Communist and Capitalist Fantasies: Science Fiction in the Soviet Union and the United States

What can science fiction tell us about life and art in the 20th century, in the Soviet Union and the United States? Speculative fiction (including sci-fi, fantasy, utopia, dystopia) combines irony and idealism, belief in science and skepticism about it. It appealed to people living under communism and capitalism. The course will relate fiction to the specific culture and politics in both countries, while also drawing transnational connections. We ask why writers and readers, filmmakers and viewers loved this art so much, despite living in what seemed to be very different places. Soviet and Eastern-European writers and filmmakers will include Mikhail Bulgakov, Stanis¿aw Lem, and Andrei Tarkovsky. The Americans may include Kurt Vonnegut, Philip K. Dick, Isaac Asimov, and Octavia Butler. Additional readings in Marx, Lenin, and H.G. Wells.