Begins Thursday, September 7th, 2023

Class will meet weekly on Thursday nights via Zoom, 6PM - 8PM EST

Open to All writers!

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

Taught by Evan Fleischer, a writer, editor, and teacher. He has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Republic, Slate, The Washington Post, Vice, and numerous other publications. He has a MFA from Emerson College.

Learn more about Evan in our Meet the Teaching Artist series.

Come explore the stars in this unique science fiction workshop.

Whether it’s in a war with Newts, a world composed entirely of triangles, Ursula K. LeGuin’s Gethen, the meticulous thrill of building your own language, or in guiding someone like Cal Kestis through “Star Wars: Jedi Survivor,” science fiction expresses itself in a myriad of striking, energizing ways.

Come analyze and engage wite the best varied media of the genre while having your fiction workshopped by peers. No experience necessary. All are welcome.

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: Overview Hard worldbuilding vs. soft worldbuilding. Different subgenres of sci-fi Introduction to Conlags

Week 2: Technology and extraterrestrial life. What can Ed Young’s ‘An Immense World’ tell us about non-human perspectives and motivations? Workshop

Week 3: The Quiet Year Incorporation of previous material within the context of The Quiet Year. Workshop

Week 4: What storytelling possibilities exist within the latest scientific research? (Related: a look at reactive science fiction in the long view of history.) Filling out the world build with The Quiet Year. Workshop

Week 5: Making sure we spend sufficient time on any areas we might have not fully explored. Workshop.

Week 6: Presentation of revisions. Final thoughts.

• Ursula K. LeGuin’s “The Left Hand of Darkness”
• Ursula K. LeGuin’s “The Word for the World is Forest”
• Blade Runner (film)
• “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy” by Douglas Adams
• “An Immense World” by Ed Young
• NK Jemisin’s “How Long ‘til Black Future Month?” 

Note: Assigned texts are subject to change. Students aren’t required to purchase any text.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Participate in a community of like-minded peers.
• Explore the underpinnings of science fiction with intense intellectual curiosity.
• Produce at least 10-20 pages of material by the end of the class.

TAKE THIS CLASS IF:

• You're finding the constraints of your current writing practice too limiting.
• You want exposure to a range of new approaches to bring to your writing practice.
  
• You want an expanded sense of what is possible in your work in 2023 and beyond!

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class meets weekly via Zoom. Come prepared for a super fun class with live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking!

• Instructor: Evan Fleischer
  
• This class will have at least 4 writers
• Class Starts Thursday, September 7th, 2023
  
• Class will meet weekly on Thursday nights via Zoom, 6PM - 8PM EST
• Course is fully ONLINE.

Instructor Evan Fleischer is a writer, editor, and recent MFA graduate. He has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Republic, Slate, The Washington Post, Vice, and numerous other publications.