ENG 3733: CW Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror

For Monday, we'll read our LAST story from the book, which is the most experimental and difficult to understand. This is a story about writing itself, and how an alien civilization would have to teach us to think like them, before we could read and understand their literature/ideas. Therefore, this story is like a class itself, with the repetitive language of the story trying to lead us through a complicated--yet quite simple--lesson so that we can meet the aliens halfway. Yoachim, in her author's note, explains that "I wrote this story with the deliberate goal of making readers' brains do a thing that human brains don't generally do: read two things at once" (389). Therefore, there are literally two strands of text in this story, and you have to figure out how to read them, in what order, and with what relationship to each other. Think of it like the frames of a comic book: do you read the pictures first, or the words?  As you read, also look for the small ch...

INTRO: All of our metaphorical expressions are derived from larger, controlling metaphors that translate an abstract concept into a tangible, relatable one. For example, look at the following controlling metaphors and the many commonly-used sentences we derive from them:    IDEAS ARE PEOPLE/PLANTS The theory of relativity gave birth to so many ideas in physics. Whose brainchild was that? The seeds of his ideas will live on forever. Where’d you dig up that idea? LOVE IS A PATIENT This is a sick relationship. The marriage is dead; it can’t be revived. Their marriage is on its last legs. We’re getting back on our feet. LIFE IS A GAMBLE I’ll take my chances. You can always count on him when the chips are down. Let’s up the ante. The odds are against me.    WRITING WORKSHOP #9 : Take one of the controlling metaphors below and write a story derived from some aspect of it—using a fantasy, sci-fi, or horror perspective. A MA...

  For Monday's class, read Isabel J. Kim's story, "Why Don't We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole" (pp.202-210). This story is a direct response to a very famous sci-fi story by the great writer, Ursula K. Le Guin, called "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas." If interested, you can read that story before or after the one above at this link:  https://files.libcom.org/files/ursula-k-le-guin-the-ones-who-walk-away-from-omelas.pdf The original story is a satire, or perhaps dark commentary, on Utilitarianism, or the idea that certain things are for the common good--even suffering, poverty, and other systematic abuses. It also questions whether people really know what our society is based on, and how many of us would turn a blind eye to the horrible realities of our modern conveniences--including our food--if it meant we could continue to live the same life without interruption. So think about how Kim extends this a bit further, and question whether here...

  Secrets and Taboos: “Taboo [is considered] the oldest unwritten code of laws. It is generally supposed that taboo is older than gods and dates back to a period before any kind of religion existed… Properly speaking taboo includes only (a) the sacred or unclean character of person or things, (b) the kind of prohibition which results from this character, a (c) the sanctity or uncleanness which results from a violation of the prohibition. The violation of a taboo makes the offender himself taboo…Certain of the dangers brought into existence by the violation may be averted by acts of atonement and purification.”  (Freud, Totem and Taboo , 1913) Writing Workshop #8: Secrets and Taboos Choose ONE: 1. Write a story about a character who notices something that everyone else pretends not see, and actually refuses to acknowledge. How does the character start to realize that they’re not the only person who sees it? 2. Write a story where the only way to ...

  ENG 3373 Story #2: “The End” For your second story, I want you to write to order, meaning you are going to write a story to submit to an actual magazine publishing an anthology of SF/F/H stories linked by the general theme, “The End.” The magazine is River City Siren Press, which is a relatively new publication, so it will be trying to hunt up submissions! The call for the anthology is posted below, but you can also access the link here:  https://www.rivercitysirenpress.com/the-sirens-song The Siren's Song is an online literary magazine presented by River City Siren Press. New and experienced authors are welcome to submit poetry, short stories, and short genre-blending/bending pieces to The Siren's Song. Current and past themes are posted below. What are we looking for? Short stories up to 4,000 words Flash and micro fiction Short literary works that don't fit neatly into a category (but scream to be heard and need to be read) Ideas for “The End”: ...

