UGS 303 Syllabus - UT Direct - The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin
Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/slavic/
Spring Semester 2013
UNDERGRADUATE SIGNATURE COURSE
“A World Apart:
Russian Sci-Fi in Literature and Film”
UGS 303 (#64810-64885)
COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor:
Offices:
Prof. Thomas. J. Garza
Calhoun CAL 406 (mailbox in CAL 415)
and Rainey HRH 4.190
Phone:
471-3607 or 475-9649
Email:
tjgarza@austin.utexas.edu
Office hours: T 11-12:30 (CAL 406), M 2-3:30 (HRH 4.190)
and any other time by appointment
Class time:
MW 1:00-2:00 pm in FAC 21
Friday meeting time according to section
Required texts: [available at the UT Co-op or from online sellers]
• Worlds Apart: An Anthology of Russian Science Fiction and Fantasy. Alexander
Levitsky, New York, NY: Overlook Press, 2008.
• We, Evgeny Zamyatin, [Natasha Randall, trans.] New York: Modern Library, 2006.
• A Dog’s Heart, Mikhail Bulgakov, [Andrew Bromfield, trans.] New York: Penguin
Books, 1998.
• Prisoners of Power (The Inhabited Island), Strugatsky Brothers, Moscow. [available on
Blackboard]
• Course Packet (CP) [available at Speedway Printers at 715 W. 23rd Street]
Films: [excerpted in class, most available in full versions online or on Netflix]
• Aelita Queen of Mars, «Аэлита», Jakov Protozanov, dir. (1924).
• Space Flight, «Космический рейс», Vasily Zhuravlev, dir. (1935).
• Planet of Storms, «Планета бурь», Pavel Klushantsev, dir. (1961).
• His Name Was Robert, «Его звали Роберт», Ilya Olshvanger, dir. (1967).
• Soliaris, «Солярис», Andrei Tarkovsky, dir. (1972).
• Stalker, «Сталкер», Andrei Tarkovsky, dir. (1979).
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• The Heart of a Dog, «Собачье сердце», Vladimir Bortko, dir. (1988).
• The Fatal Eggs, «Роковые яйца», Sergei Lomkin, dir. (1995).
• Night Watch, «Ночной дозор», Timur Bekmambetov, dir. (2004).
• Day Watch, «Дневной дозор», Timur Bekmambetov, dir. (2006).
• The Inhabited Island, «Обитаемый остров», Fyodor Bondarchuk, dir. (2009).
Music: [played in class, available online]
• Various artists.
• Signal from Space «Сигнал из космоса», Splеаn, Moscow: Mir muzyki, 2009.
I.
G ENERAL
The country that brought us Sputnik and reinvented the robot also created some of the
world's best creations of science fiction and fantasy. From the works of classic Russian
writers (such as Pushkin, Lermontov and Gogol), to the harsh images of Soviet-era utopias
(such as Zamyatin’s We and Bulgakov’s Fatal Eggs and The Heart of a Dog), to the films of
the 20th century (such as Tarkovsky’s Soliaris and Stalker), and current post-Soviet works
(such as the apocalyptic vampire thrillers Night Watch and Day Watch, and the post-colonial
Inhabited Island), we'll explore the remarkable world of Russian sci-fi through a variety of
media. Whether you're already a sci-fi fan, or a newcomer to the genre, prepare to discover a
brave new world!
Course Requirements
Writing: This course carries the Writing Flag
. Writing Flag courses are designed to give
students experience and training in writing in an academic context. In this class, you can
expect to write throughout the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive
feedback from your instructors to help you improve your writing. You will also have the
opportunity to revise one or more assignments, and to read and discuss your peers' work. You
should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from your written work.
You are strongly encouraged to use the Undergraduate Writing Center, FAC 211, 471-6222:
http://www.uwc.utexas.edu/. The Undergraduate Writing Center offers free, individualized,
expert help with writing for any UT undergraduate, by appointment or on a drop-in basis.
Any undergraduate enrolled in a course at UT can visit the UWC for assistance with any
writing project. Their services are not just for writing that has "problems." Getting feedback
from an informed audience is a normal part of a successful writing project. Consultants help
students develop strategies to improve their writing. The assistance they provide is intended
to foster independence. Each student determines how to use the consultant's advice. The
consultants are trained to help you work on your writing in ways that preserve the integrity of
your work.
Remember: you MUST appropriately attribute and cite any words, thoughts, or ideas that
are not you own, no matter how obtained (hard copy, lecture, website, etc.). Failure to do so
constitutes plagiarism, and will result in failure of the assignment and possible failure in the
course.
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Attendance and Participation: You are expected to attend all class meetings regularly [both
MW lecture sessions, plus one additional Friday discussion section], do all assigned readings
and film viewings in advance of the relevant class meeting, and prepare all written and oral
assignments. Because the readings and films covered in this course are chronological and
cumulative in design, your regular attendance is required. Missing more than five (5) class
sessions – excused or otherwise – will lose a letter of the final grade. Participants who do not
complete all five of the required components of the syllabus cannot pass the course. In
extreme and extenuating circumstances, the instructor may excuse certain absences.
