ALL706 - Fantasy and Historical Fictions
Unit details
| Year | 2025 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Rachel Fetherston |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 2-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 2-hour online seminar per week or approximately 2-hours of online learning tasks and discussions per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Content
The unit offers the opportunity to explore genre in depth through a wide range of literary and multi-media fantasy and historical fiction texts (for example novels, short stories, film, and video-games). How does fiction balance the historical, mimetic and fantastic? What kinds of ‘truth’ can we express and access through different genres in popular and literary modes? Where does historical fiction stop, and fantasy begin? How do fictions aimed at young people differ from those designed for adult audiences? Students will be encouraged to investigate these questions and more through writing critical and theoretical essays and/or creative work. Texts and media vary from year to year and may include Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Amazon’s Rings of Power, the novels of N. K. Jemisin, Kim Scott’s That Deadman Dance, and Sid Meier’s Civilization game franchise.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Analyse fiction critically and with an enhanced capacity to distinguish key narrative and textual strategies of genres | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO2 | Employ appropriate communications strategies and approaches in their own creative and/or critical writing | GLO2: Communication |
| ULO3 | Research and employ appropriate theory and criticism to support a research contention | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO3: Digital literacy GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO4 | Explain key concepts in debates in relation to the politics of fantasy and historical fiction, and demonstrate a critical awareness of recent contributions to the field across a range of cultures | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO8: Global citizenship |
| ULO5 | Analyse the strengths and weaknesses in critiques of genre fiction writing | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO7: Teamwork |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Critical essay | 2000 words or equivalent | 40% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 2: Critical essay OR creative work and exegesis | 2500 words or equivalent | 50% | Information not yet available |
| Assessment 3: Workshop/online activity | 500 words or equivalent | 10% | Information not yet available |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for ALL706 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.