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Course Description

Summary

In this class we will read stories, novels, and essays that interrogate the execution and historicity of Black horror and and the Afro-future, using Black horror as the foundation for deeper intellectual and aesthetic delving into Afro-futuristic texts. We will engage with the question: How does Black horror reflect and shatter historical notions of horrific acts against Black people and does Afro-futurism imagine Black people in a safer world or a world that is differently horrific? We will read texts by Octavia Butler, Tananarive Due, Nnedi Okorafor, Walter Mosely, Samuel Delany and others. If time permits we will also watch snippets from films that deal with horror and the future to discuss what difference if any exists across genres exploring similar themes of the monstrous, the inhuman, the hopeful, and the unknown. Assignments include but are not limited to a midterm paper, a final paper, and short presentations. Entry into the class is predicated on the professor's permission. Students interested in being a part of this class must submit a sample of up to five (5) written pages of critical work about any topic of interest.