Chrysalis Academy Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Help me think of more good classic sci fi from the late 1800s-early 1900s for my 6th grader to read next year. Stuff about grappling with science and the human condition and how it changed humanity's view of itself (ourselves?) Here's what we've got so far: Frankenstein (I know, too early - but she's kinda the grandma of the type of thing I have in mind) Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde The Invisible Man The War of the Worlds The Time Machine We've done 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and have Around the World planned for later. Anything else I'm missing that really stands out, from this pivotal, early sci fi time? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Fahrenheit 451 Voyage to the Center of the Earth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 idk, i think some of asimov's stuff is really old. i know i saw a free online class of classic scifi . . . does 1984 count? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alira Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 If you want to go a little later, Brave New World would fit in well. Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Mars series by Burroughs 1917 is the only one I can think of that hasn't been mentioned. I was told that all the early development of sci fi occurred in serials -- mostly short stories. So the recommendation was the Science Fiction Hall of Fame vol 1: list of shortstories: http://en.wikipedia...._One,_1929–1964 and amazon: http://www.amazon.co...l/dp/0765305372 We finished the early ones last year, and have moved into the 20th century, but I thought you still might want to have a look. There is major cross over between dystopian and sci fi, so I included both. Ruth in NZ Distopian The Time Machine, Wells Iron Heel, London, 1908 Anthem by Ayn Rand, 1937 Brave New World, 1939 Walden 2, Skinner, 1948 1984, Orwell Farenheit 451, Bradbury, 1953 Chrysalids, Day of the Trifids, Windham, 1955 Lord of the Flies, 1960? Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? PK Dick, 1968 Running Man, Bachman (King), 1982 House of Scorpian, N Farmer, 2002 Classic Sci Fi Invisible Man, Wells Mysterious Island, Verne The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol 1 Imposter, We can remember it for you PK Dick Lost World, Doyle The Star Diaries, Lem A Perfect Vacuum, Lem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 not all of those are scifi tho . . . like walden 2 and lord of the flies (i've read those . . . ) What about gullivers travels, does that count? i found a free asimov short story ebook a few mo ago called Youth, which i LOVED. looks like it was first published in 52. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 not all of those are scifi tho . . . like walden 2 and lord of the flies Stuff about grappling with science and the human condition and how it changed humanity's view of itself (ourselves?) But some distopian that are not sci fi are really good at discussing the above question. We found Iron Heel was a huge hit because it really pushed our thinking about industrialization and the human condition. Walden 2 really concerned the new science of behaviorism and applying it to a whole society. So I suppose that it depends on how you are interpreting the "grappling with science and the human condition." So far The Day of the Triffids and Crysalids has led to the most in depth discussions about the affect of science on society, even more than the standard choices of Farenheit 451 or Time Machine. But those are a bit out of the date range. I think you will have many wonderful discussions! Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shukriyya Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Not sure it qualifies as science fiction but 'The Twenty-One Balloons' might be one to add. The events and ideas are based on scientific fact and imagination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Help me think of more good classic sci fi from the late 1800s-early 1900s for my 6th grader to read next year. Stuff about grappling with science and the human condition and how it changed humanity's view of itself (ourselves?) Here's what we've got so far: Frankenstein (I know, too early - but she's kinda the grandma of the type of thing I have in mind) Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde The Invisible Man The War of the Worlds The Time Machine We've done 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and have Around the World planned for later. Anything else I'm missing that really stands out, from this pivotal, early sci fi time? Thanks! Well, the issues raised, but esp. the language (vocabulary, sentence structure, and things referred to), bump Frankenstein and Dr. J & Mr. H into high school level, JMO -- you want to be careful to not try those too soon, and either dislike sci-fi because of the language and culture were a barrier, OR, that the student wasn't quite ready to go as deep as those works allow you go. Also, the morality questions raised in The Invisible Man (scientific achievement --> invisibility --> feeling moral superior) are rather subtle and