Daniel Perez
ENGL 112B
Dr. Mary Warner
December 9, 2009
Unit of Study: Science Fiction
What a child doesn�t realize until he is grown is that in responding to fantasy, fairy tale, and myth he is responding to what Erich Fromm calls the one universal language, the one and only language in the world that cuts across all barriers of time, place, race, and culture. (L�Engle, 244)
My introduction to science fiction was Ray Bradbury�s short story, �I Sing the Body Electric.� The story of children coming to love an artificial mother who would love them always and would never leave them or die, resonated in me, at 17, so very strongly after my mother died (Bradbury, ). It was that emotional connection that instilled a love for science fiction and fantasy in me. It is all that mattered to me at the time.
Today, as a matter of curiosity, I find that science fiction has a very long history. It can be traced back to ancient, fantastic voyages like those in the Odyssey, mid-air utopias like those in Ornithes, or adventures like those in Metamorphoses written, according to their ancient Greek and Roman cosmology (7th century BC – c. AD 170), with little or no distinction between scientific and theological perspectives (Roberts, 22-23). The �scientific and speculative-fantastic discourse� then comes together in Moralia by Mestrius Plutarch (c. AD 80). Through his characters, he speculates on the nature of the earth and the heavens juxtaposing science, religion and fiction. Later authors would recognize Lucianus of Somosata�s as the father of science fiction because of his Ikaromenippos and Alethes Historia (AD 120-90) wherein appear fantastic creatures and flying islands in his depictions of alternate worlds (Roberts, 25-29). However, there is disagreement regarding whether such literature is actually constitutes science fiction or just looks that way. Regardless, there is a dearth of such literature during the Dark Ages until the Rennaissance and the writings of Aristo, Kepler, Cyrano de Bergerac, Mary Shelly (Franklin 97), H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne whose literature has been described as speculative fiction and gives rise to modern science fiction.
Roberts argues that, historically speaking, the dialectic distinction between science fiction and fantasy lies in whether the literature stems from a �Catholic� or �Protestant� world view, or rather from a �deism� or �magical pantheism� emerging from the seventeenth century (19). With that in mind, it is important to note that there are two key features in fantasy: the use of magic rather than technology to operate the world; and its role, and ours, in the greater struggle between good and evil. As such, it is distinguishable from science fiction, which relies on technology to set the stage for the advancement or destruction of humanity. In fact, Roberts argues that the genres represent two philosophies born of the continuing struggle to remove magic from religion which emerges in the 15th century with the Protestant Reformation movement, and involves the ideas of Dante, Descarte, and Voltaire (x-xi) in respect to man�s place in the universe and his relationship to God. Those currents of thought are still evident in today�s science fiction and fantasy literature, so it is not surprising that there are authors who engage both in their writing.
Consequently, as the literature has evolved, so have attempts to define it. In 1977, Isaac Asimov writes, �Science fiction is an undefined term in the sense that there is no generally agreed-upon definition of it� (29). And so, it is no surprise when Adam Roberts cites Clut and Nicholls� Encyclopedia of Science Fiction as quoting 16 definitions dating back from 1926 (2). Adams focuses on three – those of Darko Suvin, Damien Broderick, and Samuel Delany. According to Adams, Suvin defines science fiction as a �verbal construct whose necessary and sufficient conditions are the presence and interaction of estrangement and cognition, and whose main device is an imaginative framework alternative to the authors empirical environment.� Broderick describes science fiction as �storytelling native to a culture undergoing the epistemic changes implicated in the rise and supersession of technical-industrial modes of production, distribution, consumption and disposal� marked by �metaphoric strategies,� �foregrounding icons� and �interpretive schemata,� and certain priorities found in scientific and postmodern texts and attention to the object rather than the subject. Delany in turn suggests that science fiction is �as much a reading strategy as it is anything else� and the reader determines the classification (Roberts 1-2). In our own text, Literature for Today�s Young Adults Custom Edition, Alleen Pace Nilsen and Kenneth L. Donelson write that a prime requirement of �good science fiction� is that the technology in it must conform to natural laws, or at least within the realm of possibility. However, they add a caveat. They cite Asimov saying in 1983 that although �the best kind of sci fi involves science,� plot, excitement, internal consistency, and the plausibility of an imaginary society is just as important to create its own reality (117).
Nilsen and Donelson go on to identify several types of modern science fiction. These are: adventure and horror with sociological or environmental concerns (H.G. Wells� War of the Worlds), time travel (H.G. Wells� The Time Machine), space travel (Larry Niven and Jerry Pourelle�s The Mote in God�s Eye), science gone bad (Philip K. Dirk;s Blade Runner), what if (Harry Turtledove�s Worldwar: In the Balance), cyberpunk tech (William Gibson�s Neuromancer), and humor (Douglas Adams� Hitchhiker�s Guide to the Galaxy) (120). Thus, it is not a stretch to imagine, as Madeleine L�Engle suggests, yet another type – that of science fiction fantasy.
