Back to the Future: Classics and Science Fiction
Type of Work
Other
Publication Date
10-5-2020
Description
The past is an alien planet. Just as the other worlds and speculative futures of science fiction reflect on our contemporary present through their similarities to and radical differences from our world, so too do the literature, mythology, and thought of ancient Greece and Rome. This online course pairs the Greek and Roman classics with works of modern science fiction—sometimes through direct influence, other times through thematic connections—to explore a range of crucial contemporary topics. These topics include social and ecological issues such as technology, ecological catastrophe, empire, race, and gender. Students will also receive training in intertextuality, classical reception studies, and the ways in which the cultural output of the classical past continues to shape our own society, culture, and worldviews.
Hamilton Areas of Study
Classics
Notes