For your first 250-word (minimum) weekly writing assignment, please add a comment to this post (click on the title, “Weekly Writing Assignment, Week 1,” and then scroll down the page to find the comment box and the “post comment” button) that accomplishes two things: 1) introduce yourself to everyone in the class (your name–first name or pseudonym is fine, your major, hobbies, and favorite examples of Science Fiction–authors/books, films, video games, music, etc.), and 2) briefly summarize some of the main points or highlights from today’s lecture on what is SF and why should we study it?
Remember to write and save your response elsewhere (on your computer, in the cloud, etc.) and then copy-and-paste your response into a comment that you make to this post. This keeps your work safe so that nothing is lost.
Hello Dr. Ellis and classmates, my name is Anthony Gallo. I am a biology major and my favorite hobbies are reading books and exercising. I am a big Stephen King fan; his books, shows, and movies are second to none. I also like to read John Green even though that may be unrelated to SF. My favorite music is 80s and early 2000s rock. Currently, I play Resident Evil on X-Box, which is a SF video game that is based in a world where zombies and mutated zombieās dwell. It is certainly a classic and I highly recommend to play it because it keeps you at the edge of your seat and also requires a lot of thinking. Science fiction is a genre that has most of its narratives set apart its story telling from there here and now. In other words, SF portrays or tells stories based on surreal and mythical phenomena to the extent that our minds already know of. For example, I study the human heart and see horrific morphologies of arteries; knowing that prior knowledge can allow me to produce a story set apart from the present to portray how arteries are some sort of monster. We should study SF because it lets our minds perceive how we can cope with phenomena such as disease, technology, and natural disaster. SF bridges the gap between the so called ānormā and the āextremeā, and this is important because it better prepares us for possible outcomes. Sf helps develop skills such as creativity and problem solving. I look forward to this semester and learning more about SF !
Hello all, my name is Kevin.
I am a Environmental Control Technology (ENVC) and Facilities Management (FMGT) major. I study HVAC engineering and, as I enter my later years of my undergraduate study, management solutions for facilities and operations for buildings.
My hobbies include drawing and making electronic music (which I primarily make on the application FL Studio). If anyone is interested and makes music as well, I would love to collaborate.
My favorite science fiction authors are J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick. One of my favorite stories is Kafkaās Penal Colony, not noticed as a traditional science fiction but very SF. I am currently reading Valis by PKD, which is turning into one of my favorite books. Some of my favorite science fiction films are Star Wars, The Fifth Element, Men in Black, Scanners, to name a few.
What interests me most about science fiction is its ability to dive into every part of the human conscious and subconscious and its ability to riff on the question āWho are we?ā. Science fiction has an ability to touch the deepest parts of being human, and create a long downward spiral into its darkest corners. I liked how Gernsback touched on this when he said āMany great science stories destined to be of historical interest are still to be writtenā in conjunction with story āintermingled with scientific fact and prophetic visionā. Prophecy and history acting together define science fiction for me, where fate slowly unveils itself to humans, unrelatable to any timeline we could ever conceive of.
Hello, Dr. Ellis and fellow classmates. My name is Corinne Wu. I am attending CityTech because it has a dental hygiene program. Working in a dental office made me realize that I wanted to work in the dental field for my career, so I decided to major in dental hygiene. Some hobbies of mine would be cooking, drawing, and traveling. I love to travel because I believe itās important to go experience other cultures and languages rather than staying in one place. Two summers ago I visited a lot of countries in Europe like Paris, Amsterdam, Belgium by taking the train. It was a great experience because I was able to witness their lifestyles and communicate with them although Iām a foreigner. I am not a big fan of books but I hope I can get out of my comfort zone and improve as a reader. My favorite science fiction books are the Percy Jackson series and I still read over and over again till this day. I have multiple favorite sci-fi TV shows like The Flash and DC: Legends of Tomorrow. I donāt like playing video games but I love to do art.
What is Science Fiction? SF for short. As mentioned in todayās lecture by Dr. Ellis, the definition of SF is āNarratives based on a technoscientific turn that sets it apart from the here-and-now.” A science fiction story contains bits of science and technology to show how it affects humans individually and when theyāre in society. SF stories are created by things we know not things we donāt know. For example, the existence of aliens was mentioned way back in time and authors and writers create fantasy stories based on it. SF allowed everyone to learn more about the world and our history.