Observance of religious holidays is excused.
ECHO 360º: This class is taking part in a lecture capturing experiment. As part of this
experiment, audio and video material presented in class will be recorded and made available
to you for review via Bb. Links for the recordings will appear in the EchoCenter section on
the Bb page for this class. Although every effort will be taken to keep the system running,
UT and I cannot guarantee the availability of these recordings. Attending class is the only
way to insure your viewing and understanding of the professor's presentations.
Reaction Paper: A brief (4-5 pages) reaction paper to one of the readings or media
presentations covered in class is due by Wednesday, February 20. While this essay is not
research based, it may contain references or support from external sources, if needed.
Essay: Each student will is required to hand in on Monday, April 15, a more formal paper
(8-10 pages), treating any of the material covered during the semester. Sample paper topics
and treatments will be given out in class and on Blackboard in advance of the due date.
Reading/Film Reviews: Three (3) two-page critical reviews of any of the readings or films
treated in the syllabus will be due during the course of the semester. The first of these
reviews will be the basis for your in-class presentation during your section (See below).
Reading/Film Review Panel: Your TA will group you into “Review Panels” of two or three
students to present your critical commentaries to your Friday group. Each of you will be
responsible for answering any of your questions or respond to any comments in class. The
review may then be revised and rewritten before submitting for grading.
Final Exam: A written exam (50 minutes) covering readings, films, slides, lectures from the
entire course -- will be given during the last class session on Wednesday, May 1, 2013.
Special Accommodations: Any student with disabilities may request appropriate academic
accommodations from Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259. Any necessary
accommodations should be presented to the instructor in written form from the SSD at the
beginning of the course.
II.
G RA DING
There are five components of the final course grade totaling 100 points.
components and their relative point values are:
Reaction Paper (4-5 pp.)
15
Essay (8-10 pp.)
30
Reading/Film Reviews (3 @ 2pp.) 15 (5 ea.) Final exam
25
Review Panel
15
These
The 100-point final score will be converted to a letter grade based on the UT Registrar’s scale:
Spring 2013
UGS 303 Syllabus
94 – 100
90 – 93
87 – 89
84 – 86
80 – 83
77 – 79
=
=
=
=
=
=
A
AB+
B
BC+
page 4
74 – 76
70 – 73
67 – 69
64 – 66
60 – 63
59 and below
=
=
=
=
=
=
C
CD+
D
DF
III. UT H ONOR C ODE
The University of Texas Honor Codes reads:
“The core values of The University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery,
freedom, leadership, individual opportunity and responsibility. Each member of
the university is expected to uphold these values through integrity, honesty, trust,
fairness and respect toward peers and community.”
Each class participant is expected to adhere to these principles throughout the course, in
dealing with the instructors, fellow students, and in completing all written assignments
for the course. Your instructors will do the same.
COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNMENTS
Monday, January 14
Introduction to UGS 303
Overview of syllabus and requirements for UGS 303
• Establishment of scene: Russia and Science Fiction and Fantasy
For next meeting, read “Why Science Fiction is the Wrong and Only
Name for It” in the CP.
Wednesday, January 16
Toward a Definition of Science Fiction
• The need and place of science fiction in Western literature and culture
For next session, read “Worlds of Russian Fantasy” (pp. 9-38) in
Levitsky, and “The Golden Age of Science Fiction is Twelve” in the CP.
Wednesday, January 23
Science Fiction vs. Science Fantasy
• Understanding Fantastic Worlds: Fact and Fiction
• University Treasure: HRC Currey Science Fiction Collection
For the next session, read “From Folk Myth to the Fantastic in
Poetry and Prose” (pp. 39-56) in Levitsky.
Russian Fantasy vs. Fiction
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Monday, January 28
The Origins of Russian Sci-Fi: Fantasy
• The Age of Enlightenment in Russia and Literature
• The creation of the “phantasmagoric”
For next meeting, read Pushkin’s “The Bronze Horseman” and “The
Queen of Spades,” and Lermontov’s “Demon” (pp. 73-106) in Levitsky.
Wednesday, January 30
19th Century Texts
• The Supernatural and Fantasy in Russian society
• Depicting the “Other” in literature
For next meeting, read Gogol’s “The Diary of a Madman” and “The
Nose” (pp. 183-219) in Levitsky.
Monday, February 4
19th Century, Continued
• When is the Supernatural “Natural”?
• The Place of “Place” in Fantasy Literature
For next meeting, read “Early Modern Utopias” (pp. 220-226), and “Vera
Pavlovna’s Fourth Dream” (pp. 248-258) in Levitsky.
Wednesday, February 6
Russian Utopias
• Russia on the Eve of Revolution
• Who Needed a Utopian Society?
For next meeting, read “Three Responses to Utopian
Thought” in Levitsky (pp. 259-290).
Poster for Aelita (1924)
Monday, February 11
The Russian Revolution and New Literature
• Beginnings of Socialist Realism
• View scenes from Aelita, Queen of Mars
For next meeting, read “Modern Russian Fantasy” (pp. 291-297) and
selection from A.N. Tolstoy’s “Aelita” (pp. 555-583) in Levitsky, and
“Aelita” by O’Mahoney in CP.