Centerpiece: A Wrinkle in Time
When
L�Engle first earned recognition by the Association for Library Service to Children by winning its Newbery
Medal for her novel, A Wrinkle in Time,
there were critics who questioned whether the novel was indeed science fiction.
Even 42 years later, it has been described in The New Yorker as
—depending on how you look at
it—science fiction, a warm tale of family life, a response to the Cold
War, a book about a search for a father, a feminist tract, a religious fable, a
coming-of-age novel, a work of Satanism, or a prescient meditation on the
future of the United States after the Kennedy assassination. (Zarin)
This mixing of fantasy and science
fiction has given L�Engle the freedom to explore philosophy, science and
religious faith in her writing (Nilsen and Donelson, 6), which is why A Wrinkle in Time is the central work of
this unit of study.
Briefly, L�Engle tells the story of three children, Meg Murry, an ordinary looking, insecure high-schooler, her intellectually gifted younger brother, Charles Wallace, and her friend, Calvin O'Keefe, who, with the help of three celestial beings, travel through space to rescue her father from an evil that imprisons him on another planet and threatens the universe. For a complete summary see Appendix 2.
The story, as science fiction goes, is not overly complex. The technology to travel through space makes use of a tesseract, a sort of wormhole, fold, or wrinkle in space. The celestials although appearing in human form, are able to engage such means of travel, which Mr. Murry was experimenting with at the time of his capture. Camazotz , where Mr. Murry is imprisoned, is a technological planet whose inhabitants are under the control of IT. IT is a kind of disembodied brain, which controls every facet of life and technology on the planet. IT seeks to know everything by controlling everything. That is the major extent of the science, which is not very technical in the novel.
The social and
environmental settings of science fiction are also presented simply. In the
novel they are concentrated in the descriptions of the two alien planets.
Camazotz�s cold, stark, technological environment full of identical people and
buildings(L�Enge 115-133) stands in high contrast to the Ixchel, a softly-lit, nature
planet, whose warm, fuzzy, tentacled, and blind inhabitants are natural caregivers and nurturers who comfort
Meg, Calvin, and Mr. Murry when they retreat from Camazotz (187-207).
Interestingly, both planetary names are of Mayan origin. Camazotz is a
reference to a Mayan cult who worshiped a deity (with a human body and bat-like
head) associated with night, death, and sacrifice, while Ixchel is an old Mayan jaguar goddess of medicine and midwifery
(Wikipedia). Whether or not these references were intended as such by L�Engle,
they make good ethnic markers for further exploration of symbolism and myth as
students discuss the novel. Even so, that the technological society of Camazotz
is clearly associated with evil, whereas the naturalist society of Ixchel is
associated with good is obvious, and the clarity makes for a good basic
introduction of setting, imagery, and symbolism.
Another important science fiction element of the
novel is its treatment of communication. Mrs. Who speaks through the use of
quotations and foreign languages (L�Engle 42-43). Mrs. Which has difficulty
using words (L�Engle 63). Aunt Beast, who cares for Meg on Ixchel, communicates
more through the movement of her tentacles (L�Engle 197-211). The angelic
creatures on Uriel, the first planet the children go to, communicate through
song and their wings make music as they fly (L�Engle, 70 and 75). By the way,
the name, Uriel, also refers the prince of the angels, divine messenger of God
who oversees one of the four corners of the earth (jewishencyclopedia.com). Charles
Wallace when he wants to communicate privately with Meg, does so through
telepathy (L�Engle, 36). However, it is also his Achilles heel when confronting
IT, a more powerful telepath. Ultimately, what saves Charles Wallace is Meg�s
ability to communicate her love without words.
What makes A Wrinkle in Time more than just science fiction, and more satisfying for young adults, are its elements of fantasy. In her introduction to Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults: An Annotated Bibliography. Fourth Ed., Ruth Nadelman Lynn quotes Natalie Babbitt. According to Babbitt, �True fantasy�aims to define the universe. Fantasy offers a system of symbols everyone of every age understands; it enriches and simplifies our lives and makes them bearable� (xxiii). Lynn goes on the write,
�Fantasy literature� is a broad term used to describe books in which magic causes impossible, and often wondrous, events to occur. Either a quest or a struggle between good and evil is often central to the plot of contemporary fantasy novels� Such themes as the conflict between good and evil, the struggle to preserve joy and hope in a cruel and frightening world, and the acceptance of the inevitability of death have led some critics to suggest that fantasies may portray a truer version of reality than many or most realistic novels. (xxiii)
A Wrinkle in Time is infused with various elements of fantasy and young adult literature. Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin take on the quest to find and rescue Mr. Murry. They travel, seemingly magically, to fantastic planets and face danger and fear that tests their individual characters. The children, the celestial beings and their allies are clearly the good guys, and IT, its henchmen and the Dark Thing are clearly evil. As such, the story represents a classic struggle between good and evil. What makes the novel appealing to children and young adults are the youth of its characters and their growth as human beings finding who they are individually. Meg does not like her appearance and feels alienated from her contemporaries in high school, even persecuted by her principal. Charles Wallace, on the other hand, seems supremely confident in his intellectual capacity and ability, yet is humbled by IT. In the end, Meg overcomes her inadequacies and fears and learns to accept that there are some things that she may not understand but can accept in life. Her struggle is at once personal and heroic in scale. She comes to terms with herself through the power of love, and with it takes on a great evil that threatens the universe.
