SCIENCE FICTION AS A GENRE
2.1 The term "sci-fi" 2.2 Innovation 3 Subgenres 3.1 Hard SF 3.2 Soft and social SF 3.3 Cyberpunk 3.4 Time travel 3.5 Alternate history 3.6 Military SF 3.7 Superhuman 3.8 Apocalyptic 3.9 Space opera 3.10 Space Western 3.11 Other sub-genres 4 Related genres 4.1 Speculative fiction, fantasy, and horror 4.2 Fantasy 4.3 Horror fiction 4.4 Mystery fiction 4.5 Superhero fiction GENERATION SHIP 1.The idea that a spaceship could travel for
thousands of years carrying humanity across the universe 2. Write a paragraph describing a day in theGENERATION SHIP: the people, thecircumstances, laws, rules, activities,relationships, THE GARDEN THE INCUBATOR GENERATION SHIP : MOTHER THE LONG DEAD RING WORLDS GENERATION SHIP 1.The idea that a spaceship could travel for
thousands of years carrying humanity across the universe 2. Write a paragraph describing a day in theGENERATION SHIP: the people, thecircumstances, laws, rules, activities,relationships, THE GENERATION SHIP ON ITS ETERNAL VOYAGE SUMMARY OF THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES
A Martian woman has dreams of a rocketcoming down from the sky, containing a light- skinned, blue-eyed creature named NathanielYork. Her husband is weary, and when the rocketlands, he shoots the men. All over Mars, people begin to hum Earthtunes and have strange dreams. When a second rocket lands, the astronautsget out and explore. They say they are from Earth, but everyonethinks they are crazy people who havehallucinated their rocket. Thus, they are all shot by a psychologist. Meanwhile, on Earth, a crazed taxpayer triesto board the third rocket to Mars, but he isdenied. When it lands, the astronauts find themselvesin an ideal small American town. They meet their dead relatives and split up tohave dinner with lost parents and brothers. Captain John Black goes to bed next to hislong-lost brother, only to realize that it isprobably all a Martian trap. His "brother" killshim before he can leave the room. THE FOURTH EXPEDITION A year later, a fourth expedition lands, and it issuccessful. Almost all the Martians have diedof chicken pox, apparently acquired from oneof the previous expeditions. Captain Wilderlets his men drink and dance, but this angersthe archaeologist in the crew, Jeff Spender.Spender feels humbled by the great Martiancivilization and wants the rest of the crew to bedignified. He goes crazy and tries to kill thecrew; Wilder reasons with him and issomewhat sympathetic, but finally has to shoothim. THE SETTLERS Settlers begin to arrive on Mars, drawn by the promise of work. Benjamin Driscoll's job is to plant trees. One morning, after it finally rains, he turns around and sees that the once-barren landscape is now covered with green. Another settler, Toma's Gomez, experiences an even stranger event when, in the middle of nowhere, he runs into a Martian. They cannot touch each other, seeming to exist on different time-planes. TAMING MARS The first settlers are rough, but they buildchurches in little shantytowns just likeAmerican towns. Sometimes, their childrensneak off to Martian ruins, where countlesscarcasses are still being cleaned up. They playsongs on the Martian bones. Back on Earth, allthe Negroes in the American South havebanded together to emigrate to Mars. As theywalk in an exit parade through one city, a racistwhite man, Mr. Teece, tries to stop them, butthey band together to pay all debts. The racistman weeps and feels lost without them. BITTER DREAMS Back on Mars, a man named William Stendahlhas constructed a recreation of the House ofUsher. He is bitter that the government hasmade tales of fantasy illegal. He invites the toppoliticians responsible for this to a party, atwhich they are systematically killed. Mars is eventually flooded with retirees. Onecouple misses their dead son, until one dayTom shows up on their porch. He is actually aMartian who changes shape according to thedesires of those around him, and when hegoes to town, many people fight over him,each thinking him to be a different person. ATOMIC ARMAGEDDON News comes from Earth that atomic war is imminent.
Sam Parkhill, a man from Captain Wilder'sexpedition, is proud of the hot dog stand hehas just opened. Suddenly, some Martians approach him, buthe kills them. Finally, he is subdued. They hand over to himtheir deeds for half of Mars. He is bewildered, until later that night, whenhe sees Earth burst into flame. All over Mars, people watch, and a radiosignal comes to Mars with the words "ComeHome." Everyone evacuates. One man, named WalterGripp, who lives in the mountains, is leftbehind. He searches desperately for a woman to keephim company, but when he finds GenevieveSelsor, she is disgusting. THE SURVIVORS Twenty years pass, with Hathaway living withhis family in a shack on Mars, waiting for arescue. Finally, a rocket lands. It is CaptainWilder, back from exploring Jupiter and Pluto.He doesn't understand why Hathaway's familyhas not aged, and as Hathaway suddenly diesof a heart attack, he realizes that they arerobots. THE AFTERMATH ON EARTH Back on Earth, a fully automated house isdying. Its occupants died long ago, in thenuclear war, but the house kept washing andplaying music every day. A falling tree boughsets it on fire. On Mars, a family has escapedthe wasteland of Earth. Dad tells his sons thatthey are Martians now. Soon another familywill arrive, with girls. Dad is happy to have leftthe foolishness of Earth. ASSIGNMENTS CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ANDHAND IN YOUR PROJECT IN TWO WEEKSTIME1. Create a drawing or painting of one of thecharacters in the GENERATION SHIP,expressing his personality. Write a one pagepaper explaining the artistic techniques used tocommunicate the characters personality Choreograph a ritual dance that could havebeen used in the GENERATION SHIP. Performfor the class. Write a one-page paperexplaining the relationship of the choreographyto the story Develop masks for the major characters inthe GENERATION SHIP. By changing masks,illustrate the changing of the characters.Demonstrate to the class. Write a one-pagepaper explaining the symbolic value for themasks in relation to the characters Investigate the use of ceremonial sounds etc. to begin or end rituals. Demonstrate for theclass. Write a one page paper explaining whatyou learned Demonstrate the symbolic relationship ofclothing and civilization in THE GENERATIONSHIP for the class. Do the same for the currentcivilization. Write a one-page summary of therelationship of clothing and society Write a 2-3-page paper examining theconcepts/images of mysticism in THEGENERATION SHIP Prepare a recording of GENERATION SHIPsounds that may have occurred during their adventure. Write a one-page paper explainingyour sound montage and play your tape for theclass Choose one major character andpsychoanalyze his personality. Use actualpsychological terms and support your analysiswith evidence from THE GENERATION SHIPin a 2-3-page paper Videotape interviews with the majorsurviving characters appearing on a talk showto relate their adventure to the t.v. audience.Talk about events from their adventure. Write aone-page paper explaining the significance ofthe events you choose to share with the t.v.public Videotape a grand jury preliminary hearingdetermining whether there is enough evidenceto investigate the death of one of the crew as amurder. Use actual characters and details fromthe ship, as well as your own characters foryour grand jury and court personnel. Write a 2- 3-page script for this videotape Write three conflicting newspaper accountsby three different reporters detailing the eventson the ship as told by to the media by the crewafter being rescued Female characters in THE GENERATIONSHIP. Write a 2-3-page paper,