Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Young adult fiction, science fiction, general'

Steampunk first appeared in the 1980s as a subgenre of science fiction, featuring anachronistic technologies with a veneer of Victorian sensibilities. In recent years steampunk has re-emerged in young adult science fiction as a fresh and dynamic subgenre, which includes titles such as The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross, The Hunchback Assignment by Arthur Slade, and Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. Like their predecessors, these modern steampunk novels for teens use retrofuturistic historiography and innovative mechanical aesthetics to dramatize the volatile relationship between man and technology, only in these novels the narrative is intentionally set in the context of their teen protagonist's social and emotional development. However, didactic conventions such as technophobia and the formulaic linearity of the bildungsroman narrative complicate and frustrate steampunk's representation of adolescent formation. Using case studies of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld and The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia, retrofuturism and technological hybridity are presented as defining features of steampunk that subvert young adult science fiction's technophobic and liberal humanist traditions. The dirigible and the automaton are examined as the quintessential tropes of steampunk fiction that reproduce the necessary amphibious quality, invoking new expressions and understanding of adolescent growth and identity formation that have a distinctly utopian, nostalgic, and ecocentric undertone.

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the treatment and portrayal of children in science fiction utopian literature and determine whether this effectively indicated the writers’ feminist visions for social change. A feminist theoretical perspective and critical interpretation of several of the genre’s canon, Sheri Tepper’s The Gate to Women’s Country, Suzy McKee Chamas’s Motherlines, Sally Miller Gearhart’s The Wanderground, Ursula Le Guin’s The Dispossessed and Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis series, were used as research methodologies. The findings revealed that children communicate feminist prescriptions for change in three ways: children as the literal, biological future, the link between two opposing societies, or the explanation for the difficult philosophies and structural elements of the societies. As this subject has been an unexplored area of criticism, it is recommended that critics begin to examine this treatment of children to more easily understand the writers’ social visions and effect their blueprints for change.

In the wake of the guilty verdict of George Floyd’s murderer, police officer Derek Chauvin, there is hope for change in the pattern of police brutality against black people in the United States. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was published three years prior to George Floyd’s death, in 2017, and is a realistic fictional novel in the young adult genre that has gained attention for its relevant contribution in the debate of racism and police violence, as the fictional victim Khalil Harris, an unarmed black teenager, does not receive the same justice as George Floyd. In this essay, reader response to The Hate U Give is analysed in order to examine how it affects the opinions and worldview of the reader during and after the read. A close reading and analysis of pivotal scenes was carried out using affective stylistics, in order to interpret what the text does to the reader word-by-word, and subsequently the reader’s creation of meaning was examined and discussed. The reader’s response was then analysed with Stanley Fish’s theoretical framework of interpretive communities, groups with shared social norms and worldviews, which dictate how individuals create meaning in the first place. The analysis suggests that readers of The Hate U Give, while starting out in different, albeit to a certain extent similar, interpretive communities, will gradually align themselves with the interpretive community of Black Lives Matter through shared ideas and opinions and the increased understanding they develop when they read the novel.

This document contains a creative work – the text of a young adult novel, Skydweller – and an exegesis discussing the ways in which identity and the adolescent crisis of group identity versus alienation are represented in young adult science fiction/fantasy novels.

Despite the success illness novels have acquired in the last decade, the misrepresentation of chronic illness in the Young Adult genre is still going unnoticed. In an ableist society that still needs to be educated about invisible disabilities, most of the contemporary YA writers insist on finding miraculous solutions and questionable happy endings to their stories. The aim of this thesis is therefore to study the different ways in which YA writers fetishize and understate invisible disability and to find a way to subvert it. By focusing on the miracle cure trope and romanticization in the case of Nicola Yoon’s Everything Everything, it attempts to highlight the characteristics of low-quality disability fiction and demonstrate why and how the use of disability biases can affect negatively both disabled and nondisabled young readers. In addition, through the scrutiny of the author’s first YA novel, Nothing Wrong with Snails, it then illustrates how the in-depth analysis of past disability literature improved the author’s personal craft and enabled them to portray chronic illness and invisible disability avoiding stereotypes, biases, and tropes. In conclusion, it argues that writers ought to rely on disability studies in order to reach higher standards in the representation of invisible disability in YA fiction.

This essay gives examples of possible ways to inspire young adults to become politically more aware and active using dystopian fiction in the EFL classroom. First, an overview of the dystopian genre and different ways of using it in the EFL classroom to improve critical thinking skills will be given. Subsequently, different scenes from The Hunger Games will be analyzed to show how young adults can be inspired to be more aware of social and environmental justice and to act. Finally, it is discussed why literary material in a classroom must relate to a student’s personal life and why the relevance must be explained to a student to raise their interest. As a conclusion, it is claimed that it cannot be expected that all students care for the world, but showing them why they should and how they could do it is a first step.

