Science Fiction is for Everyone
We live in a world full of scientific and technological advancements. Sometimes it feels like we’re being hit from all sides with new things and changes!
I believe the genre of science fiction is important to helping us process and make sense of it, and chart a better future.
Science fiction can:
- speculate on the future and warn us about where we’re heading
- let us play with new inventions and imagine a different world
- criticize inequalities and technologies
- and much more!
Most of us have probably already read or watched something from science fiction because it has gone mainstream in the past few decades.
But maybe you don’t get it, or don’t like the stereotypes about it, or don’t think it’s valuable.
In this course, I’d like to offer you the chance to understand it better. Join me to learn about the purpose, history, and range of stories in the wide world of science fiction. There’s something for everyone!
What's included
- An hour and a half of original lectures (divided into shorter videos with subtitles) with me discussing the purpose, history, and four main types of science fiction through slides and images
- Quiz (optional) after the final lesson
- Certificate upon course completion
- 180 days of course access
About the instructor
My name is Dr. Kara Kennedy and I really enjoy introducing people to science fiction.
I have many years of experience teaching and tutoring English literature, writing, and other subjects at the tertiary/university level. I have researched and written on the bestselling science fiction classic, Frank Herbert’s Dune, at universities in the US, UK, and New Zealand and published several articles as well as two books: Frank Herbert’s Dune: A Critical Companion and Women’s Agency in the Dune Universe: Tracing Women’s Liberation through Science Fiction.
There’s a reason science fiction has exploded in popularity in the last century, but most of us don’t have the chance to learn about it in an organized course environment. My goal is to make academic scholarship on science fiction more accessible and interesting through online courses for the public. And I do my best to not make assumptions about people’s understanding or use complicated jargon.
I hope this course broadens your understanding of a genre that I and many others care about, and perhaps inspires you to try something new!