Every semester my students are asked to write 2, 10 page papers; one as a midterm and one as a final. Right now we are in the throes of discussing their final projects (due 12/10). One assignment asks them to look at a book that has had "impact," and analyze the social history of that title: how it was received when first written, what is its appeal, what legacy has it left over time, is it still in print, etc...?
In a nod to this assignment, the ALA posted this list of "Science Fiction That Caused Political Change" in their weekly electronic newsletter to members.
Current students, take a look for ideas here. And everyone else, this list is interesting and thought provoking. I would suggest these titles even for those of you who do not think you like Science Fiction.
Science fiction, sometimes called "speculative fiction," has long provided "thought experiments" which imagine alternative worlds where current developments social, political, scientific, technological, cultural are pushed to their logical extremes. In some cases, these visions of the future embrace the dominant American ideology of technological utopianism that is, the belief that technological advances will dramatically improve human social and cultural relations. Other writers have offered more pessimistic and apocalyptic visions, linking advanced technologies with concentrations of political power, coercive mechanisms of social control, or weapons of mass destruction.
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Bobwilliams
viral and buzz marketing