Discover the stories of major natural science expeditions, as depicted in award-winning children's non-fiction. Examples include Robert Siebert award winner, Parrots over Puerto Rico, and Orbis Pictus winner, Quest for the Tree Kangaroo. While sharing Common Core correlations and reading promotion activities, participants explore how literature encurages children to care for and consider the natural world of which they are part.

碩士
國立臺東大學
兒童文學研究所
96
Science fiction is the popular literature which is very often connected to utopian literature while they are both fantasy with strong social critical intimation. The future vision of science fiction is sometimes called “dystopia” because of the portraits of a fearful world with disaster and anomy. For those who live in 20th century, dystopian imagination is far more persuasive than utopian one. However, what is so called “dystopia” or sometimes “anti-utopia” could be misleading that science fiction is against utopia. Aa a matter of fact, science fiction is against some specific utopian ideology rather than against the whole concept. For example, Brave New World was set to be against capitalism, and 1984 communalism. While some announced the death of utopia in 20th century, those who disagree with them find its continuation in science fiction. Barzun viewed utopian literature an awareness of getting off the current suffering situations, and thus it is related to reality a lot. A large percentage of literature review would be focusing on the intertextuality between the works and time. In chapter three and four, the researcher studied two young adult science fiction as supporting texts, which are The House of the Scorpion and The Last Book in the Universe. They respectively succeed the themes of two science fiction classics, The House of the Scorpion to Frankenstein, and The Last Book in the Universe to The Time Machine. Many of the ethical debates on cloing have been mentioned in the dialogue between the creature and his creator, Frankenstein. The world which is divided into two parts in The Last Book in the Universe resembled the future the Time Traveler had gone to. Based on a comparative literary point of view, the researcher found in the contemporary works the continuation and transformation of classics.

The object of this dissertation is to argue the value of the literary genre, science fiction, in the education of adolescents. Through the notions of resistance and engagement, science fiction is used to focus a critique of traditional secondary school curricula which, it is argued, no longer effectively transmit useful or desirable features of our culture. Science fiction narratives are relatively simple on a literary level and contain satisfying plots. Those identified in this dissertation as 'didactive', however, also entertain serious and provocative theoretical considerations. By taking sensitive elements from the 'thickness' of daily life, and distancing them in fictional form through the techniques of 'estrangement', these stories can stimulate readers to sustained reflection on the meaning and purpose of life and to the construction of possible futures for themselves and the society they live in. Science fiction's particular use of 'cognitive estrangement' can operate to initiate speculation and debate in many disciplines, giving rise to forms of language in response whicn belong in the domains of politics and social organization. The study of this 'literature of ideas' can serve to heighten individual students' awareness of the powers of persuasive argument. The dissertation is in three parts: Part 1 explores science fiction with a view to identifying the principal opportunities offered and the demands made on adolescent readers. Through closer textual analysis, Part 2 defends certain science fiction texts on moral, intellectual, emotional and general developmental grounds. Criteria are offered for the evaluation of works within the genre in terms of their contribution to the development of valued educational capabilities. The study of science fiction is placed in the context of adolescents' wider personal and cultural definitions and experiences. Part 3 outlines some operating principles for a program of science fiction in the secondary school in the light of the considerations discussed above. The invitations to speculation in seriously extrapolative and propositional science fiction narratives are shown to promote an openness and reflexivity in teaching approaches and a wide range of possible student responses, with important implications for general educational theory and practice.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
In a rapidly evolving technological society, adolescents are learning to construct and shape their identities in real and virtual communities. In doing so they are becoming, in a certain sense, posthuman, as they assimilate and depend upon technology to define their lives. The exploration of social media and the technological other in young adult science fiction offers readers a framework with which to consider identity creation by deconstructing the characters that move through these landscapes. This thesis explores these issues through a critical exegesis and a young adult science fiction novel entitled Activated. Activated is set in a city orbiting a devastated Earth and its community is structured by a reputation-based economy. Yet, underneath the shiny realms of the virtual Cyberinth and the promises of ascension to those popular enough, the city is beginning to decay under the weight of dark and terrible secrets. Greyson, Bryn and Lenora become embroiled in a conspiracy involving missing people, disappearing neighbourhoods, and a mysterious leader who is not who he appears to be. What they discover will tear their city apart. Illustrated with examples from both young adult fiction, classic works of literature, and with reference to the novel Activated, the critical exegesis begins with a literature review that explores the development of young adult science fiction and young adult dystopian literature. Chapter Two discusses the creative process of worldbuilding by examining the influence of technology and social media in crafting narrative settings. By examining the works of Aristotle, Cicero, and Kant, through to modern day theories such as Dunbar’s Number, Chapter Three discusses the role of social media in relationships, as well as the growing intimacy between humans and technology. The final chapter examines the representations of language in young adult science fiction and how foreign languages, slang, and the written word can reflect societal issues and concerns. This thesis sheds light on the importance of such fiction in offering adolescent readers a space to reflect on the complexities of identity and relationships, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using technology. My novel, like other science fiction for young adults, empowers readers to reflect on their own relationships as they move through the often transitional and disorienting period of adolescence

