cfp.english.upenn.edu

Teaching Science Fiction: History, Theory and Text

Edited by Geetha B. and Amit Sarwal

Inclusion of Science Fiction (SF) in school and college curriculum is a recent trend in India. During the last few years curriculum has opened up to adjust new literatures of which Science Fiction is an integral part. Few courses combine such high hopes, on the part of both students and faculty, with such a variety of teaching challenges. Since this shift to include such emerging areas of study is very recent in the Indian context, we still lack the essential Readers or critical books designed particularly to cater to the needs of Indian teachers. Through this book we aim tackle the following issues:
• tracing brief history of SF
• a discussion on the themes and forms that distinguish science fiction from other genres of speculative fiction;
• a critical examination of the literary trajectory of science fiction;
• developing new ways of approaching science fiction;
• suggestions regarding various pedagogical approaches to science fiction;
• the interconnections between scientific thought and the literature of science fiction;
• importance of SF in future studies (using sciences, history, philosophy, and religion);
• use of science fiction as a teaching tool in classrooms of various subjects(ranging from sciences to philosophy)
• case studies or critical commentary on the work of important writers.

Articles published recently in refereed journals dealing with the theory and pedagogy of SF and possible areas of research are also welcome.

Note:
1. Please attach a short biographical note (100 words) mentioning your designation, university/institute, area of study, academic interests and relevant publications. Include contact information (your postal and preferred email address, phone and fax numbers).
2. The editors/publisher will provide each contributor with a complimentary contributor’s copy of the book.

Important Points: Deadline: 16th July 2009; Word Limit: 3500 to 5000 words (MS Word)
Style: MLA (with Works Cited)

Please feel free to send your queries and articles (MS Word File) through email to:
Geetha B. – bgbits@gmail.com and Amit Sarwal – sarwal.amit@gmail.com

About the Editors:
Geetha B. is an Assistant Professor at the Languages Group of Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani. She has ten years of teaching experience. Having done her doctoral research in the area of Science Fiction (SF), she is one of the very few SF scholars in India. Her other areas of academic interest include Literature & Film Studies, Modern Indian Drama, Media and Communication on which she has published. Apart from teaching courses, she guides study oriented projects in these areas. She has developed reading material on Introduction to Film Appreciation under the head of Education Development Division, BITS, Pilani. She also has many poems to her credit which have been published in various anthologies.

Amit Sarwal is Lecturer at the Department of English, Rajdhani College, University of Delhi. His areas of interest include Contemporary Australian Literature, Translation Studies, Popular Fiction, and Indian Cinema on which he has published. He has co-edited English Studies, Indian Perspectives (2006) with Makarand Paranjape and Aneeta Rajendran; Australian Studies Now (2007) with Andrew Hassam; Fact & Fiction: Readings in Australian Literature (2008), Creative Nation: Australian Cinema and Cultural Studies Reader (2009) and Reading Down Under: Australian Literary Studies Reader (2009) with Reema Sarwal.