complex, so I'm not sure I would actually recommend any of those for a middle schooler for early exposure to sci-fi and the human condition. Jules Verne is fun, but starts to feel similar, and most of his works are more about being "ripping yarns" rather than think pieces... BUT, you could check out Mysterious Island; the character of Captain Nemo is in it, and there are a few discussions that continue Nemo's ideology. If you are willing to go with more recent works, all of the ones I list below are good, and are *great* middle school entry points into practicing discussion on those big topics, so that when DD is just a few years older and has fully developed those rhetoric skills, you can dive into another great sci-fi unit. Just a thought! Best of luck, whatever you decide. Warmest regards, Lori D. Young Adult Sci-Fi to prompt discussion: - The Green Book (Walsh) - Greensky trilogy: Below the Root; And All Between; Until the Celebration (Snyder) -- may want to stick with just the first book, or first two books -- book 3 feels rushed and characters are undeveloped; also, death of a major character - City of Ember; People of Spark; Diamond of Darkhold (duPrau) -- books 1, 2, and 4 of the "quadrilogy;" book 3 is different; a prequil - Enchantress from the Stars (Engdahl) -- sci-fi AND fantasy - A Wrinkle in Time (and sequel A Wind in the Door) -- L'Engle - The Giver (Lowry) -- PREVIEW; dystopia -- may be too intense for a 10yo - Tripods trilogy (Christopher) -- only mediocre in writing, BUT, a great go-along with H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds - Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt) - Dogbody (Jones) - The Game (Jones) - A Tale of Time City (Jones) Short stories: - "There Will Come Soft Rains" (Bradbury) - R is for Rocket (Bradbury) -- collection - Martian Chronicles (Bradbury) -- collection - I, Robot (Asimov) -- collection; many of our modern ideas about how artificial intelligence should interact with humans come from Asimov Not exactly sci-fi, but two GREAT ones for discussion of political systems: - Animal Farm (Orwell) - Watership Down (Richard Adams) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 - Watership Down (Richard Adams) Oh gosh - that book was so incomprehensible to me when I was younger, but I found it and re-read it later and it was sooo good!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Okay, just adding -- the people who posted above listed some GREAT titles -- but the majority of the titles suggested are MATURE and, JMO, are NOT for a 10yo, and NOT for early outings in discussion. So hang on to the great lists offered by the above posters -- and come back to them in a few years. They will be great works for discussion in high school. Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbmamaz Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Asimovs robots were probably my first happy intro to sci fi. He talks about fitting robots in to human society. Hubby is agreeing that my daughter, even in high school, thought some great books were awful just because they were over her head . . . And she was reading chapter books by the end of K. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Okay, just adding -- the people who posted above listed some GREAT titles -- but the majority of the titles suggested are MATURE and, JMO, are NOT for a 10yo, and NOT for early outings in discussion. So hang on to the great lists offered by the above posters -- and come back to them in a few years. They will be great works for discussion in high school. Warmest regards, Lori D. I agree. Many of those titles are ones that I wouldn't want a 6th grade child reading. The themes vary from heavy depressing politics to deep moral issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Looking Backward will be perfect for you. http://www.sacred-texts.com/utopia/lb/ http://librivox.org/looking-backward-2000-1887-by-edward-bellamy/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 I wanted to second Ruth's mention of the Burroughs Mars books; and also (given the interest in age-appropriateness) link some of the Angelicum/Great Books Academy lists for 4th - 7th grades. I don't believe that these lists contain the books that are of especial concern here; but they do give a sense of progression that makes sense to me (having read many of them myself; and the Burroughs' books at a fairly young age). Many who use the GB/Angelicum lists add a year to the grade level. 4th grade literature includes Verne's Around the World in 80 Days Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter " ... of Mars" collection, 5 books: Princess, Gods, Warlords, Thuvia, and Chessmen. 