POLS 236 Politics & Futuristic Literature
Although science fiction and futuristic novels are usually set in distant times and places, they very often engage and comment on the political questions, debates, structures and constructs that characterize our own times. POLS 236 provides students with an introduction to contemporary and historical international relations, and politics more generally, through the lens of science fiction. What does Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress tell us about revolution, colonialism, and dependency theory? To what degree do Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale and Leguin's Left Hand of Darkness learn from and inform contemporary feminism, and/or feminist IR theory? Beyond the allegory of hydraulic despotism and oil dependency, how does Dune present realpolitik, and what is Herbert's message about the role of the übermensch in political affairs? Using a combination of readings, films, group work, and discussions, students will ask and explore open-ended questions about the relationships between the major ideas and themes of politically relevant science fiction novels, comparative and international relations theory, and current events.
Course Type
ALA