ALL706 - Fantasy and Historical Fictions

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 2: Helen Young
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: Nil
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

1 x 2-hour seminar per week

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

Online independent and collaborative learning activities including participation in weekly discussions and guided readings 1 x 2-hour seminar equivalent

Content

The unit offers the opportunity to explore genre in depth through a wide range of literary and multi-media fantasy and historical fiction texts (for example novels, short stories, film, and video-games). How does fiction balance the historical, mimetic and fantastic? What kinds of ‘truth’ can we express and access through different genres in popular and literary modes? Where does historical fiction stop, and fantasy begin? How do fictions aimed at young people differ from those designed for adult audiences? Students will be encouraged to investigate these questions and more through writing critical and theoretical essays and/or creative work. Texts and media vary from year to year and may include Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Amazon’s Rings of Power, the novels of N. K. Jemisin, Kim Scott’s That Deadman Dance, and Sid Meier’s Civilization game franchise.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1

Analyse fiction critically and with an enhanced capacity to distinguish key narrative and textual strategies of genres

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO2

Employ appropriate communications strategies and approaches in their own creative and/or critical writing

GLO2: Communication

ULO3

Research and employ appropriate theory and criticism to support a research contention

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO3: Digital literacy

GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO4

Explain key concepts in debates in relation to the politics of fantasy and historical fiction, and demonstrate a critical awareness of recent contributions to the field across a range of cultures

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO8: Global citizenship

ULO5

Analyse the strengths and weaknesses in critiques of genre fiction writing

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO7: Teamwork

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1 - Critical essay 2000 words or equivalent 40% Information not yet available
Assessment 2 - Critical essay OR creative work and exegesis 2500 words or equivalent 50% Information not yet available
Assessment 3 - Workshop/online activity 500 words
or equivalent
10% Information not yet available

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via ALL706
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

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