Middlebury

FYSE 1042

Language in Science Fiction

First Contact: Language in Science Fiction
In this course we explore how humans conceptualize communication with extraterrestrial beings and artificial intelligence. Through fiction and film works in the “first contact” subgenre of science fiction, we will reflect on how language functions as a device in these narratives to reveal our own limited perspective, sense of in-group and out-group, and anxieties about the “other” and our own future. Students will learn critical analysis skills by dissecting the works of writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin and Ted Chiang; additionally, students will engage in thematic gameplay and creative writing in the genre.
Subject:
First Year Seminar
Department:
First-Year Seminar Program
Division:
Interdisciplinary
Requirements Fulfilled:
CW LIT

Sections in Fall 2023, School Abroad Japan (Tokyo)

Fall 2023

FYSE1042A-F23 Seminar (Harris)