5th grade literature includes Verne's 20,000 Leagues & From Earth to the Moon Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan collection: this is 8 books. In general feel, and esp. in the concern with issues of its time around what it means to be human; what is noble; what is innate and acquired; &c, I would classify this with sci fi. 6th grade literature includes Verne's Mysterious Island 7th grade literature includes Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Many of those titles are ones that I wouldn't want a 6th grade child reading. The themes vary from heavy depressing politics to deep moral issues. oops. Didn't notice the age, just the discussion theme. Sorry. We had a discussion around the table with my 12 year old and dh, and this is the age-appropriate list we came up with for up to the early 1900s: The War of the Worlds The Time Machine The Invisible Man Voyage to the Center of the Earth 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Around the World Mysterious Island Lost World, Doyle 1912 Mars series by Burroughs 1917 Anthem by Ayn Rand, 1937 (short story) Fahrenheit 451 1953 (I know a little bit further in time, but my ds said a younger child would definitely like it and it is a classic) The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol 1 1930-1960s (all classics. both my ds and dh said that all the short stories were appropriate, and this title gives you LOTs to discuss as they are short stories) My ds read Frankenstein at age 11 and did NOT like it at all. Just an FYI. He found it terribly depressing because everyone dies. This is the only book of the list I posted earlier that he has not liked. So some pretty heavy titles as competition. HTH, Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Oh gosh - that book was so incomprehensible to me when I was younger, but I found it and re-read it later and it was sooo good!!!! Susan, you're probably right -- this one may be better to wait a bit on. :) Also, if you have a sensitive child, bunnies die. (All the characters are rabbits.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Susan, you're probably right -- this one may be better to wait a bit on. :) Also, if you have a sensitive child, bunnies die. (All the characters are rabbits.) My 9yo read Watership Down a few months ago and it is his all time favourite book! He is very sensitive, but somehow this book spoke to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 This thread has made me want to get Jules Verne's books and read them myself!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 We did Fahrenheit 451 as a read aloud about that age. It had a pretty big impact on him. He quit watching TV just to have it on after that. The Great Books Foundation publishes a sci-fi omnibus - I've not seen it and I'm not sure the age range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Most public domain translations of Verne are poor quality at best, bowdlerized at worst. Here's a guide to help find good ones. We have a few of the annotated editions, and very much enjoyed the Wesleyan edition of Mysterious Island. A Bibliography of Jules Verne’s English Translations (fixed link) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Ruth mentioned House of the Scorpian above. Middle Boy and I enjoyed that one when he was in middle school. I am pretty sure he was in 6th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 31, 2013 Author Share Posted March 31, 2013 Wow, what fantastic suggestions! Thanks a lot, I knew I could count on you guys! I'm definitely trying to keep it age-appropriate; so some of these will go on our high-school list. I agree that Frankenstein probably doesn't belong, but dd specifically requested it (not for the monster part, I think after a discussion of a quote in MCT) and I thought about doing it as a read-aloud and discussion. I'll think about it more. Lori D., as always thanks for the excellent and age-appropriate suggestions, I should have put "6th grade" in my original post. I'm trying to achieve a couple of things with this unit: one is to think about how people at that time, that time of the explosion of technology, but before the WW1 induced angst that led to much darker/dystopian literature, were grappling with the idea of science and how it would affect their lives. I agree that a lot of these great dystopian novels will be great, but for later. I'm trying to get at both the excitement and the angst at this earlier age . . . I don't know if that makes sense. I have a whole Utopian/Dystopian list going for high school, and some of these titles will definitely be added, so thanks! For now, I think we are ready for grappling with moral dilemnas, but I don't want depressing, hopeless conclusions. Time enough for that later! One of my other goals is to introduce the non-heroic protagonist, one who makes choices that either we or the author *don't* agree with, because I think up till now most of what dd has read has had a good/sympathetic protagonist, and the protagonist/ "good guy" winning - and I think she's ready to start dealing with more complexity in that, but I want to have a lot of discussion around it. She's read kid versions of Dr. J and the Invisible Man, and I think the time is ripe for really talking about those issues of alienation from society and the choices that come with power (even the power of knowledge). Ruth, I love that second list, and thanks for sharing your son's perspective! I also adore Watership Down and have it on a later list, for sure! I was thinking about pairing it with a kid's version of the Aneid, I think there are some similar themes. RIght now that's planned for sometime in junior high. Nmoira - I know what you mean about bad versions of Verne - we read a newly translated, annotated version of 20,000 Leagues, and it was such a different story with all that excised material added back in. What a shame that Verne was so bowdlerized in translation! It was a much more interesting book this way. Elegantlion, thanks for the word on Fahrenheit 451 as a read-aloud at that age, I wondered if it was too soon. It's on a list for later too, but maybe I will revisit it. We watch almost no TV, and the kids have listened to my anti-commercial propaganda for years! So that part of it is preaching to the choir, but I know that there are many great themes about censorship and the effects of mass pop culture that we'll want to talk about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 31, 2013 Author Share Posted March 31, 2013 Well, the issues raised, but esp. the language (vocabulary, sentence structure, and things referred to), bump Frankenstein and Dr. J & Mr. H into high school level, JMO -- you want to be careful to not try those too soon, and either dislike sci-fi because of the language and culture were a barrier, OR, that the student wasn't quite ready to go as deep as those works allow you go. Ok, I will think about both of these more. If we do them, if will be as RAs. My strategy thus far has been to do things that were well over her reading level, but that she has expressed interest in reading, as read alouds. Both of these fall into that category - things she has asked to read as we've been planning for next year. Also, the morality questions raised in The Invisible Man (scientific achievement --> invisibility --> feeling moral superior) are rather subtle and complex, so I'm not sure I would actually recommend any of those for a middle schooler for early exposure to sci-fi and the human condition. This one, I think she is ready for - I just re-read it to make sure. Jules Verne is fun, but starts to feel similar, and most of his works are more about being "ripping yarns" rather than think pieces... BUT, you could check out Mysterious Island; the character of Captain Nemo is in it, and there are a few discussions that continue Nemo's ideology. I know what you mean! I don't want to OD on Verne, but we may try this one. If you are willing to go with more recent works, all of the ones I list below are good, and are *great* middle school entry points into practicing discussion on those big topics, so that when DD is just a few years older and has fully developed those rhetoric skills, you can dive into another great sci-fi unit. Just a thought! Best of luck, whatever you decide. Warmest regards, Lori D. Young Adult Sci-Fi to prompt discussion: - The Green Book (Walsh) - Greensky trilogy: Below the Root; And All Between; Until the Celebration (Snyder) -- may want to stick with just the first book, or first two books -- book 3 feels rushed and characters are undeveloped; also, death of a major character - City of Ember; People of Spark; Diamond of Darkhold (duPrau) -- books 1, 2, and 4 of the "quadrilogy;" book 3 is different; a prequil - Enchantress from the Stars (Engdahl) -- sci-fi AND fantasy - A Wrinkle in Time (and sequel A Wind in the Door) -- L'Engle - The Giver (Lowry) -- PREVIEW; dystopia -- may be too intense for a 10yo - Tripods trilogy (Christopher) -- only mediocre in writing, BUT, a great go-along with H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds - Tuck Everlasting (Babbitt) - Dogbody (Jones) - The Game (Jones) - A Tale of Time City (Jones) This is great - she has read and enjoyed A Tale of TIme City, Tuck Everlasting (her favorite book ever, so far!) and A Wrinkle in TIme. I have Enchantress from the Stars on a later list. I will check out the rest of these, they sound right up her alley! I especially like having a more recent book to pair with a classic, so the Tripods along with War of the Worlds is an especially interesting rec. Short stories: - "There Will Come Soft Rains" (Bradbury) - R is for Rocket (Bradbury) -- collection - Martian Chronicles (Bradbury) -- collection - I, Robot (Asimov) -- collection; many of our modern ideas about how artificial intelligence should interact with humans come from Asimov Oh good, I am wanting to use more short stories to illustrate specific points - I have ordered Dana Gioia's American short stories book, and plan to pepper our reading list with the best of these. Maybe I'll start a new short story thread! Not exactly sci-fi, but two GREAT ones for discussion of political systems: - Animal Farm (Orwell) - Watership Down (Richard Adams) Yes! We will read Animal Farm next year, and maybe WD too. I loved that book, just didn't want to do it too early. I should re-read it to decide just when. Thank you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted March 31, 2013 Author Share Posted March 31, 2013 oops. Didn't notice the age, just the discussion theme. Sorry. We had a discussion around the table with my 12 year old and dh, and this is the age-appropriate list we came up with for up to the early 1900s: The War of the Worlds The Time Machine The Invisible Man Voyage to the Center of the Earth 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Around the World Mysterious Island Lost World, Doyle 1912 Mars series