Hello Prof. Ellis and Classmates, my name is Jorge. I am a Emerging Media Technology Major, focusing on Music Technology. My main hobby right now is music production. I mostly make Hip Hop music in FL Studio, but Iāve been learning how to produce other genres and studying music theory. Another hobby I rarely do that much of now is drawing/designing. I used to draw all the time in grade school. I got into designing in High School. I would design mostly shoes/sneakers but I would draw furniture, buildings, clothes, etc. Some of my favorite science fiction movies are Matrix, Inception, Lucy, and many more. I am currently playing cyberpunk 2077. Itās a good game aside from the bugs.
Some main points from todayās lecture are the different terms/definitions of science fiction and why study science fiction. In the lecture I learned what is science fiction and the other terms other than sci-fi. One highlight of the lecture is the Hugo Gernsback definition of science fiction. He says that SF is about adventure, real science, and about the world of tomorrow. I’m looking forward to learning more about SF outside of movies and tv shows I watch.
Hi!! My name is Faiza, and I am going to be majoring in cybersecurity at John Jay next year but this semester Iām majoring in Entertainment Technology. I am a climate activist and I usually spend most of my free time working on projects with a few organizations on climate campaigns and local and federal legislation and I am interning with my Assemblyperson to work on environmental policies so I am really interested in the environmental justice. My favorite Science Fiction show is Netflixās German show āDarkā. Dark is about a nuclear powerplant that erupted in Germany in 1984 and that eruption caused a rime loop of the characters living the same lives 33 years before and 33 years after 1984. Itās kind of like Stranger Things but with a more realistic twist to it and I love it! I also LOVE The Walking Dead franchise with the original, and spinoffs.
I felt really engaged in the lecture from today because I had no idea that sci-fi is completely different from Science Fiction. I think that Iāve subconsciously known that Science Fiction shows, movies, and books provide a deeper message of positivity or negative criticism hidden in a narrative based on techno-scientific terms. I knew about other types of literature that do provide an implicit message of society but now in the way Science Fiction does. This lecture brought me back to the time I read about a book called āThe Ugliesā which is about a dystopic in which there are two worlds, one with āuglyā people who get plastic surgery to be pretty at age 16 and are sent to live with the pretty people. I just thought about how interesting the lecture showed me the differences between journalistic Science Fiction versus intelligence-based Science Fiction. I started to see a new perspective of how Science Fiction is seen through a show or movie that also shows magic and witchcraft but how that would be more fantasy. (An example of that would be American Horror Story that incorporates science fiction but also has a lot of religion, magic, and witchcraft along with it in historical contexts.)
Hello Professor Ellis, my name is Nelson Feng Feng. I am currently doing my Associates in Electromechanical Engineering to later transition to bachelorās in computer engineering. I would say that my main hobbies are computers, anime, games, and to some degree figure collecting. I have been interested in computers and electronics in general for as long as I can remember, so naturally, SF related works attract my attention very easily. In terms of my taste in games and anime, a good story is most important aspect that I care about before anything else. My personal all-time favorite works is a tie between the Star Wars franchise and the Back to the Future movies. Other notable, more modern mentions would be films like Lucy, Transcendence, and The Matrix. Finally, tapping into not as well-known titles, the Gundam franchise and Neon Genesis Evangelion fit in the description as well.
Heavily summarizing the lecture, Science Fiction is a genre of narrative that focuses on the effects of science and technology on human society. As to why we should study it. as mentioned in the video, sometimes science fiction serves to indirectly criticize current real-world events and sometimes even theorize where we are headed as a species. For example, Transcendence explores what the ability of attaining immortality through digitization of the human mind might lead to being not being any different from emotionless machines. Another example could be Mobile Suit Gundam which came out in 1979, a parallel of the second World War. Similarly, in pretty much all subsequent shows of the Gundam franchise, one of the main themes in every single one is the depiction of the horrors of war.