Finally, if what makes A Wrinkle in Time an ideal synthesis of science fiction and fantasy, its theological undercurrent makes it equally attractive for use in a Christian curriculum.
Stephen R. L. Clark, in �Science Fiction and Religion,� describes the appearance of the Christian mythos in science fiction is as rare as that which advances a theological argument (95). However, the mythos has been influential. Examples of science fiction novels with allusions to Christian faith include A Canticle for Leibowits (Walter M Miller), Out of the Silent Planet (C.S.Lewis), A Case of Conscience (James Blish), and The Sparrow (Maria Mary Russell). Other novels that depict some form of religious influence (often negative) on society are epic science fiction novels like Larry Niven�s Second Empire, Jerry Pournelle�s The Mote in God�s Eye, Frank Hebert�s Chapter House Dune, and Orson Scott Card�s The Memory of Earth (Clark, 95-96). Rarer still are novels with similar qualities for young adults, which makes A Wrinkle in Time all the more versatile.
L�Engle makes the triumph of love and the struggle of light versus darkness two of the major themes in her novel. In fact, one of Mrs. Who�s quotes is from the New Testament,
"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." The use of Uriel, the name of a biblical archangel. Mrs. Whatsit�s translation of the musical dance of the Urielian creatures into the words of the prophet Isaiah, and Mrs. Who�s gift of an excerpt from St. Paul�s Epistle to the Corinthians are evidence of Christian overtones in the novel (Sparknotes). Even so, the allusions to a Christian ethos are not heavy-handed, nor do they distract from the actual story. For someone who comes to the story with a Christian background, the novel affirms our place in the struggle against evil and the advancement of humanity on its struggle to achieve a Christ-like ideal. For those with a more secular view, the novel explores, though Meg, our need for a having a sense of purpose and acceptance, that we matter in the grand design of the universe so much greater than ourselves.
In the end, what is most enjoyable about A Wrinkle in Time is L�Engle�s ability to communicate more than just a story, but her values as well. It is as Ursula K. Le Guin writes in her essay, �The Child and the Shadow,�
The great fantasies, myths, and tales are indeed like dreams: they speak from the consciousness to the unconscious, in the language of the unconscious – symbol and archetype. Though they use words, they work the way music does: they short-circuit verbal reasoning, and they go deep to the thoughts that lie too deep to utter� They are profoundly meaningful, and usable – practical- in terms of ethics; of insight; of growth.� (62)
In this regard, what has come to be known as young adult literature is valuable, as Michael Cart writes, �not only by its artistry but also by its relevance to the lives of its readers� in addressing their developmental needs for understanding, empathy, compassion and truthfulness. I believe L�Engle, who died in 2007, would agree.
Purpose of the Unit
Thus, this unit of study is designed with several possible applications in mind. One involves using several media sources and this science fiction novel to introduce students to the elements of literature as described in the California Department of Education�s Ninth Grade and Tenth Grade English-Language Arts Content Standards for Literary Response and Analysis, as well as its Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics) (Appendix 1). For those interested in this unit as it applies to a course in children�s or young adult literature, the curricular focus can be tailored, simply, to review the qualities of good young adult books as described by the University of Exeter (Nilsen and Donelson, 8) and the Stages of Literary Appreciation. Of the seven stages, the following are particularly relevant: stage 3 – losing oneself in a story (escaping into imagination); stage 4 – finding oneself in a story (looking for logical development and human motivation); stage 5 – venturing beyond one�s self (questioning conformity, social pressure and justice); and stages 6 and 7 – aesthetic appreciation (Nilsen and Donelson, 2, 4-7). However, in the context of a college course, this unit lends itself to a much more interesting critical exercise – an analysis of the relationship between science fiction and religious faith.
Introduction to the Unit
I. Presentation of the film A Wrinkle in Time on DVD and subsequent activities over the course of a few class sessions.
The film ought to be preceded by a discussion of what makes a story good. Students should brainstorm those qualities that make stories exciting and interesting, followed by brainstorming about what makes a story valuable or important for learning about ourselves and about life. Leaving the discussion at the level of importance or value makes the discussion open for a wide range of issues, including thoughts on moral or Christian values if appropriate to the school or curriculum. The brainstorming should produce a list of qualities that distinguish an entertaining film from an important one.
Following the brainstorming, have students come up with a list of questions they might ask to check for comprehension and evaluation of the story. Some scaffolding of literary elements may be necessary (see Appendix 1).
