Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.
Mixed Lecture/Discussion
•
Low intensity
One of the most relevant novels you could read right now was written almost two centuries ago. Mary Shelley’s The Last Man asks what it means to be human while living in unprecedented times. This 1826 classic of apocalyptic science fiction considers the implications of a global pandemic, a rapidly changing environment, and the failures of political and social institutions. Part imaginative autobiography, part science fictional warning, and part ecocritical thought experiment, The Last Man forces us to examine our assumptions about our present and future.
In this module we will consider Mary Shelley’s novel in the context of her life, times, and intellectual history. We will also explore the afterlife of The Last Man in critical discussions of the ominously similar challenges we face in the 21st century. In the process, we will discuss the novel’s lasting meanings and contributions as pioneering work of speculative fiction.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
In this module we will consider Mary Shelley’s novel in the context of her life, times, and intellectual history. We will also explore the afterlife of The Last Man in critical discussions of the ominously similar challenges we face in the 21st century. In the process, we will discuss the novel’s lasting meanings and contributions as pioneering work of speculative fiction.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
| Outline | 8-Session Structure |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Lecture 1: The Last Man |
| Discussion 1: Introduction and Volume 1 | |
| Week 2 | Lecture 2: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley |
| Discussion 2: Volume 2 | |
| Week 3 | Lecture 3: Inspirations and Ancestor Texts |
| Discussion 3: Volume 3 | |
| Week 4 | Lecture 4: Pandemic and Post-Apocalyptic Literature |
| Discussion 4: Themes and Takeaways |
Required Texts
The Last Man by Mary Shelley (any version). There is a free ebook version available through Project Gutenberg and a free audiobook version available through Librivox.
This class needs more votes to get confirmed.
This module is a standing candidate which means it will be ready to launch as soon as it gets enough interest. Token holders can set aside a Token to reserve their seat for (next run of this) this candidate and help it get confirmed.
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This will be a Hybrid class (4 lectures & 4 discussion sessions). Each week will consist of 1 hour of recorded lecture and 1 hour of live discussion (not recorded) for a total of 8 class hours over the course of the month.
DELIVERY PLAN
1. The first session each week will be a lecture session (pre-recorded), shared with all students at least three days before the live discussion session.
2. The second session each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).
DELIVERY PLAN
1. The first session each week will be a lecture session (pre-recorded), shared with all students at least three days before the live discussion session.
2. The second session each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).
Days and Times
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group. Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!