Hey everyone, my name is Abrelle. I am a liberal arts major and some of my favorite hobbies include reading, writing, drawing, listening to music and much more. I am taking this course because science fiction is one of my favorite genres in film and literature, second only to horror. Some of my favorite examples are āThe 100,ā āThe Man in The High Castle,ā āThe Handmaidās Tale,ā āBlack Mirror,ā āWatchmenā the series, and āWall-Eā to name a few. I would also like to mention that I am a really big fan of Harry Potter though that would be considered fantasy and not SF. I do not play video games but the new Cyberpunk has caught my eye recently, I especially like itās design.
Today’s lecture focused mainly on defining and explaining what SF is and why people study it. some important terms are Science Fiction which is āa narrative based on techno scientific turn that sets it apart from the here-and-now.ā I learned that, in an academic setting there is a difference between sci-fi and science fiction, SF is used in a positive light whereas sci-fi isn’t, I didn’t know this before and would often use the two words interchangeably. Another term mentioned was Fantasy which is defined as ānarratives devoid of scientific turn, which necessitates the construction of a self consistent world,ā an example of this would be āLord of the Rings.ā People often study science fiction because of itās āveiled commentary and criticismā which oftentimes show up in dystopian films and books, the authors create these dystopian realities as a cautionary tale of what society will look like if we don’t right our wrongs. On the plus side, sometimes these works demonstrate what would happen in a perfect world. I am looking forward to reading Mary Shelleyās Frankenstein and learning more about Afrofuturism, it feels good to see someone who looks like me represented in this genre.
Hello my name is Erik. My major is Liberal Arts and Science. Some hobbies I enjoy doing are skateboarding, riding my bike, and playing video games. I think for the most part the video games I play are mostly science fiction. Some video games that I like that are Science Fiction are Dead Space, Mass Effect, The Division. The only science fiction author I can think of is Karen Traviss because the book I am in the middle of reading is Star Wars Republic Commando: Triple Zero. It is basically some Star Wars legends material. Some science fiction films I enjoy watching are Star Wars, The Terminator, Pacific Rim, Dredd, Robocop, Back to the Future, and Starship Troopers. Some of the main points from todayās lecture were that note taking is essential for this course. The Cornell note taking strategy was highly recommended. Professor Ellisās office hours are wednesday from 3pm-5pm and his email is jellis@citytech.cuny.edu. In this course, we will go through science fiction chronologically. You also brought up multiple terms. You brought up Science Fiction, Sci-Fi, Skiffy, Speculative fiction, and fantasy. Your definition of Science Fiction is āNarratives based on technoscientific turn that sets it apart from the here and nowā. I think we should study science fiction because it opens up possibilities that we may be able to do in current times. Such as new technologies which may or may not have dire consequences but it could also bring about new hopes and improvements. The new technology may also bring about improvements to our current tech of today.
My name is Shanyan Tan, but most of my friends calls me by my short name which is Shawn. Currently I am studying Facility Management as my major, and during my free time outside of studying, I often spent some time on listening to metal music and playing video games. My all-time favorite bands are Slayer, Emperor, and Avenged Sevenfold. In video games, I always enjoy lots of science fiction and action genre types of game. For examples, Borderlands 1-3, Horizon Zero Dawn, and the Fallout series. I was influenced into science fiction mostly by playing video games and reading Japanese Manga, and this is the main reason why I decided to take up this science fiction writing class. I am very passionate about science fiction. Imagine if one day an investor creates a flying vehicle or a single gun with many different firing effects, just like in the world of Judge Dredd. Wouldnāt this be so cool?
In the lecture of week 1, Prof. Ellis mainly went over with the strategy of note-taking, class syllabus, and also the meaning and ideas of what a science fiction is and why we have to study it. During the discussion on the syllabus session, I see most of weekly learning schedule is all simply organized to every student. Thereās one topic in the weekly learning really stood out to me is āCyberpunkā, I recently getting to know about the genre of cyberpunk from playing the game Cyberpunk 2077 (although the game is completely a nightmare to every gamer), and also by reading a Japanese manga Akira from 1982-1990. After I saw this genre is in the list, I felt so stoked to put my hands into this work. Afterward, Prof. Ellis moved on to the meaning and study of science fiction. The concept of Sci-Fi is based on here and now, the present and the future with the possible effects of an altered technology or social system of mankind. In some way, it doesnāt really have to be in human race, it can also be imagining with aliens in an alien planets, such as Aliens from Ridley Scott and Predator from John McTiernan.