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-127)
This dissertation examines how three dystopian texts, namely Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Jasper Fforde’s Shades of Grey and Veronica Roth’s Divergent trilogy, exhibit social conformity as a disciplinary mechanism of the ‘carceral’ – a notion introduced by poststructuralist thinker Michel Foucault. Employing poststructuralist discourse and deconstructive theory as a theoretical framework, the study investigates how each novel establishes its world as a successful carceral city that incorporates most, if not all, the elements of the incarceration system that Foucault highlights in Discipline and Punish. It establishes that the societies of the texts present potentially nightmarish future societies in which social and political “improvements” result in a seemingly better world, yet some essential part of human existence has been sacrificed. This study of these fictional worlds reflects on the carceral nature of modern society and highlights the problematic nature of the social and political practices to which individuals are expected to conform. Finally, in line with Foucault, it postulates that individuals need not be enclosed behind prison walls to be imprisoned; the very nature of our social systems imposes the restrictive power that incarcerates societies
English Studies
M.A. (English Studies)

Cette étude dresse le portrait des collections de littérature jeunesse à contenu LGBTQ dans les bibliothèques publiques québécoises afin de déterminer si la population est bien servie à cet égard, peu importe le lieu et la taille de la collectivité. Pour ce faire, nous avons adopté une approche qualitative et utilisé la méthode de l’évaluation par liste. Ainsi, les collections de 41 bibliothèques publiques municipales ont été examinées au moyen d’une liste de vérification de 38 titres de littérature jeunesse à contenu LGBTQ publiés de 2003 à 2018. Les données recueillies ont fait l’objet d’une analyse statistique surtout descriptive. À l’instar d’études antérieures sur les collections des bibliothèques canadiennes et américaines, la présente recherche a montré que le niveau de présence de la littérature jeunesse à contenu LGBTQ varie considérablement selon les bibliothèques et que la taille des populations, l’importance des collections et le budget consacré aux livres ne suffisent pas à expliquer toutes les fluctuations. L’analyse des données a aussi permis de révéler que les romans à contenu LGBTQ destinés aux ados étaient beaucoup plus susceptibles de figurer dans les collections que les albums et les premiers romans destinés aux enfants. De plus, l’analyse a montré que le thème de l’homosexualité masculine était largement représenté dans les collections, tandis que celui de l’homoparentalité était considérablement sous-représenté. Pourtant, selon les données recueillies, les albums pour enfants sur le thème de l’homoparentalité sont justement le type de matériel qui était le plus emprunté dans les bibliothèques au moment de l’étude. Cette étude exploratoire ne permet pas de conclure avec certitude que les collections de littérature jeunesse à contenu LGBTQ dans les bibliothèques québécoises sont suffisantes et appropriées. Toutefois, la comparaison des résultats obtenus avec ceux d’autres recherches suggère que, dans l’ensemble, les bibliothèques québécoises font plutôt bien à cet égard.
The purpose of this study is to examine the stocks of young adult and children’s literature collections with LGBTQ content made available in Québec public libraries to determine whether the population is sufficiently provided for, regardless of the location and size of the city or town where they live. To carry out this research project, we used the checklist evaluation method. Collections from a sample of 41 municipal public libraries were thus examined, using a checklist of 38 young adult and children’s literature titles with LGBTQ content, published from 2003 to 2018. The collected data was subjected to statistical analysis. As with previous studies of Canadian and American public library collections, this research has shown that the level of presence of young adult and children’s literature with LGBTQ content varies considerably in all libraries, and that the size of populations, the size of collections and the budgets for printed books can’t explain all the fluctuations. Data analysis also revealed that novels with LGBTQ content for teenagers were much more likely to be held in collections than early readers’ novels and children’s picture books. The results have also shown that male homosexuality as a theme is well represented in the collections, while same sex parenthood is significantly underrepresented. However, according to the data, the picture books for children on the topic of same-sex parenthood are exactly the type of material which was the most borrowed in the sampled libraries at the time of the study. This exploratory study alone does not entirely support the conclusion that collections of young adult and children’s literature with LGBTQ content in Québec public libraries are sufficient and appropriate. However, comparing results from this research to those from other researches suggests that, overall, Quebec libraries seem to be doing well in this regard.