Practicing Science Fiction

A byproduct of the Science Fiction Research Association conference held in Lawrence, Kansas, in 2008, the essays in this volume address the intersections among the reading, writing, and teaching of science fiction. Part One studies the teaching of SF, placing analytical and pedagogical research next to each other to reveal how SF can be both an object of study as well as a teaching tool for other disciplines. Part Two examines SF as a genre of mediation between the sciences and the humanities, using close readings and analyses of the literary-scientific nexus. Part Three examines SF in the media, using specific television programs, graphic novels, and films as examples of how SF successfully transcends the medium of transmission. Finally, Part Four features close readings of SF texts by women, including Joanna Russ, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Octavia Butler.