The course will introduce students to the critical study of fantasy literature in English from 1950 to the present. The course will also consider the spread of fantasy through comics, films and the new media, and introduce students to the wide range of critical and theoretical approaches to fantasy and the fantastic that has emerged since the 1950s.

10 x two-hour weekly seminars as scheduled on MyCampus.

4 x 1 hour lectures as scheduled on MyCampus

None

None

One short piece of critical writing of 1500 words (30%)

One final essay of 3000 words (60%)

One ten-minute oral presentation (10%)

The course aims to:

■ develop students' knowledge of the history of fantasy literature in English and its associated theories from 1950 to the present;

■ introduce students to a range of contemporary theories of fantasy and the fantastic;

■ encourage students to engage critically at an advanced level with questions of periodicity and canonicity in relation to fantasy literature;

■ provide opportunity for students to engage critically at an advanced level with questions of genre, as raised by fantasy literature;

■ develop students' research and essay writing skills to Master's level.

By the end of the course students will be able to:

■ produce written work at an advanced level which engages critically with a range of fantasy literature;

■ exhibit an advanced level of oral skills in presentations;

■ identify and interrogate key cultural, political and social issues contributing to the development of fantasy literature in the period covered;

■ describe, interpret and evaluate a range of theoretical approaches to fantasy literature;

■ exercise sophisticated analytical skills in terms of detailed close reading.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.