A few changes for those who follow such things...  REVISED SCHEDULE FOR WEEKS TEN-SIXTEEN WEEK TEN: October 19-23 Read “The Witch Trap” Special Topic & Assign Story #2 Writing Workshop #7 WEEK ELEVEN: October 26-30 Read “Why Don’t We Just Kill the Kid in the Omelas Hole” Special Topic Writing Workshop #8 WEEK TWELVE: November 2-6 Read “We Will Teach You How To Read” Special Topic Writing Workshop #9 WEEK THIRTEEN: November 9-13 Read Mystery Story (TBA) Writing Workshop #10   Story #2 due by Friday WEEK FOURTEEN: November 16-20 Story #2 Conferences all week!  WEEK FIFTEEN: November 23-27 Thanksgiving Break: no class all week WEEK SIXTEEN: November 30-December 4 Writing Workshop #11 Class Wrap-Up FINAL: Revision of Story #1 or #2 due by TBA  

REMEMBER: No class on Friday, since me and a few of the students from class will be traveling to OSU for an English grad school event. In the meantime, please read "The Witch Trap" for Monday's class, where we'll discuss the novel way it tells a story rooted in fantasy and history. As you read, here are some ideas to ponder: * What does it mean for an object (like the shoe) to become "more than it was"? How do objects, even without magic, transform in this way over time? * Why does the narrative's perspective change so often, and what ties each perspective together, even though they're not otherwise related (and they don't know each other)? * Why do you think the narrative is sandwiched between the third-person account of Elizabeth, whose contractor finds the 'witch shoe' in the floorboards? * Concealed Shoes are a REAL thing! Check this out:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concealed_shoes * What does it mean when Elizabeth reflects that t...

In class, we discussed customs right here on Earth that were so strange that they defined the logic of American culture. Point in case, the Japanese muskmelon, a fruit that is artistically cultivated to be the perfect melon in size, shape, juiciness, and texture. It runs for about $130 per melon! But to the Japanese (in general), the aesthetic of food is worth paying for. They would rather have a wonderful, artistic experience each time they bite into a melon rather than having a cheap and forgettable experience. They would argue it's better to live to eat, rather than merely eating to live.   So... Writing Workshop #7: The Muskmelon Equation Write from the perspective of an alien doing a scouting mission, or a time traveler from the past, who is trying to understand one of our strangest customs. Write about something all of us take for granted and understand completely, but which is very strange if you take a step back and really examine it. How would an outsider interp...

From Freud’s “The Uncanny,” or das Unheimliche ): “an uncanny effect often arises when the boundary between fantasy and reality is blurred, when we are faced with the reality of something that we have until now considered imaginary, when a symbol takes on the full function and significance of what it symbolizes…the uncanny element arises either when repressed childhood complexes are revived by some impression, or when primitive beliefs that have been surmounted appear to be once again confirmed…this may be reinforced by judgments like the following: “So it’s true, then, that you can kill another man just by wishing him dead, that the dead really do go on living and manifest themselves at the scene of their former activities.”   Writing Workshop #6 : Start writing a story about an ‘uncanny’ space—one that should be familiar and even boring, but has something strange and not quite right about it. What makes it ‘off’ somehow? Who becomes aware of it? And what hap...

  SOME POTENTIAL MARKETS FOR STORY #1 (and others to follow)   ESCAPE POD/POD CASTLE/PSEUDO POD (up to 6K, but prefers 3-4K) We are an audio magazine. Our audience can’t skim past the boring parts, and stories with beautiful language at the expense of plot don’t translate well. We’re looking for fiction with strong pacing, well-defined characters, engaging dialogue, and clear action. It can be beautiful too, if you’ve got all those other bases covered, but above all we’re looking for fun.  escapepod.org GOOD FITS: Haley, Blake, Eden , Serenity, Addison , Kayden, Eli, Joy, Rylee BENEATH CEASELESS SKIES (up to 7K, though may publish longer works) Beneath Ceaseless Skies is a new online magazine dedicated to publishing the best in "literary adventure fantasy." We love traditional adventure fantasy, including classics from the 1930s pulp era and the new wave of fantasy from the 1970s post-Tolkien boom. But we also love how the recent influence of literary writing ...