who can Replace a Man?" by Brian W. Aldiss
9 : Mid-term Exams
10 : Presentation
11 : Presentation
12 : "The Street of Ashkelon" by Harry Harrison
13 : "All You Zombies" by Robert Heinlein
14 : "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison
15 : Wrap-Up

Grading Policy:

Presentation : 20%
Quiz and Participation : 10%
Midterm : 35%
Final : 35%

Your Presentation and Invitation to a Collaboration

Dear Guys,

When I am writing this, I feel so happy that what you have presented so far makes me proud of you. I guess you, guys, have understood what science fiction is. Since the class has been taught a few years ago, I have been wondering why people seem to ignore this genre, while in other English Department overseas, SF has become one of the majors..
I need some followers to promote the class.

I also invite some students who would like to write a paper together with me and publish it in our jurnal K@ta. Please contact me when you feel interested. I have a lot of ideas to write and I need you to collaborate on writing them. Don't hesitate to contact me...
Thank you

Presentation

Are you ready for your presentation guys?
This is the guideline you have to do in your presentation:
1. Summarize the story
2. Mention the sub-genre of the work and why the work belongs to that sub-genre
3. Analyze the work by first picking up one issue out of the work-themes
4. Explain the effect of change that may happen because of the issue discussed by you
5. Mention other issues that can be discussed from the work

The presentation will last about 10-15 minutes including Q&A.
Can't wait to listen to your presentation, guys!

"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream"

I have two questions to ponder:
1. Benny, one of the five characters, has been robbed of intellect and indentity by AM. How far is this true?
2. Why would the men rather face whatever AM creates to make them suffer physically and mentally than lose or let something happen to Ellen?

"The Cold Equation"

When life and death are choices, what values will be preserved?
Can you find the weakness of the story?

"Reason"

"Reason" by Isaac Asimov has been a very awesome story. How a robot is given some characteristics of human being has made the story alive. However, there are some contradictory actions of the robots to the three laws of robotics which favor human beings above all. Then, what does it mean?

Robert. A Heinlein's "All You Zombies"

"All You Zombies" chronicles a young man (later revealed to be intersex) taken back n time and tricked into impregnating his younger, female self before he underwent the sex change. He thus turns out to be the offspring of that union, with the paradoxical result that he is both his own mother and father. When the story goes it is found out that all the characters in the story are revealed to be the same paerson at different stages of her/his life.
A question to ponder:
How will a person be the mother and at the same time become the father and the
daughter?
Issues : Incest, Sex Change, Hermaphrodite