SF has an influence in the real world. Need proof? Big Brother isn’t just an idea in an George Orwell novel. Political Science Ficion is good stuff and finally there’s someone out there proving it…
Good old Doc Brown (Professor Courtney Brown Ph.D) of Emory University in Georgia (USA) is offering a Political Science course entitled Science Fiction and Politics (Political Science 190) and he’s making the lectures available as a podcast. The spring 2006 semester has already started, but don’t worry there’s no cost to audit. SFFaudio gives it an A+!
Lectures already available include:
Class #01: Introduction and Overview |MP3|
Class #02: Foundation by Isaac Asimov (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #03: Foundation by Isaac Asimov (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #04: Foundation And Empire by Isaac Asimov |MP3|
Class #05: Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov |MP3|
Class #06: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #07: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #08: The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #09: The Left Hand Of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #10: The Uplift War by David Brin (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #11: The Uplift War by David Brin (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #12: Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #13: Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear (2 of 2) |MP3|
Class #14: How to write your essays |MP3|
Class #15: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #16: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (1 of 2) |MP3|
Class #17: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (1 of ?)|MP3|
Class #18: ??? |Forthcoming|
Class #19: ??? |Forthcoming|
Class #20: ??? |Forthcoming|
Class #21: ??? |Forthcoming|
Forthcoming lectures will cover Neuromancer, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.
Were I attending the classes in person I’d have banged my shoe on the desk and insist we talk about a Mack Reynolds novel. Maybe later in the course?