Weeks 7 and 8
Science fiction - PKD

1) What is the difference in emphasis between the terms science fiction and speculative fiction? Which is The Man in the High Castle?

2) According to Mountfort (2006), what role does the I Ching have as an organisational device in the structure of Man in the High Castle? How does the use of this device illuminate the character of the novel’s protagonists?

3What does Brown (2001) identify as the central themes and concerns of the novel? What elements conform to the wider generic features of science fiction? 

4) What does Dick(1995) himself theorise about the I Ching?

Weeks 5 and 6
Princess Mononoke

1) What is the ‘shojo’ and how does it often function in anime?

2) According to Lent (2000) what place does animation occupy in Asian societies? How different is this across Asia (i.e. comparing Japan and China)?

3)Is anime a high or low cultural genre/media, according to Napier (2005)? What are some of its subgenres?

4)Does Anime confront social issues? Gender roles in Princess Mononoke.

Vocab for weeks 3 and 4

Write a brief explanation for these terms:

1) theology

2) collective unconscious

3) aesthetic

4) What is an 'innocent reading' ?

Weeks 3 and 4

1) How is science fiction different from fantasy, according to Le Guinn?

2) How does Attebery (1980) define Fantasy? Find at least five definitions?

3) In what ways does Tax (2002) suggest Earthsea may still be relevant today?

4) What are some archetypes that often recur in fantasy fiction? Give examples from Earthsea and other fantasy works you might know.

5) In what way is The Wizard of Earthsea a ‘coming of age’ novel? Does it escape from the ‘boy’s own adventure’ story? How are Ged’s adventures different from Tintin’s?