Wednesday, February 13 Aelita (1924)
• Soviet Utopias
• The place of the space race in Soviet nationalism
For next meeting, read “Russia’s Modernist and Post-Symbolist Prose”
(pp. 345-347) and “The Cave” (pp. 408-416) in Levitsky, and begin
reading Zamyatin’s We.
Monday, February 18
Zamyatin’s Worlds
• Revisiting “Place” in Soviet times
• Identity in Utopia and Dystopia
For the next meeting, finish reading We. Reaction Paper due Wednesday!
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Wednesday, February 20 We (1921)
• The creation of Dystopia
• Reaction Paper due today
For the next meeting, read “The Waning of Modernism”
(pp. 447-452) and Olesha’s “On the Fantasy of H.G.
Wells” (pp. 466-470) in Levitsky.
Evgeny Zamyatin
Monday, February 25
We and Its Successors
• The Rise of Stalin and Literary Reactions
• The World of Olesha
For next meeting, read 2003 Foreword to The Fatal Eggs in CP.
Wednesday, February 27
Bulgakov’s World
• The Soviet Union in the 1920s and ‘30s
• Writer as Rebel
For next meeting, read the first half of Bulgakov’s The Fatal Eggs.
Monday, March 4
The Fatal Eggs (1924)
• Literary views of the Soviet Union
• The Re-emergence of Soviet Space Worlds
Mikhail Bulgakov
For next meeting, finish reading Bulgakov’s
The Fatal Eggs.
Wednesday, March 6
The Fatal Eggs (1924), pt. 2
• Return to worlds of the past as the future?
• Deus ex machina
For next meeting, read Bulgakov’s The Heart of a Dog.
HAVE a UTOPIAN Spring Break!
Monday, March 18
The Heart of a Dog (1925)
• Literary Creations of Homo Sovieticus
• The Place of Medicine in Sci-Fi
For next meeting, read the Strugatsky Brothers’ “The Visitors” in the CP.
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Wednesday, March 20
Socialist Realism after the
War: The Strugatsky Brothers
• The Cold War comes to Russian Sci-Fi
• View scenes from Man-Amphibian (1961)
For next meeting read the Strugatsky Brothers’
“Roadside Picnic” in CP.
Strugatsky Brothers
Monday, March 25
Period of Stagnation and Sci-Fi: Strugatsky Brothers
• View scenes from Cold War Soviet films Days of Darkness, Planet of
Storms (1962) and His Name Was Robert (1967)
For next meeting, read “Autobiography, Memory and Identity: The
Films of Andrei Tarkovskii” in CP.
Wednesday, March 27
Tarkovsky: Soliaris (1972)
• Space as New Soviet utopia
• View scenes from Tarkovsky’s Soliaris
For next meeting watch film Soliaris.
Monday, April 1
Soliaris, cont.
• View scenes from American production of Solaris (2002)
For next meeting watch film Stalker.
Wednesday, April 3
Stalker (1979)
• From literature to film: Process and Product
• Period of Stagnation
For next meeting, catch up on your film viewing(!).
Monday, April 8
Stalker, cont.
• The connection between death in 19th c.
Russian literature
Still from Tarkovsky’s Stalker
For next meeting, read Galichenko’s “The Age of
Perestroika” in CP and “On Contemporary Russian
Fantasy” (pp. 647-650) in Levitsky.
Wednesday, April 10
Post-Soviet genres
• The collapse of the Soviet Union 1991
• The response in literature and film
For next meeting, read selection from Lukyanenko’s Night Watch and
Day Watch in CP.
NB: Essays are due on Monday!
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Monday, April 15
Sci-Fi turns to Horror?
• Russian politics and fantasy worlds at home
• Sci-Fi vampires as the Post-Soviet “Other”
• View scenes from Night Watch (2004) and Day
Watch (2006)
• Essays are due today!
For next meeting, read selection from Lukyanenko’s
Twilight Watch in CP.
.
Night Watch (2004)
Wednesday, April 17
Bekmambetov’s Legacy
• Film and Literature of the 2000s
• A Return to Science Fantasy?
• View scenes from Aziris Nuna (2006).
For next meeting, catch up on reading and prepare prognosis
for Russian sci-fi.
Monday, April 22
The New Russian Empire?
• Post-Colonial Russia and Sci-Fi
• View scenes from The Inhabited Island I (2008).
For next meeting, prepare for final review of 2000s films
Wednesday, April 24
What’s Next for Russian Sci-Fi?
• The Future of Russian Sci-Fi
• View scenes from Inhabited Island II (2009).
Day Watch (2006)
For next meeting, prepare any questions for final review.
Monday, April 29
What’s Next for Russian Sci-Fi?
• Closing Comments
• Final Exam Format and Review
• Course Instructor Survey
For next meeting, prepare for final exam.
Inhabited Island (2009)
Wednesday, May 1
Final Exam: In-Class
Have a happy, safe
and very
FANTASTICAL
summer!