by Burroughs 1917 Anthem by Ayn Rand, 1937 (short story) Fahrenheit 451 1953 (I know a little bit further in time, but my ds said a younger child would definitely like it and it is a classic) The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol 1 1930-1960s (all classics. both my ds and dh said that all the short stories were appropriate, and this title gives you LOTs to discuss as they are short stories) My ds read Frankenstein at age 11 and did NOT like it at all. Just an FYI. He found it terribly depressing because everyone dies. This is the only book of the list I posted earlier that he has not liked. So some pretty heavy titles as competition. HTH, Ruth in NZ Love this list! This really gets at what I was trying to achieve, and thank your ds for me for his recommendations for an 11 yo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 DS12 recently read I, Robot (Asimov). Not turn of the century, but old enough that contrast between current reality and what Asimov predicted sparked great discussions. He also just finished From the Earth to the Moon and is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth, both of which he recommends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 I'm trying to achieve a couple of things with this unit: one is to think about how people at that time, that time of the explosion of technology, but before the WW1 induced angst that led to much darker/dystopian literature, were grappling with the idea of science and how it would affect their lives. I agree that a lot of these great dystopian novels will be great, but for later. I'm trying to get at both the excitement and the angst at this earlier age . . . I don't know if that makes sense. I have a whole Utopian/Dystopian list going for high school, and some of these titles will definitely be added, so thanks! For now, I think we are ready for grappling with moral dilemnas, but I don't want depressing, hopeless conclusions. Time enough for that later! One of my other goals is to introduce the non-heroic protagonist, one who makes choices that either we or the author *don't* agree with, because I think up till now most of what dd has read has had a good/sympathetic protagonist, and the protagonist/ "good guy" winning - and I think she's ready to start dealing with more complexity in that, but I want to have a lot of discussion around it. She's read kid versions of Dr. J and the Invisible Man, and I think the time is ripe for really talking about those issues of alienation from society and the choices that come with power (even the power of knowledge). I think this is a *wonderful* idea for a unit! :) And you've laid out some fabulous, specific themes to pursue through several works to guide your unit! But… I think to address the ideas of the anti-hero, and angst, fear and dread of how science/technology would affect their lives -- you may need to shift your time frame to post WW2 (rather than pre-WW1), as that is really when those ideas were resonating in the culture, and were being explored through the science fiction genre. Society didn't really start struggling with those ideas of science/technology until after WW2 (post-atomic world). Yes, the first taste came with Europeans coupling the ideas of socialism (with the Russian Revolution and new USSR nation) and the new assembly lines (Ford motor company, etc.). And, of course, WW1 offered the first real horrors of large-scale mechanized war and the resulting depersonalization the war machines and type of warfare had on humans and the land. But it really wasn't until post-WW2 that the full horror of technology and the potential *negatives* of science began to hit society in a wide-spread way and result in those feelings of dread, angst, dystopia, apocalypse, etc. Esp. prior to WW1, science and technology were generally viewed by society-at-large as bringers of good and of potentially ushering in better lives. (Aldus Huxley's 1931 Brave New World, is the one famous pre-WW2 sci-fi work I can think of -- and I would *definitely* save that one for high school!). Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) wasn't so much grappling with fears of the explosion of science/tech advancements into society, but rather an individual wrestling with moral questions and consequences of choice: responsibility of the creator toward the creation; where/how to find meaning in life; pride; and whether or not to pursue this line of "unholy" line of research. Likewise Dr. J & Mr. H (1886) is very much a moral struggle of the individual -- Dr. J's attempt to separate out the baser part of human nature from the self in order to indulge it without consequence. There is no discussing of whether science/tech will have a good/bad influence on society -- society does not come into play in the story other than how Dr. J/Mr. H's choices directly affect a few specific individuals within society. Medicine/science is not at all seen as problematic -- it is the misuse of his knowledge and addictive aspect on Dr. J himself that is explored. Similarly medicine/science is viewed as a positive by society in The Invisible Man (1897), and the conflict is the young scientist's pride and over-reaching ambition that