GOVT 3679: Interstellar Politics 

Authors writing in the Science Fiction/Speculative Fiction (SF) genre have long explored political themes— such as the rise and decline of empires, the impact of technological change on individual liberty, the nature of revolutionary struggles, the workings of totalitarianism, and the impact of socio-political collapse on humankind.

This seminar approaches SF as social-scientific and social-theoretic text. Subjects include the politics of contact, alterity, identity, games, and warfare. Readings include SF novels, as well as scholarly texts on politics and social science. Students are also expected to watch and discuss a limited number of films and videos.

This is not a literature course. We do not explore (much) the emergence of SF, its conventions, or its history; we do not read literary criticism of SF or cognate genres. Instead, we approach SF as many of its authors intend: as an opportunity for cognitive estrangement and a landscape of the imaginary that allows us to contemplate important political concerns.