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Course Description
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Course Name
Fantastic Texts and Where to Find Them: Approaching Fantasy Literature
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Host University
University of Glasgow
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Location
Glasgow, Scotland
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Area of Study
Classics, Literature
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Language Level
Taught In English
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Prerequisites
Applicants should have some background in University-level English Literature study, ideally successful completion of an introductory literature course.
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SCQF Credits
10 -
Recommended U.S. Semester Credits2.5 - 3
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Recommended U.S. Quarter Units4 - 5
Hours & Credits
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Overview
This course will introduce you to fantasy and the fantastic, often defined as the "literature of the impossible".
We will survey key texts across different media (e.g. by J.R.R. Tolkien and Ursula K. Le Guin, as well as cinematic and TV fantasy), while exploring critical approaches and recent theoretical debates. You will also have an opportunity to try your hand at writing fantasy in a Creative Writing workshop.
Indicative Texts
- J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
- Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea
- Terry Pratchett, Wyrd Sisters
- J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros, et al, The Harry Potter franchise
- Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda, Monstress: Awakening (graphic novel)
- A selection of short stories by contemporary diverse authors (e.g. N.K. Jemisin, Amal El Mohtar, etc.)
Topics
- Historicizing fantasy (long vs. short history, the fairy-tale tradition, fantasy’s futures)
- Theorizing fantasy (key theorists introduced: Tolkien, Attebery, Mendlesohn)
- Maps and worldbuilding in fantasy
- Fantasy across media
- Beyond Anglocentric Fantasy.
What you will learn
This course aims to:- Explore a range of key texts of fantasy and fantastic in its different forms and media
- Examine critical approaches to, and current debates in, fantasy and the fantastic
- Consider fantasy texts within their cultural context.
Teaching Pattern
Lectures and seminars, full details to be confirmed.
Assessment information:
Written assignment (1,500 words) and presentation with written notes
Course Disclaimer
Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.
Eligibility for courses may be subject to a placement exam and/or pre-requisites.
Credits earned vary according to the policies of the students' home institutions. According to ISA policy and possible visa requirements, students must maintain full-time enrollment status, as determined by their home institutions, for the duration of the program.
ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits are converted to semester credits/quarter units differently among U.S. universities. Students should confirm the conversion scale used at their home university when determining credit transfer.