causes him to pursue the invisibility potion and then go power-mad and feel invisibility puts him beyond the morality and rules of "common people." Generally, the themes in those sci-fi works (and other Literature) prior to WW1 really are much closer to the themes in the 19th century gothic and horror works, and the individual's internal struggle with morality (late Victorian era) -- more the idea of the individual's struggle with society, rather than society's struggle with science/technology and what the explosion of technology would mean to society. Most people were seeing science and technology begin to enter their lives in the last decades of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, but usually it was seen as a positive -- more goods available cheaper; labor-saving devices; medical advances; scientific research making great discoveries… It wasn't until the Atomic era that suddenly society woke up to the potential negatives, and began to experience fears and angst about science/technology in daily life and where it would lead. Finally, sci-fi as a genre just really doesn't take off (other than works by Verne and Wells and a few isolated other works) until the 1940s and 1950s, so there just aren't many sci-fi works that are pre-WW1. An H.G. Wells short story that captures the mechanized, dehumanizing effect of war machines of WW1-- but was written 12 years BEFORE WW1, is "The Land Ironclads" = http://www.angelfire...dironclads1.pdf If you would like to explore pre-WW1 ideas of angst, it would be more of the personal, internal, psychological depression, fear, dread found in 19th century gothic and horror works, and the individual's internal struggle with morality (late Victorian era) -- both of which are much more having to do with the idea of the individual's struggle with a repressive society, rather than society's struggle with science/technology and what the explosion of technology would mean to society. You might enjoy a unit on Gothic and horror works, in that case: "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (Irving); short stories by Edgar Allen Poe; and other short stories: "The Monkey's Paw" (Jacobs); "The Bottle Imp" (Stevenson); "Queen of Spades" (Pushkin); "The Storm" (Verne). Some of these may be a bit above a young middle schooler. More at a high school level for a Gothic unit would be works by Ann Radcliffe (The Mysteries of Uldolpho) -- and then enjoy Jane Austen's send-up of Gothic works in Blackanger Abbey; poems by Lord Byron ("Darkness") and Samuel Coleridge ("Rime of the Ancient Mariner"); Frankenstein; Charles Dickens' Bleak House or Great Expectations; Henry James' Turn of the Screw; Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre; etc. Another idea: look at science fiction films as a way of discussing some of these issues. A few early silent sci-fi films worth a look include: - Trip to the Moon (1901) = (10 min) Positive, whimsical/fantasy view of space travel and science/tech by early French filmmaker George Melies; may be able to pair with Jules Verne works (view the movie) -- and as a side note, watch the recent movie Hugo, which has images from Trip to the Moon and other George Melies films -- plus a boy attempting to rebuild an autonoman. - Frankenstein (1910) = (10 min) An entertainment film, more of a horror than sci-fi work, compare with how it differs with the original novel (view the movie)http://www.imdb.com/...ref_=fn_al_tt_1 - The Golem (1920) = (57 min) Medieval black magic animates a clay statue into protecting the ghettoized, oppressed Jewish population (view the movie) - Metropolis (1927) = (148 min.) Overworked worker class oppressed in mechanized factory, revolution, scientist creates a robot to look like the girl who leads the revolution in order to undermine it; look for the restored version that has the soundtrack originally designed for the film (currently on Netflix watch it now) Rambling now, so I'll stop, as this is all getting VERY far afield from your original request! ;) BEST of luck in creating your fascinating and exciting Lit. unit! Update us on what you and DD end up reading and how it goes! :) Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Anything in the scifi section of Project Gutenberg or Libravox should do. And you can get most or all of them for free as ebooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 I think this is a *wonderful* idea for a unit! :) And you've laid out some fabulous, specific themes to pursue through several works to guide your unit! But… I think to address the ideas of the anti-hero, and angst, fear and dread of how science/technology would affect their lives -- you may need to shift your time frame to post WW2 (rather than pre-WW1), as that is really when those ideas were resonating in the culture, and were being explored through the science fiction genre. snip Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) wasn't so much grappling with fears of the explosion of science/tech advancements into society, but rather an individual wrestling with moral questions and consequences of choice: responsibility of the creator toward the creation; where/how to find meaning in life; pride; and whether or not to pursue