Greetings, Terran!

Introduction

You have just enrolled in a class called "Science Fiction."

What does that mean? Why are you here?

For most people today, Science Fiction is a term which usually applies to the movies. But we're going to be considering Science Fiction as a literary genre (although we will be seeing a few films). We're going to be looking at the place of Science Fiction in literature, and the literature in Science Fiction...but we'll also be talking and thinking about Science Fiction's place and role in popular culture.

This is an online course, as you know, and in some ways we're taking part in an activity that would have been only wildly-imagined some years ago. That's not uncommon, these days, and we'll be wanting to talk about that, too--and how Science Fiction has become, in the words of author Thomas Disch, "the dreams our stuff is made of."

When you think of Science Fiction, what do you imagine? Something like this?.or this?? Or maybe it's something like this...?

Go now to the discussion board and introduce yourself. Let us know who you are and how you chose this class. Then tell us what your definition of science fiction is. What does science fiction mean to you? Give it some thought....try to really describe what makes science fiction different. Make sure you also tell us what you think of science fiction. Love it? Hate it? No experience at all? Be honest.

I'll start the discussion off with my first post. You can read mine first and then either respond or start your own thread. Then read some of your classmates' posts, and respond to them.

Oh--one quick note. In this course, we use the abbreviation "SF," and never use the term "Sci-Fi." I'll explain that more clearly a little later, but for now, don't use that term, unless you want to see your professor's angry face!