Present the film.
Follow the film with discussion and responses for the student generated questions and check for understanding.
II. Presentation of �A Conversation with Madeleine L�Engle,� one of the special features on
the DVD.
Follow the discussion with the �Conversation with Madeleine L�Engle in the special features section of the DVD. Ask students to discuss and write about the differences between their responses and L�Engle�s about the characters and her thoughts on the film.
III. Presentation and group discussion of Ursula K. Le Guin�s quotes on the importance and
significance of fantasy, science fiction, and Christian beliefs in stories:
Form students into discussion groups and assign each one of the following quotes for reflection and discussion in class. The students should first come to consensus on the author�s meaning and come up with a real life example from their own experiences that could support the author�s meaning.
Ursula K. Le Guin writes, �I believe that maturity is not an outgrowing, but a growing up: that an adult is not a dead child, but a child who survived. I believe that all the best faculties of a mature human being exist in a child, and that if these faculties are encouraged in youth they will act well and wisely in the adult, but if they are repressed and denied in the child they will stunt and cripple the adult personality. And finally, I believe that one of the most deeply human, and humane, of these is the power of imagination�� (�Why Are Americans Afraid of Dragons� 44).
�The great fantasies, myths, and tales are indeed like dreams: they speak from the consciousness to the unconscious, in the language of the unconscious – symbol and archetype. Though they use words, they work the way music does: they short-circuit verbal reasoning, and they go deep to the thoughts that lie too deep to utter� They are profoundly meaningful, and usable – practical- in terms of ethics; of insight; of growth.� (�The Child and the Shadow� 62)
�Science fiction is the mythology of the modern world – or one of its mythologies – even though it is a highly intellectual form of art, and the mythology is a nonintellectual mode of apprehension For science fiction does use the mythmaking faculty to apprehend the world we live in, a world profoundly changed by science and technology; and its originality is that it uses the mythmaking faculty on new material. (Myth and Archetype in Science Fiction 74-5)
Mythologies may be dead, or living, as in the living religious mythos of Cordwainer Smith, �whose Christian beliefs are evident� in all his work, in such motifs as the savior, the martyr, rebirth, the �underpeople.� Whether or not one is Christian, one may admire wholeheartedly the strength and passion given the works by the author�s living belief.� (76).
��I think science fiction is � still worth talking about, because it is a promise of continued life for the imagination, a good tool, and enlargement of consciousness�� (�Science Fiction and Mrs. Brown� 119)
From: Le Guin, Ursula K. The language of the Night Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction. Ed.
Susan Wood. New York: G.P. Putnam�s Sons. 1979.
IV. Follow with brainstorming on the qualities that make a book valuable or worth reading. Have the students compare their current responses to those they came up with before viewing the film.
Conclusion to the Unit
V. Assign A Wrinkle in Time for reading followed by a written response to why it is or is not an important or valuable story.
Be aware the students may be tempted to use the Web resources at their disposal. While this may be a double-edged tool, being aware of such resources is important in planning certain activities as homework. For an example, see Appendix 3.
Extending the Unit
Additional ideas for extending this unit can be found in Mary L. Warner�s adolescents in the search for meaning TAPPING THE POWERFUL RESOURCE OF STORY and in the following resources.
Articles: for additional research and reading for book talks and presentations or book posters about the nature and value of science fiction today. Each article comes with links to further reading and reviews of current novels.
�Where To Start With Young Adult Science Fiction� by Sarah Hope Williams, @ io9.com
�Young Adult Books Will Save Science Fiction� by Charlie Jane Anders, @ io9.com
Poetry: for additional discussion of literary elements and the
nature of our thoughts on our mortality.
My Life Closed Twice
My life closed twice before its close;
It yet remains to see
If immortality unveil
A third event to me,
So huge, so hopeless to conceive,
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
— Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, Emily Dickinson became one of the most important poets in the English language having written nearly 1,800 poems, most of them short verses, published after her death. An unusually private and sensitive person, Dickinson conducted much of her social life through correspondence with two people in particular, until 1862 with Charles Wadsworth, a Philadelphia preacher, and with Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson, a writer who would later introduce her first volume of poetry in 1890.
Activities for discussion and reflection:
Multimedia: for additional discussion activities and research projects such as powerpoint presentations of posters regarding literary elements or the treatment of faith, religion or Christianity in films and science fiction novels.
A Wrinkle in Time. Dir. John Kent Harrison. Perf. Katie Stuart, Gregory Smith, David Dorfman,
Kate Nelligan, Alison Elliott, Alfre Woodard, and Kyle Secor. Buena Vista Home
Entertainment, 2004. DVD.
L�Engle, Madeleine. �L'Engle's 'A Wrinkle in Time' to Make TV Debut.� Interview.