Hello Shawn, nice to meet you. I found your topic of SF very interesting. I used to play Borderlands game and I remember the concept of the game was extremely fun. I wonder if you have noticed different colors of guns can make a different level of damage attacks. Same as you referred to Judge Dredd, this is
a great way to make a reference. I have to tell you I am a very big fan of the Borderlands game series, the reason why I enjoy this game so much is that the world of Pandora is using the future alien
technology in many different ways in the battle to protect humanity. Other than that, the story and the world is also fun to explore around. I see that you like music as well, and you mentioned about Brave New World in the week 2 writing. Originally, I heard of BNW from a music album by a band āIron Maidenā. Most of the songs from that record express lots of emotions and story behind that book. If you donāt know about this I highly recommend you check it out.
Hello Professor Ellis and classmates, my name is Stiliano Tanko. On 2016 I got a bachelorās degree on Information Technology from the University of Tirana, back in my hometown. Currently, Iām a senior on facility management major at City Tech College. At the end of this year, Iām planning to get my second bachelor of technology in FM. I have many different hobbies such as traveling, playing sports, doing yoga, reading books, trading stocks and digital currencies, playing video games etc. One of my favorite video games is Kingdom Hearts. This game is a combination of fantasy, science fiction and sci-fi elements. I love the magic, talking animals, worriers of the light, fantasy world, all parts of the game. There are some Disney characters in the game, who are artificial intelligence controlled and non-playable that aid the main character, Sora in his battles. Gummi Ships are sci-fi elements of the game. They serve to transport Sora between worlds in the game which is cool. As I mentioned before, I love traveling. Iāve been to many places mostly in Europe. Iām planning my next trip in London. My best friend lives there and hopefully we could visit the Science Museum, which Iām very excited about.
I found the first lecture very interesting and informative. Professor Ellis was clear and easy to understand. I liked learning more about these new concepts: Science Fiction, Sci-fi, Speculative Fiction, Cyberpunk, Dystopia, Utopia and the last part of the lecture, Strategies for Success. According to the lecture, Science Fiction (SF) is narrative based on techno scientific tern that sets it apart from here and now. We should study SF to explore the effects of science and technology on human beings, veiled commentary and criticism and imagine possible worlds. Iām so happy for being part of this class and canāt wait to learn more in the coming lectures.
Hi my name is Jonathon, I am a second term sophomore student, still struggling to figure out what degree is best for me. Although I feel a calling to psychology because of my curiosity of understanding the mind, I also want to be able to help others through their struggles. Hobby wise, I like to go kayaking, skating, build computers, listen to music, specifically metal, and play video games. Iāve always had a strong interest and passion when it comes to science fiction, some of my favorite shows being Doctor Who, the main character known as the Eleventh Doctor who is my personal favorite, Transformers, Alien vs Predator and Godzilla to name a few. I also share a likeness with the professor for Boba Fett from Star Wars, although General Grevious is my favorite character. I also enjoy reading, depending on the genre, my favorite book being āWar of The Worldsā by H.G. Wells with a complete collection from H.P. Lovecraft. Just to quickly summarize, itās clear Iām quite the science fiction nerd as I had previously stated. From what I had taken away from the lecture about science fiction, is how the evolution of technology affects humans, though in reality it can apply to any living being, even extending as far to how the very place we live in can be affected. Which in turn is the reason why we study the subject. The topic itself is always current, focusing on both a present time and even a possible future, in movies like the Matrix. Despite it being overly exaggerated in terms of the end of the world, it does show and produce a known fear of the consequences of making an AI, a common theme seen in many science fiction movies, due to the fact we as people have already succeeded in making multiple self teaching AI. You could say it even brings awareness to such things. So this has been a little introduction to myself along with my take on what science fiction is, its purpose and influence in society.
Hi Jonathon,
War of the Worlds was a fantastic book ! The movie was just okay as well, but certainly the book was much better. For me, it was incredible how H.G. Wells tied space, aliens, and advanced technology all into one novel during the late 1800s. Fast forward today, we are currently on Mars looking for life. It truly shows how science fiction can have an influence on the hypothesis’s of scientist and research being done.
