From pulp origins to mainstream dominance, science fiction has evolved into a powerful storytelling form that explores new worlds, ideas, and ways of thinking. This course traces the genre’s growth over two centuries, distinguishing it from fantasy and myth, and highlighting key authors who shaped its direction. We will discover how science fiction reflects cultural change and reimagines the future.
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YOUR INSTRUCTOR: Gary Wolfe
Gary Wolfe is emeritus professor of humanities at Roosevelt University and a critic for Locus magazine. He is the author of Evaporating Genres and editor of American Science Fiction volumes for the Library of America. Wolfe has received multiple awards, including a Hugo and a Ditmar for The Coode Street Podcast, which he co-hosts with Jonathan Strahan.