Susan Stone. All Things Considered. National Public Radio. 9 May 2004. 7 December
2009. < http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1890065>
Bradbury 13 Radio Drama National Public Radio 1984 Ray Bradbury. 7 December 2009.
http://home.wlv.ac.uk/~in5379/audio/bradbury13/bradbury13.htm
The
Golden Compass. YouTube. Movie.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTqvePWxrYA
Books:
From the C.S. Lewis Foundation website
http://www.cslewis.org/store/index.html
Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
The first book in C. S. Lewis's acclaimed Space Trilogy, which continues with Perelandra and That Hideous Strength, Out of the Silent Planet begins the adventures of the remarkable Dr. Ransom. Here, that estimable man is abducted by a megalomaniacal physicist and his accomplice and taken via spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra. The two men are in need of a human sacrifice, and Dr. Ransom would seem to fit the bill. Once on the planet, however, Ransom eludes his captors, risking his life and his chances of returning to Earth, becoming a stranger in a land that is enchanting in its difference from Earth and instructive in its similarity. First published in 1943, Out of the Silent Planet remains a mysterious and suspenseful tour de force.
Perelandra by C.S.
Lewis
Perelandra continues the adventures of the extraordinary Dr. Ransom. Pitted against the most destructive of human weaknesses, temptation, the great man must battle evil on a new planet -- Perelandra -- when it is invaded by a dark force. Will Perelandra succumb to this malevolent being, who strives to create a new world order and who must destroy an old and beautiful civilization to do so? Or will it throw off the yoke of corruption and achieve a spiritual perfection as yet unknown to man? The outcome of Dr. Ransom's mighty struggle alone will determine the fate of this peace-loving planet.
That Hideous Strength by
C.S. Lewis
That Hideous Strength concludes the adventures of the matchless Dr. Ransom. The dark forces that were repulsed in Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra are massed for an assault on the planet Earth itself. Word is on the wind that the mighty wizard Merlin has come back to the land of the living after many centuries, holding the key to ultimate power for that force which can find him and bend him to its will. A sinister technocratic organization is gaining power throughout Europe with a plan to "recondition" society, and it is up to Ransom and his friends to squelch this threat by applying age-old wisdom to a new universe dominated by science. The two groups struggle to a climactic resolution that brings the Space Trilogy to a magnificent, crashing close.
From Reader�s Guide to Twentieth Century Science Fiction. Eds. Marilyn P. Fletcher.
Consulting Ed. James L. Thorson. American Library Press: Chicago, 1989.
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov
14 year old heroine Arcady Derell, continues the search for
the �Seekers� from the first of this five-volume series. The Speakers are
psychohistorians and mental scientists who carry the knowledge of humanity to carry out
Sheldon�s plan to preserve that knowledge for the rise of the Second Empire
after the fall of the first galactic empire.
Babel 17 by Samuel R. Delaney
Ryda Wong, a telepath, pot, and captain of a space ship tries to decode Babel 17, a broadcast code that my contain vital military information. An action adventure story that explores the the diversity of language patterns, verbal and nonverbal.
The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delaney
Earth has been abandoned and resettled by an alien race. An adventure and examination of social diversity, values and belief systems.
A Case of Conscience by James Blish
Father Ruiz-Sanchez and his team are sent to investigate whether the planet Lithian can support human life. In doing so, he confronts his prejudices and beliefs. in the meantime, the people on earth live in fear of nuclear annihilation, and Lithia, their hope for a new home is destroyed by a faulty power-plant.
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller
In the aftermath of nuclear destruction, Isaac Edward Leibowitz establishes an abbey to preserve technical relics and knowledge. As the states and science regain power, his followers prepare for the next holocaust by building a spaceship with which to save the knowledge of humanity.
From Kidzone, Out of This World Science Fiction
http://www.harf.lib.md.us/kids/booklists/middleschool/out_of_this_world_science_fiction.htm
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
"It was a dark and stormy night..." - so begins this classic adventure tale of time and space travel. Meg, Charles, and Calvin begin to search for Meg's father, a scientist who disappeared while working on a secret government project, after a mysterious stranger appears at their door. Did Mr. Murray discover the tesseract, the wrinkle in time? Can they duplicate his journey into time? And who are the enigmatic Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which? Follow more adventures of Meg, Charles, and Calvin in other L'Engle books: A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
This 1993 Newbery winner is the provocative story of a boy's coming of age in an ideal society. No war, no poverty, no injustice, but at what price? Jonas must face the elders in their yearly assignment of life careers. His friend, Fiona, is named Caretaker of the Old, but he has been selected for special training with the unnamed man, "The Giver." Jason will be the only one in the village with the memories of the past. Now Jason must use the past to unlock the future.
From Northbrook Info Library, Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teen Readers
http://www.northbrook.info/lib_sciencefiction_teens.php
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman,.
Lyra and her daemon--a manifestation of her soul in animal form--travel to the far north to solve the disappearance of children said to have been stolen by the Gobblers. First in the series His Dark Materials.
Dune by Frank Herbert,.
