Time Travel in Literature

Kursbeschreibung / -kommentar

Even before the emergent discipline of theoretical physics laid its scientific foundation, and before modern philosophy was pondering its ramifications, time travel has been explored extensively within the framework of literature by authors such as Washington Irving, Edward Bellamy, and Charles Dickens. With the emergence of science fiction as a proper genre in the early 20th century, authors such as Robert A. Heinlein further popularized time travel as a plot device. In this seminar, we will not only deal with these (and more) narratives in their respective cultural contexts and trace the development of time travel plots from the 19th century to today, but also consider the specific mode of representation of time travel in literature.

In his recently published book "Time Travel: The Popular Philosophy of Narrative," David Wittenberg argues that “time travel fiction is a 'narratological laboratory,' in which many of the most basic theoretical questions about storytelling […] are represented in the form of literal devices and plots, at once both convenient for criticism and fruitfully complex.”

It is against this background that we will read (and compare) a number of narratives featuring time travel, written as early as 1819 and as late as 2007. You will need to purchase the following books/editions:

- Samuel R. Delany's "Babel-17 / Empire Star" (ISBN: 9780375706691)
- Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" (ISBN: 9780440180296)
- Chuck Palahniuk's "Rant" (ISBN: 9780099499367)

You are further expected to read a number of novellas and short stories. These, alongside other supplementary material, will be made available via Stud.IP.

Regular attendance and active participation are essential if you wish to pass the course. You are further expected to give a short presentation (max. 15-20 minutes) on historical background, contemporary developments (both scientific and literary), or a similar topic that will be assigned in the first session(s). Alternatively, you may participate in a number of online discussions on the texts we will be reading. An academic paper (4,000-5,000 words) will determine your final grade for the course.

Note: it is presumed that all students are familiar with basic narratological concepts and theories (e.g. Genette's, Stanzel's). If you feel you need to brush up on your grasp of narratological theory, consider reading and familiarizing yourself with the introduction to Genette's theories as well as the chapters on focalization and point of view from the Routledge Encyclopedia of Narrative Theory uploaded in the “Allgemeiner Dateiordner” on Stud.IP before the seminar starts.