EAC234

Elements of an SF Story

Common elements in SF books/movies/tv shows/etc:

Final Exam Questions

The final exam will cover all the material we've discussed in class and will be closed book. It will consist of the following questions:

• 10 content questions worth 10 marks (similar to the quizzes). The answers can be single words or in point form, as is appropriate. Grammar will not count, although spelling will!

• 5 short answer questions (no more than 1 page) worth 5 marks each. Your answer should be a complete paragraph with grammatically correct sentences and have appropriate formatting - page citations are not required. Typically these questions will require three or more sentences.

• 1 longer essay question (5-8 pages), worth 25 marks. This should be a complete essay, with an introduction, thesis statement, conclusion, and two to three body paragraphs, each of which addresses a sub-topic and provides concrete examples from the assigned readings to support your thesis. Your answer should also be in grammatically correct sentences and have appropriate formatting - page citations are not required.

For the exam I will select questions from the lists below. There will not be a choice of questions (you have to answer all the questions I give you!), so you might want to sketch out answers to all these questions beforehand to prepare for the exam. I'm also happy to answer any questions you might have or to have a quick look at a point form answer you draw up to any of these questions - as long as you send it to me before exam week.

Short Answer Questions

• Identify the major characteristics of "Golden Age" SF. Illustrate your points by referring to one of the assigned readings.
• Identify the major characteristics of "New Wave" SF. Illustrate your points by referring to one of the assigned readings.
• Identify the major characteristics of "Cyberpunk" SF. Illustrate your points by referring to one of the assigned readings.
• Identify the major characteristics of "New space Opera" SF. Illustrate your points by referring to one of the assigned readings.
• Identify the major characteristics of "Hard" SF. Illustrate your points by referring to one of the assigned readings.
• Identify the major characteristics of "Social" SF. Illustrate your points by referring to one of the assigned readings.
• John W. Campbell was an influential editor of SF. How did he help shape SF?
• Hugo Gernsback was an influential editor of SF. How did he help shape SF?
• What major changes took place in SF as it moved from the "pulp" era to the "Golden Age"?
• Homelessness is a theme in "Aye, and Gomorrah". Explain. Cite concrete examples from the story to support your explanation.
• Why did Tiptree choose to make her narrator, and main character, a "strong" male character? Illustrate your points by referring to the story.
• What is Gibson saying about the place of the individual in a corporate-run society? Support your argument by referring to concrete examples from the story.
• Science fiction stories often have to deliver a lot of information to the reader, but don't want to deliver it in a tedious way (i.e. as a dry lecture). Describe the techniques used to do this in one of the assigned readings.
• The scientific method is often a theme in SF. Explain how it is examined in “Flowers for Algernon”. Cite concrete examples to support your explanation.
• At the end of the "The Women Men Don't See" the narrator says, "Two of our opossums are missing." Explain. Cite concrete examples from the story to support your explanation.
• Does Ender represent "Good" in Ender's Game? Support your argument by referring to concrete examples from the novel.
• Does Peter represent "Bad" in Ender's Game? Support your argument by referring to concrete examples from the novel.
• Communication, or lack of communication, is important in Ender's Game. Explain. Cite concrete examples from the novel to support your explanation.
• In Ender's Game, does Ender come to terms with the destruction of the buggers? Support your argument by referring to concrete examples from the novel.

Longer Essay Questions

• "By scientification... I mean the Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, and Edgar Allan Poe type of story---a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision" -Hugo Gernsback. Is Gernsback's definition a good definition of SF? Defend your answer by citing concrete examples from Ender's Game and at least three of the other assigned readings.
• "Science Fiction is the branch of literature that deals with the effects of change on people in the real world as it can be projected into the past, the future, or to distant places. It often concerns itself with scientific or technological change, and it usually involves matters whose importance is greater than the individual or the community; often civilization or the race itself is in danger." -James E. Gunn. Is Gunn's definition a good definition of SF? Defend your answer by citing concrete examples from Ender's Game and at least three of the other assigned readings.
• "A science fiction story is a story built around human beings, with a human problem and a human solution, which would not have happened at all without its scientific content." -Theodore Sturgeon. Is Sturgeon's definition a good definition of SF? Defend your answer by citing concrete examples from Ender's Game and at least three of the other assigned readings.
• "A handy short definition of almost all science fiction might read: realistic speculation about possible future events, based solidly on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present, and on a thorough understanding of the nature and significance of the scientific method." -Robert A. Heinlein. Is Heilein's definition a good definition of SF? Defend your answer by citing concrete examples from Ender's Game and at least three of the other assigned readings.
• "Science fiction is really sociological studies of the future, things that the writer believes are going to happen by putting two and two together." - Ray Bradbury. Is Bradbury's definition a good definition of SF? Defend your answer by citing concrete examples from Ender's Game and at least three of the other assigned readings.

Short Story Wiki Pages (for Assignment 1)

EAC234 Assignment 1 - Helen O'loy - Mark Salvador

EAC234 Assignment 1 - It's A Good Life - Chris Baynton

SF and Literary Terms - A Glossariki!

LY, light year

The distance traveled by light in one Earth year. Light travels at 300,000 km/sec, so a light year is [1 light year = 9.4605284 × 1015 meters]. One light second - 300,000 km or the distance light travels in one second

FTL

faster than light.

FTL drive

the drive that enables ships to cross interstellar distances fast than light would (so in a relatively short time)

Robot

A robot is an electro-mechanical device or group of devices that can perform autonomous or preprogrammed tasks unaided by human intervention. C-3PO and R2-D2 are examples of robots.

Android

An android is a robot made to resemble a human, usually both in appearance and behavior. Data from Star Trek is an example of an android.

Cyborg

Stands for a CYBernetic ORGanism. In essence a creature that is part organic and part mechanical, computerized, etcetera. The Terminator is an example of a cyborg, for it is a mechanical body covered with organic skin and flesh.