From Here to Infinity: An Exploration of Science Fiction Literature

Science fiction literature and films have contributed indelible images to the popular imagination, from H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds to Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles to the fiction of "cyberpunks." In addition to enthralling readers with breathtaking narratives and dazzling the imagination with mind-bending glimpses of possible futures, the best science fiction asks essential questions: What does it mean to be human? Are we alone in the universe, and what does it mean if we're not? Esteemed professor Michael D.C. Drout traces the history of science fiction in this series of stimulating lectures. From Mary Shelley's Frankenstein to today's cutting- edge authors, Drout offers a compelling analysis of the genre, including a look at hard-boiled science fiction, the golden age of science fiction, New Wave writers, and contemporary trends in the field.
Lecture 1 What Is Science Fiction?

Lecture 2 The Roots of Science Fiction

Lecture 3 Mysterious Lore, Marvelous Tech: The 1930s

Lecture 4 Hard-Boiled Science Fiction: The 1940s

Lecture 5 The Grand Master: Robert A. Heinlein

Lecture 6 Onward and Outward: The 1950s, Space Travel, Apocalypticism, and the Beautiful Weirdness of Cordwainer Smith

Lecture 7 A New Set of Questions: The "New Wave" of the 1960s and 1970s

Lecture 8 The World Builder: Frank Herbert

Lecture 9 The Surrealists: Ballard and Bradbury

Lecture 10 The Computer Revolution: Cyberpunk and the 1980s

Lecture 11 Post-Punk: Neal Stephenson

Lecture 12 Women and Gender

Lecture 13 The Satirists

Lecture 14 The Shape of Things to Come