English 200B: Utopian/Dystopian societies in contemporary fiction Summer (A term) 2015 (VLPA and W)

As Fox TV cast a "reality" series titled "Utopia," an article in the Seattle Times chronicled "the current craze for post-apocalyptic and dystopian stories." What accounts for this interest, evident in both popular culture and literature, in alternative communities or societies, whether these are anarchic or authoritarian, reminiscent of the state of nature or suggestive of a surveillance state?

In this class we will read three very readable recent novels -- Lauren Groff's Arcadia, set in the recent past; Dave Eggers' The Circle, set in a recognizable present; and Chang-Rae Lee's On Such a Full Sea, set in the near future. All three experiment with different mixes of utopian, anti-utopian, and dystopian elements. We will engage with the literary elements of these novels, and explore some of the political and social implications of this turn in contemporary culture. Assignment include short essays and class discussion.