ENGL 322 - Robot Dreams: Artificial and Human Identities in Literature and Popular Culture

Institution:

Williams College

Subject:

English

Description:

In this course we will trace artificial intelligence (A.I.) in literature and film from the industrial revolution to the "hive mind" of rave music and the age of the internet. We will consider the fear of A.I. as well as the optimistic view of it as an enhancement or amplification of the human. The image of the female and/or racialized robot is especially prominent, as is the notion that manufactured internet identities are variations on the theme of A.I. Readings will include E. T. A. Hoffmann's short stories about automata, Karel Capek Rossum's Universal Robots, Jeanette Winterson's The Stone Gods, Thomas Berger's Adventure of the Artificial Woman, Donna Haraway's "A Manifesto for Cyborgs," and selections from Isaac Asimov, William Gibson, Jean Baudrillard and contemporary cyberpunk and steampunk fiction. Films will include Metropolis, Blade Runner, The Matrix, Sleep Dealers and selections from the series Battlestar Galactica.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

A 100 level English course, or a score of 5 on the AP Exam in English Literature or a 6 or 7 on the International Baccalaureate

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Seminar

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.williams.edu

Phone Number:

(413) 597-3131

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Four-one-four plan

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.