Futuristic fiction
Novels
Higgins, Simon. Thunderfish. After her father dies, heiress Kira hides from the media on a world cruise. Along the way she encounters a brutal attack on a refugee ship, and decides to do something about it. She buys a submarine and attacks the boats that prey on vulnerable craft, and discover a renewed purpose in her new ‘job’. Focus on the structural device of celebrity newspaper clippings about Kira and her real life as a vigilante as well as the many literary allusions tosci fi classc “40, 000 leagues under the sea”.
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation by M. T. Anderson. Walker Books, 2007. ISBN-13: 9781844282111. 368 pp
This is a powerful and original young adult novel about the big questions: are all human beings equal? does any human being have the right to own others? how important is personal freedom? It is set at the time of the American Revolution and tells the story of a young man who is the subject of an experiment. This is a book for good readers – and readers who are prepared to be patient. Although it is a young adult novel, it is perfectly suitable for Advanced students and for the best Standard students.
Songs
Darkest of the Hillside Thickets (). “Big Robot Dinosaur”. [Listen online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoJB2mcnKwQ] A father and son bond over their revenge on bullies. Analyse the way the childlike voice and clichéd metaphors characterise the protagonist and create the understated ending, as the way the robot is personified. In addition think about how the music contributes to the message through the style of music, the voice quality of the singer, the fade-out, and the voiceover at the beginning/end. Recommended for standard students.
Plays
Tulloch, Richard. Space Demons: The Play (A822 TUL) Based on Gillian Rubenstein’s novel, Space Demons, this play examines the problem of computer game addiction the the characters of two boys who are drawn into a game based on anger and hate. Focus on the way the plot develops tension (and eventually a sense of belonging) between characters and the way the dialogue represents human and mechanical experiences of the world. Recommended for standard students.
Films
Cuaron, Alfonso (2013) Gravity is a thriller where the villain is space itself. When disaster strikes their space station, two astronauts are flung into space. This film lends itself particularly well to a feminist analysis as it examines the roles of a woman in the male-dominated world of astrophysics, as well as woman as mother and woman as hero. Pay special attention to the cinematography, especially the long shots and unusual lighting, and unusual soundtrack which create a sense of weightlessness and disorientation for the viewer. There is an excellent study guide to this film in Screen Education 73 (Autumn 2014) and some useful reviews at David Bordwell's Website on Cinema [http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2013/11/07/gravity-part-1-two-characters-adrift-in-an-experimental-film/]
Di Leo, Mario. Babylon 5. Episode 37 “And Now For a Word”.This sci-fi series approaches belonging in many different ways a various speicies of aliens try to live together on a space station. You could use almost any episode, especially those examining the relationship between Narn and Centuri cultures. Episode 37 “And Now For a Word” examines the political role of the media in creating relationships between the main characters. Look particularly at the cinematography and the way the scenes are cut together, as well as the patterns of dialogue that reveal different aspects of belong for the human and alien populations.
Ender’s Game
Gravity
Non Fiction Ted talks