Hello!!! Everyone my name is Wilmer Chavez and currently I am working towards my bachelorās degree in Hospitality Management. I really enjoy going outside and try new restaurants or bakeries. Also, I love going to the beach to get in contact with nature to get fun and get relax. I live to travel and experience the feeling of being in the place that I am visiting and experience more of their culture, food, and traditions. Some of the Science Fiction that I have enjoyed, and any time would love to watch again are: Black Mirror, Wall-E, Back to the Future, Matrix, Neon Genesis Evangelion, the flash , and so on.
The most shocking part to me from the syllabus is when I read and listen to you that the Wednesday from the after you upload the video class, we have to post our homework the following week which means that I have to try to speed up in order to hanging up on time the 250 words summary about Frankenstein from the introduction to chapter 8 because it is due this Wednesday February 10th.
The popular and journalistic term for Science Fiction is Sci-Fi and was introduced by Forrest J. Ackerman in 1950s. On the other hand, the proper name for Science Fiction is Science Fiction and the abbreviation is SF. Besides, there is another term created to differentiated good Science Fiction work from bad Science Fiction work, which is Skiffy. And Now the important question is: Why we should study Science Fiction? This is because Science Fiction always is about the here and now, probably in some stories go to the future but ends in the here and now again. Furthermore, imagine possible words because this can help to the imagination and in a scientific way explains how these worlds exist and how all in them exist. And in a figurative way make commentaries and criticism current problems in our society.
Hello everyone, my name is Calliq Eaddy. My major is liberal arts and science, and I am currently in my second year at City Tech. My hobbies range from watching anime like Hunter x Hunter or Naruto to basketball but most of the time Iām playing video games on my Xbox. I usually play multiplayer games like rocket league or NBA 2k20 but recently Iāve started to appreciate more story driven games such as Star War Jedi: Fallen Order and Red Dead Redemption. As you can see from my hobby’s science fiction is basically part of my everyday life and has been ever sense I was young. I am enrolled in this class because after I asked my friend for help on what writing intensive class, I should take this was the first one he recommended to me. After realizing that this class would be perfect for me because I would be able to write about a genre that I am passionate about I didnāt hesitate to register.
The beginning of the lecture summarized to importance of note taking and how it’s better to physically write notes opposed to typing it into a phone or laptop. SF is defined as narratives based on a techno-scientific turn that sets it apart from the here and now (despite its exploration from the here and now its ensuing historical/cultural baggage). SF isn’t about things that aren’t known, itās an imagination of what we know but donāt know a lot about such as aliens. Also, we explore the difference between SF and a fantasy. We study SF because it imagines possible worlds. SF encourages creativity and explores science and technology because in SF movies there is often futuristic technology like flying cars.
Hello Professor Ellis and my fellow classmates. My name is Fei Zhou. I have a self-designed major called Philosophical Fiction; it is comprised of creative writing and philosophy.
My hobbies include watching isekai anime and reading fantasy novel. I used to confuse science fiction with fantasy fiction; I thought they were interchangeable terms; but, after our first lesson, I learned the distinction between them. SF is about here-and-now, and it is based on techno-scientific turn. Fantasy fiction, on the other hand, is devoid of scientific turn; nevertheless, a good fantastic world has its own consistent rule and logic. SFF is a ānewā term that I have learned. This mixed genre used to make me think that science fiction and fantasy fiction meant the same thing. I hope to learn a little more about this combined genre in our future lessons; it piques my curiosity.
In our first class, we learned the five reasons that someone might want to study SF. They are: āalways about the here-and now; veiled commentary and criticism; imagines possible worlds; explores the effects of science and technology on human beings; community and fandom.ā I like the third reason the most. Creating a possible a world, based on scientific facts, is a really challenging and rewarding process; it requires both imagination and solid scientific background. It is what Iām aspiring to do. Ultimately, my goal is to take what I learned from this class and apply it in my future creative writing projects. I look forward to our next lesson.
