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British Science Fiction & Fantasy - ENG00079H

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  • Department: English and Related Literature
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Jonathan Brockbank
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module summary

From the 1890s British Science fiction and fantasy has consistently created texts that are the archetypes of the genre, inventing themes which are being reused and reinvented up to the present day. Films like Battle L.A. ultimately derive from H. G. Wells’ depiction of Martian invasion in The War of the Worlds, whilst the intricate fantasy world of Game of Thrones owes a great deal to the Middle Earth of Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings. This module will look at some of the shorter classics of the genres, such as H. G. Wells The War of the Worlds and The Island of Dr Moreau and C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Silver Chair. Though texts like the Lord of the Rings or the Harry Potter sequence are too long to set formally, students familiar with the books or films are welcome to throw these into the discussion!

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24

Module aims

The aim of this module is to explore the social, political and aesthetic potentials of some classic SF texts and to engage with the intellectual and artistic scope of genres often regarded as escapist or immature.

Module learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, you should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of and engagement with underestimated genres.

  2. Demonstrate an advanced understanding of and engagement with a significant period in which these genres take on modern form.

  3. Evaluate key debates within the relevant critical fields dealing with the literary, historical, and cultural contexts of SF and Fantasy and be prepared to appreciate how these genres are being taken into new areas, especially by postcolonial writers.

  4. Produce independent arguments and ideas which demonstrate an advanced proficiency in critical thinking, research, and writing skills.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay - 3000 words		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

You will be given the opportunity to submit a 1000-word formative essay for the module, which can feed into the 3000-word summative essay submitted at the end of the module.

Your essay will be annotated and returned to you by your tutor within two weeks.

You will submit your summative essay via the VLE during the revision and assessment weeks at the end of the teaching semester (weeks 13-15). Feedback on your summative essay will be uploaded to e:Vision to meet the University’s marking deadlines

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay - 3000 words		 N/A 100

Module feedback

  • You will receive feedback on all assessed work within the University deadline, and will often receive it more quickly. The purpose of feedback is to inform your future work; it is designed to help you to improve your work, and the Department also offers you help in learning from your feedback. If you do not understand your feedback or want to talk about your ideas further you can discuss it with your tutor or your supervisor, during their Open Office Hours
  • For more information about the feedback you will receive for your work, see the department's Guide to Assessment

Indicative reading

  • J M Barrie
  • Peter Pan [novel]
  • C S Lewis
  • The Silver Chair
  • Jill Murphy
  • The Worst Witch
  • E Nesbit
  • The Story of the Amulet
  • H G Wells
  • The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine
  • Diana Wynne Jones
  • Howl's Moving Castle
  • John Wyndham
  • Chocky


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.