During a power struggle on the desert planet Arrakis, Paul Atreides is cast out into the harsh environment to die, but he meets a tribe of desert dwellers who form the basis of the army with which he plans to reclaim what's rightfully his. First in a series.
The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler,.
In a future America on the verge of collapse, Lauren Olamina leaves her destroyed town seeking refuge and gains followers to her creed of community survival. First in a series.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
Ender Wiggin is sent to Battle School to learn to defend Earth against a race of insectlike aliens, but he soon realizes the training scenarios are more than just games. First in a series.
From a review by G. Marc Turner
http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~palmquis/courses/reviews/marc.htm
Memory of Earth by Orson Scott Card
Card's first book in his Homecoming series, serves as an introduction to the Oversoul, an artificially intelligent supercomputer on the planet Harmony, built over 30 million years ago to protect a human colony from its own destruction. The colonists were genetically altered so they could unconsciously send and receive messages with the Oversoul via orbiting satellites. Whenever an individual's thoughts turn towards a "forbidden" topic, the Oversoul creates confusion in that individual's mind and guides them to a new line of thought. However, the Oversoul is breaking down. This is the point Nafai, a boy of 14, learns he can communicate on a conscious level with the Oversoul. (Turner)
Websites for additional resources for Fantasy and Science Fiction for
Young Adults
http://www.madeleinelengle.com/multi/
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/04/12/040412fa_fact_zarin?currentPage=all
http://io9.com/5036820/young-adult-books-will-save-science-fiction
http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/favorites/by_genre/science_fic.html
http://librarybooklists.org/fiction/ya/yaspeculative.htm
http://plymouthlibrary.org/yasffant.htm
http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/dystopias.html
http://teenspace.cincinnatilibrary.org/books/booklist.asp?id=teenscifi
http://phobos.ramapo.edu/~kfowler/sfthemes.html
Works Cited
A Wrinkle in Time. Dir. John Kent Harrison. Perf. Katie Stuart, Gregory Smith, David Dorfman,
Kate Nelligan, Alison Elliott, Alfre Woodard, and Kyle Secor. Buena Vista Home
Entertainment, 2004. DVD.
Asimov, Isaac. �Social Science Fiction,� in Turning Points Essays on the Art of Science Fiction. Ed. Damon Knight. New York: Harper Row, 1977.
Bradbury, Ray. �The Man.� The Illustrated Man. New York: Bantam, 1951. 42-53.
California Department of Education.
California State Board of Education.
English-Language
Arts Content Standards. Dec. 1997. 30 Nov. 2009. 43-46. <http://www.cde.ca.gov/
be/st/ss/documents/elastandards.doc>.
Cart, Michael. �The Value of Young Adult Literature.� Yalsa Young Adult Library Services of
America. Web. Jan. 2008. 1 Dec. 2009. Vhttp://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/profdev/
whitepapers/yalit.cfm.>
Clark, Stephen R. L. �Science Fiction and Religion.� In A Companion to Science Fiction, David
Seed, Ed. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2005.
L�Engle, Madeleine. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Square Fish, 2007.
L�Engle,
Madeleine. �Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech: The Expanding Universe.� A Wrinkle
in Time. New York: Square Fish, 2007. 239-245.
L�Engle, Madeleine. �L'Engle's 'A Wrinkle in Time' to Make TV Debut.� Interview.
Susan Stone. All Things Considered. National Public Radio. May 9, 2004. 7 December
2009. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1890065>.
Le Guin, Ursula K. The language of the Night Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction. Ed.
Susan Wood. New York: G.P. Putnam�s Sons, 1979.
Lynn, Ruth Nadelman. Fantasy Literature for Children and Young
Adults: An Annotated
Bibliography. Fourth Ed. Bowker: New Providence, 1995 Questia Media America, Inc.
www.questia.com 2 December, 2009. < http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d= 103804958>.
Nilsen, Alleen Pace and Kenneth L. Donelson. �Chapter 7 Fantasy, Science Fiction, Utopias, and
Dystopias.� Literature for Today�s Young Adults Custom Edition. New York: Pearson
Custom Publishing, 2009.
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Appendix 1:
English-Language Arts Content Standards for CA Public Schools
(http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/elastandards.doc)
Grades Nine & Ten
Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science. They conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes. The selections in Recommended Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students.
Structural
Features of Literature
3.1 Articulate
the relationship between the expressed purposes and the characteristics of
different forms of dramatic literature (e.g., comedy, tragedy, drama, dramatic
monologue).
3.2 Compare
and contrast the presentation of a similar theme or topic across genres to
explain how the selection of genre shapes the theme or topic.
Narrative
Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text
3.3 Analyze
interactions between main and subordinate characters in a literary text (e.g.,
internal and external conflicts, motivations, relationships, influences) and
explain the way those interactions affect
the plot.
3.4 Determine
characters' traits by what the characters say about themselves in narration,
dialogue, dramatic monologue, and soliloquy.
