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53968-01 - Research seminar: Otherworlds in Contemporary British Fiction (4 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2019 |
| Course frequency | Once only |
| Lecturers | Ina Habermann (ina.habermann@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Prepare to expand your mind... This seminar will focus on 'worlding' in fiction, with a particular focus on the fictional creation of 'otherworlds', or parallel worlds, that negotiate our experience of the world we live in. Such 'otherworldly' fictions challenge easy notions of reality, opening up psychological, technological, historical and mythic dimensions of being, and becoming. We will look at novels classed as Magical Realism, New Weird and Slipstream Fiction and interrogate what these labels imply. This is going to be a journey of exploration, and I can promise that engaging with these novels, you will be in for a ride. Caution: These texts are quite bulky, so start reading now! |
| Learning objectives | Students will learn more about recent genre developments in prose fiction and will improve their ability to analyse how fiction contributes to shaping contemporary society, cultural memory and visions of the future. Readings and seminar discussions will provide the basis and frame for independent further research. |
| Bibliography | Texts (to be purchased; discussed in this order): - Salman Rushdie, "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" (1999) - Scarlett Thomas, "The End of Mr. Y" (2006) - China Miéville, "The City and the City" (2009) - Ali Smith, "How to Be Both" (2014) Further material will be made available on the ADAM server. |
| Comments | N.B.: This course differs greatly from the comparative "Anderwelten"-seminar offered in the spring term 2018; participants of this seminar are very welcome. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | For MA students |
| Course application | Register in MOnA |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|
No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Literatur- und kulturwissenschaftliche Forschung (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Research in Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | continuous assessment |
| Assessment details | Regular attendance, active participation, presentation |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | no repetition |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |