School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Writing Speculative Fiction
  • Unit Code

    WRT3600
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Aksel DADSWELL

Description

Speculative fiction encompasses a number of popular and relevant genres that often raise long-standing and emerging questions about society, technology and the human condition itself. The unit will explore the breadth of speculative fiction, from historical touchstones inspired by scientific and industrial development, to contemporary works that demonstrate the branching evolution of genres such as science fiction, horror, fantasy, the Gothic, and dystopian literature. Students will read and analyse texts from a range of speculative genres, and craft original works which utilise narrative tools to explore rich thematic content.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded CCC3109

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Align contemporary themes and styles to key seminal works of speculative fiction to inform their own practice.
  2. Explore the role that a range of fictional genres play in contemporary culture.
  3. Produce theoretical and/or creative work which critically examines concepts within speculative genres.
  4. Evaluate the role worldbuilding techniques, narrative structures and characterisation play in the generation of original creative works.
  5. Create original and compelling works of speculative fiction which embody a range of literary techniques.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to speculative fiction through close study of prose and techniques for writing in these genres.
  2. Examine the popularity of speculative fiction and its major historic points, including key practitioners and seminal works.
  3. Practice genre-specific writing techniques, including worldbuilding, plot structures, characterisation of heroes and villains.
  4. Study works of fiction which seek to examine humanity through an exaggerated reality in order to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of how we live.
  5. Explore social justice issues as represented through speculative genres such as science fiction, horror, fantasy and dystopia.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
PresentationYouTube-style short on author, genre or text20%
ExerciseFlash fiction creative work30%
ProjectEssay or creative work50%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
PresentationYouTube-style short on author, genre or text20%
ExerciseFlash fiction creative work30%
ProjectEssay or creative work50%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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