3.5 Compare
works that express a universal theme and provide evidence to support the ideas
expressed in each work.
3.6 Analyze
and trace an author's development of time and sequence, including the use of
complex literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashbacks).
3.7 Recognize
and understand the significance of various literary devices, including
figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and explain their
appeal.
3.8 Interpret
and evaluate the impact of ambiguities, subtleties, contradictions, ironies,
and incongruities in a text.
3.9 Explain
how voice, persona, and the choice of a narrator affect characterization and
the tone, plot, and credibility of a text.
3.10 Identify
and describe the function of dialogue, scene designs, soliloquies, asides, and
character foils in dramatic literature.
Literary
Criticism
3.11 Evaluate
the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of diction and
figurative language on tone, mood, and theme, using the terminology of literary
criticism. (Aesthetic approach)
3.12 Analyze
the way in which a work of literature is related to the themes and issues of
its historical period. (Historical approach)
Students write coherent and focused essays that convey a well-defined perspective and tightly reasoned argument. The writing demonstrates students' awareness of the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process as needed.
Organization and
Focus
1.1 Establish
a controlling impression or coherent thesis that conveys a clear and
distinctive perspective on the subject and maintain a consistent tone and focus
throughout the piece of writing.
1.2 Use
precise language, action verbs, sensory details, appropriate modifiers, and the
active rather than the passive voice.
Research and
Technology
1.3 Use
clear research questions and suitable research methods (e.g., library,
electronic media, personal interview) to elicit and present evidence from
primary and secondary sources.
1.4
Develop the main ideas within the body of the composition through supporting
evidence (e.g., scenarios, commonly held beliefs, hypotheses, definitions).
1.5 Synthesize
information from multiple sources and identify complexities and discrepancies
in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium (e.g.,
almanacs, microfiche, news sources,
in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents).
1.6 Integrate
quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of
ideas.
1.7 Use
appropriate conventions for documentation in the text, notes, and
bibliographies by adhering to those in style manuals (e.g., Modern Language
Association Handbook, The Chicago Manual of Style).
1.8 Design
and publish documents by using advanced publishing software and graphic
programs.
Evaluation and
Revision
1.9 Revise
writing to improve the logic and coherence of the organization and controlling
perspective, the
precision of word choice, and the tone by taking into consideration the
audience, purpose, and formality of the context.
Students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and description to produce texts of at least 1,500 words each. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0.
Using the writing strategies of grades nine and ten outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:
2.1 Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories:
a. Relate a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience.
b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; use interior monologue to depict the characters' feelings.
d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details.
2.2 Write responses to literature:
a. Demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary works.
b. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and detailed references to the text or to other works.
c. Demonstrate awareness of the author's use of stylistic devices and an appreciation of the effects created.
d. Identify and assess the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
2.3 Write expository compositions, including analytical essays and research reports:
a. Marshal evidence in support of a thesis and related claims, including information on all relevant perspectives.
b. Convey information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently.
c. Make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas.
d. Include visual aids by employing appropriate technology to organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs.
e. Anticipate and address readers' potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations.
f. Use technical terms and notations accurately.
2.4 Write persuasive compositions:
a. Structure ideas and arguments in a sustained and logical fashion.
b. Use specific rhetorical devices to support assertions (e.g., appeal to logic through reasoning; appeal to emotion or ethical belief; relate a personal anecdote, case study, or analogy).
c. Clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, and expressions of commonly accepted beliefs and logical reasoning.
d. Address readers' concerns, counterclaims, biases, and expectations.
Appendix 2: Summary of A Wrinkle in Time
L�Engle tells the story of three children, Meg Murry, an ordinary looking, insecure high-school girl, her intellectually gifted younger brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin O'Keefe, who, with the help of three celestial beings, travel through time and space to rescue her father from an evil that imprisons him on another planet and threatens the universe.
Mr. Murry, a brilliant physicist, has been missing for a year when Mrs. Whatsit, a mind-reading celestial creature who looks like a tramp, reveals herself to the family. She convinces Meg's mother, also a brilliant experimental biologist, that through a tesseract – a "wrinkle," or wormhole, in space and time, the children can travel through a fifth dimension to find their father. The children learn from Mrs. Whatsit and two other celestial friends, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, that the universe is threatened by the Dark Thing, a great evil which engulfs stars and planets, including the one where Mr. Murry is imprisoned.
The children are transported to the planet Camazotz, where everything looks alike because the planet conforms to the pulse of IT, a giant disembodied brain. Staying together to rescue Mr. Murry, Charles Wallace tries to fight IT with his mind but is overpowered by IT, which takes control of him. Charles leads the others to Mr. Murry where they confront IT, but they cannot withstand IT. They escape when Mr. Murry �tessers� Meg and Calvin away to a planet called Ixchel. There they are cared for by tall, furry beasts, while Charles Wallace remains possessed on Camazotz. There the Mrs. W's reappear.
