Precepted by Carrie Gross

Isaac Asimov wrote a complete 7 volume series of Foundation novels, an interesting Empire prequel series, and compiled short stories and novellas into a Robot prequel series to make a vast and arching future history for our universe. But at it's core were the first three compiled and original stories that made a trilogy of the Seldon Plan and its unfolding. If you want a spoiler free, first look into this classic series, let's read the first three books together in one month.

Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy was first a radio production, then a novelization, then a tv series, then a movie. If this is giving you fits, don't panic, there's even more. Grab your towel, and thumb, and hitch a ride for a rediculous look at the lighter side of science fiction. Where were you when you heard those recordings for the first time? Or discovered the trilogy was 5 (or 6?) books? In this SPACE course we will cover the 12 fits of the radio drama's first series, and the first 2 books in the trilogy that it covered: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Restaurant at the End of the Universe. There may be spoilers and digressions into the other adaptations and possible series in progress as well.

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best All-Time Series in 1966, Isaac Asimov's Foundation series has grown from its many short stories in various serial publications into a solid and complete whole, with adaptations and prequels, and side series as well. Let's take a spoiler heavy, thoughtful and fan approach to this alternate future of humanity. Caveat: All the Foundation novels are listed in the Reading list, but there may be spoilers about the Robot and Empire series as well.

Three Science Fiction Masters of the 20th Century stand out above the rest. Their contributions garnered them the label 'The Big Three.' We will look at three novels of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein and discuss as fans and modern readers the impact of their contributions.