Hello Dr. Ellis and classmates,
My name is Jeniffer I am 22 years old and my major is in Health Science. My end goal is to get a bachelorās in Health Service Administration. Iāve always had a passion to help others and make a difference in peopleās lives, which is why I always showed interest in the healthcare field. I currently work in an optical and it has been a wonderful experience. My hobbies arenāt that exciting. What I usually do in my free time is watch movies and my favorite genre to watch is a romantic comedy. I also like working out at least for an hour and online shop. My favorite science fiction movie is called āWhat Happened To Mondayā directed by Tommy Wirkola. Itās a film about a world where families are allowed only one child due to overpopulation, and identical septuplets must avoid getting all recognized because governmental execution can happen. Watching the lecture, some of the main points is taking notes is an important task for this class not only is it a big part of our grade but it also helps us better understand the material and remember the information. We will have a weekly discussion to summarize what we learned in each lecture. According to the lecture, there are many definitions for Science Fiction. Dr. Ellis statesā Science Fiction is ānarratives based on a technoscientific turn that sets it apart from the here-and-now.ā the reason we should study science fiction is that it urges us to consider the complex ways our choices and interactions contribute to generating the future. It gives us an understanding of what is happening to us in the world today but not directly saying it.
Hello Professor Ellis,
My name is Imerson Memko and my major is Computer Engineering Technology, although I have to finish my Associates is Electrical Engineering first in order to get there. My hobbies are video games, basketball, or sports in general, watching anime, and computers. The whole reason why I am majoring in CET is because I built my own computer before and would like to take that experience to the next level. I have not really read any books in the science fiction genre but I have experience dozens of stories from video games with my favorite probably being Bloodborne, a game that is heavily influenced by H.P. Lovecraft’s stories and particularly, The Shadow over Insmouth.
This class really opened my eyes when it came to knowing what science fiction is. For the longest time when someone said science fiction I would immediately think something that it has to do with the future which is way too vague. Science fiction could more precisely be considered speculation. A story that take our world as it is right now and speculates what might happen in the future based on current events. Most of these books are dystopian. They are critics. They take today’s problems and extend them into the future where that problem has taken over the world. They are written in such a way that it makes you believe that there’s a high possibility that the future will be like that. A good example I can think of is “The Handmaid’s Tale” where Margaret Atwood used the increasing cases of infertility that have been happening in the recent years, and created a dystopian world where fertile women are put into “camps” and used only as tools to reproduce. This however is a very vague summary as the book itself has deeper meaning. I highly recommend it.
Hello everybody, my name is Anthony Ramirez. I am currently majoring in Entertainment technology. My hobbies are primarily watching movies and playing video games as well as watching soccer. Science fiction has always been my favorite genre with movies being my preferred medium for Sci-fi. One of my earliest memories of Sci-fi was as a kid watching The Terminator on TV and I consider Terminator 2 to be my favorite Sci-fi movie. Throughout the years Iāve gained an admiration for the films in this genre that were directed by likes of James Cameron. Ridley Scott and George Lucas. The works from these directors and many others are definitely what led to my love for movies. My love for sci-fi and movies was also the reason for me choosing my major. I hope to one day take the skills I learn at CityTech and use them on a Sci-fi based production. Some highlights I got from todayās lesson was that there is more then one word used to define Sci-fi. Science fiction is based on the here and now and is connected to stuff we know. Sci-fi is an abbreviation for science fiction that was introduced in the 1950s as a play on the word Hi-fi. Science fiction is also not considered fantasy. One of the reasons I think it is important to study science fiction is because a lot of Sci-fi is based in the far future and I believe that a lot of people that consume these stories will be inspired by them and be influenced to partake in creating brand new technology that can help better our future.
Hello Professor and classmates, my name is Fabre Bamba. I just turned twenty- three years old in December. My major is Liberal Arts. This is my second year in City Tech. After I finish my semester, I plan on going to John Jay. I dream of being a detective. I absolutely love science. I know a lot about astronomy. I wanted to take this class to learn more about the different genres there is in science. I love to listen to music, I love to go out and be adventurous. I also love playing video games but only certain video games. I love being around my friends and traveling but I also very much enjoy my alone time. My favorite Sci-Fiction show is āRick and Morty.ā The show is based on a grandchild and grandpa who time travel and create different experiments. They also go on missions to kill aliens. Another Sci-Fiction movie that is currently my favorite is ā100.ā The lecture for week 1 is about our class overall. The professor speaks about what he is expecting for the class and goes through our syllabus, the importance of note taking, and speaks about SF. SF is about our here and now. During the lecture, one reason that we should study SF is because SF explores science and technology on human beings. We have an understanding of how life is now and how it can possibly be in the future. I am very excited to learn more about SF and to also share all this new information with those close to me.