To rescue Charles Wallace, Mrs. Which tells Meg that she has one thing that IT does not have, but Meg must discover it for herself. Summing up her courage, Meg confronts IT. She realizes that what she has to fight with is her love for her brother. She is able free him from IT�s control and �tessers� back home with him, where the family and Calvin are together again. (Sparknotes.com)
Appendix 3: Study Questions for A Wrinkle in Time
1. What are the most important lessons that Meg learns over the course of the novel?
2. In what ways can A Wrinkle in Time be considered a Christian book? Is this a fair characterization?
3. How are women portrayed in L'Engle's novel?
4. In what ways does Camazotz resemble Meg's neighborhood on Earth?
5. In what way is A Wrinkle in Time informed by Madeleine L'Engle's personal theological and scientific ideas?
6. How are Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which distinguished from one another?
7. Why does L'Engle represent IT as a large disembodied brain? What is the symbolism of this?
8. Describe what makes Charles Wallace so extraordinary. How do these traits both hurt and help him on Camazotz?
9. What are the various non-linguistic ways in which the creatures in this book communicate with one another? Do you think that L'Engle believes that words are ultimately inadequate as a method of communication?
10. What is the significance of the lack of sight among the beast-like inhabitants of Ixchel? What does Meg learn from interacting with creatures that have no eyes
Key:
Answer for Study Question 1 >>
Meg must learn: 1) the value of individuality and 2) to accept that not everything can be understood rationally. First, she must learn to overcome her desire for conformity and appreciate her own uniqueness as an individual. In the beginning of the book, Meg feels awkward and out of place at her high school. She is involved in frequent fights with her peers and is sent to the principal's office for her misbehavior. Meg tells her mother that she hates being an oddball and wishes she could just pretend she was like everyone else. Camazotz, then, with its rows of identical houses and identical human beings, parodies her extreme desire for conformity. Only after she understands the evil of this planet does she realize the value of being a unique individual. The book celebrates human creativity and individuality, hailing as heroes the greatest creative geniuses in the arts and sciences including Einstein, Bach, da Vinci, and Shakespeare. Another important lesson that Meg must learn is that she cannot know everything. In the beginning of the book, Meg insists that nothing remain unexplained or unquantified. For example, when she meets Calvin, she immediately asks her mother what she thinks of him; she wants an instant and definitive answer. Her mother urges her to be patient, but Meg cannot wait for opinions to form gradually. Meg wants to comprehend everything around her all at once. However, in the course of her travels, she slowly comes to appreciate her mother's words of wisdom: "Just because we don't understand doesn't mean an explanation doesn't exist." She can accept that the musical dance of the creatures on Uriel is beautiful even though she cannot speak their language; she can accept that the Black Thing is evil even though she does not really understand what it is. When she ultimately confronts IT on her return visit to Camazotz, she can at last appreciate the dangers of a mind bent on total understanding, on definitive and authoritative explanations: such a mind becomes robot-like, mechanical, and unfeeling. Meg's rejection of IT is thus also a rejection of the need for total understanding of the world around her.
Answer for Study Question 2 >>
A Wrinkle in Time can be considered a Christian book in the sense that its most important theme is the centrality of love, a notion equally important to Christian theology. Ultimately, Meg is only able to conquer IT through the force of her love for her brother. The novel also contains many explicit references to Christian scripture. Jesus is the first figure cited by Mrs. Whatsit as a fighter against the Dark Thing, and the whole imagery of light vs. darkness is traced back to the New Testament by Mrs. Who in her fondness for quotation: "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." In addition, Mrs. Whatsit translates the musical dance of the creatures on Uriel into the Biblical words of the prophet Isaiah, and Mrs. Who's second gift to Meg is an excerpt from St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians. Yet the characters are never identified as Christians, nor do they engage in any ritualistic religious behavior. Rather, the book is informed by Christian theology and by the notion of a struggle between good and evil forces in the world. In spite of its explicit references to the New Testament, the themes that L'Engle treats are essential components of any religious worldview.
Answer for Study Question 3 >>
The women in L'Engle's novel are strong, competent, self-reliant, and intelligent individuals. Mrs. Murry is an experimental biologist who has mastered the skill of balancing family and career: she conducts ground-breaking scientific research while nurturing a warm and loving family, even if this means an occasional dinner cooked on the Bunsen burner. The three Mrs. W's travel competently through the fifth dimension--a skill they have mastered far better than Meg's father. Finally, although Meg initially feels awkward and insecure, she, too, emerges as a self-confident and triumphant heroine; ultimately, it is Meg alone (without the aid of her father, brother, or Calvin) who rescues Charles Wallace from IT. By writing a science fiction novel with a female protagonist, L'Engle paved the way for many other female protagonists in a genre traditionally dominated by male heroes. Her cast of intellectually talented women was unusual in the 1960s, though today the competent female protagonist is far more common. (Sparknotes)