this line of "unholy" line of research. Likewise Dr. J & Mr. H (1886) is very much a moral struggle of the individual -- Dr. J's attempt to separate out the baser part of human nature from the self in order to indulge it without consequence. There is no discussing of whether science/tech will have a good/bad influence on society -- society does not come into play in the story other than how Dr. J/Mr. H's choices directly affect a few specific individuals within society. Medicine/science is not at all seen as problematic -- it is the misuse of his knowledge and addictive aspect on Dr. J himself that is explored. Similarly medicine/science is viewed as a positive by society in The Invisible Man (1897), and the conflict is the young scientist's pride and over-reaching ambition that causes him to pursue the invisibility potion and then go power-mad and feel invisibility puts him beyond the morality and rules of "common people." Generally, the themes in those sci-fi works (and other Literature) prior to WW1 really are much closer to the themes in the 19th century gothic and horror works, and the individual's internal struggle with morality (late Victorian era) -- more the idea of the individual's struggle with society, rather than society's struggle with science/technology and what the explosion of technology would mean to society. snip Rambling now, so I'll stop, as this is all getting VERY far afield from your original request! ;) BEST of luck in creating your fascinating and exciting Lit. unit! Update us on what you and DD end up reading and how it goes! :) Warmest regards, Lori D. Thanks for such a thoughtful and insightful reply! I get your point exactly. In my explanation above I kind of conflated two ideas - part of the reason I didn't explain clearly is that I'm still formulating the ideas myself! But basically I want to do two different things, in two different units - the first is to look at the idea of the anti-hero/non-heroic protagonist, and explore the moral themes involved there. The books I had thought of using for that are Frankenstein, Dr. J & Mr H, The Invisible Man, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Then, as a second unit, I wanted to look at some early sci-fi, and see what it said about how people were dealing with new technology and the changing pace of life, urbanization, etc. I don't really *know* what the answer is - I just thought it would be an interesting thing to explore. But I know that views do get much darker after the wars, and in the cold war/atomic age, so I was thinking it would be interesting (and less depressing) to delve into this time period. Parly because we've read and enjoyed a little Verne, and she is interested in reading Wells, so I was looking for a few more similar suggestions, from that time period, to read along with. It just so happens that Wells turns up in both groups, and I was interested to see what books/authors others would suggest, so I was trying to to be to prescriptive! But I get how the books I might use for the second purpose (a look at early sci fi) will not necessarily be the same ones I use for the first purpose (exploring the anti-hero). I'm definitely going to crib all your ideas for a study of later sci fi/postwar angst, but I think I will save that for high school!! Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 If you are looking for the excitement without the darkness, then Looking Backward is definitely a good one for you to read. It is a very positive book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 If you are looking for the excitement without the darkness, then Looking Backward is definitely a good one for you to read. It is a very positive book. This sorta gives me pause about reading it... From Wikipedia: It was the third-largest bestseller of its time, after Uncle Tom's Cabin and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.[1] It influenced a large number of intellectuals, and appears by title in many of the major Marxist writings of the day. "It is one of the few books ever published that created almost immediately on its appearance a political mass movement".[2] In the United States alone, over 162 "Bellamy Clubs" sprang up to discuss and propagate the book's ideas.[3] Owing to its commitment to the nationalization of private property, this political movement came to be known as Nationalism, not to be confused with the political concept of nationalism.[4] The novel also inspired several utopian communities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted April 1, 2013 Author Share Posted April 1, 2013 If you are looking for the excitement without the darkness, then Looking Backward is definitely a good one for you to read. It is a very positive book. It's on my Utopian/Dystopian lit for high school! I remember reading it back in college, but need to revisit it for level - do you think an 11 year old could handle it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieW in Texas Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 I don't see any reason why not. I read it for the first time in middle school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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