SLAVIC SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY IN INTERFACULTY COURSES AT LOMONOSOV MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY (2013-2020)

Abstract

The article shares the author’s experience of teaching interfaculty science fiction (sci-fi) and fantasy lecture courses at Lomono-sov Moscow State University, attended by students of all departments. In the period between 2013 and 2020 six such courses were taught, the number of students varying from 250 to 450 each. The courses comprised sci-fi and fantasy theory, sci-fi and fantasy status among other types of fiction narratives, the main stages of Russian and foreign sci-fi and fantasy history, the creative activity of outstanding sci-fi and fantasy writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Apart from the Russian, West European and North American writers, works by East European (Slavic) authors were thoroughly examined. The article contains neat observations on the degree of Slavic sci-fi and fantasy writers’ popularity among young Russian readers and on the most inter-esting fiction texts for students. The data obtained through the analysis of the students’ assignments comprise their answers to the questions about their favorite sci-fi writers and books lists, on the reasons of certain fantastic worlds’ attractiveness, on their preferences in sci-fi or fantasy. The article also clarifies the principles of writers and their works selection for the lecture cours-es, it characterizes the creative activity of Slavic writers and reveals the interrelation between Slavic writers’ fiction works and the general scope of problems discussed at interfaculty sci-fi lecture courses. Taking into account the students’ interest in works by Karel Čapek, Stanislaw Lem, Andrzej Sapkowski and other Slavic authors, we suggest some ideas about the potential structure of a specialized lecture course focusing on science fiction and fantasy in Slavic countries.