Big Idea Overview and Resources

Part 1: The Extraordinary and Fantastic
Part 2: The Uncanny and Mysterious

Part 1: The Extraordinary and Fantastic

Overview
UFOs and signs of extraterrestrial life forms remain in the realm of science fiction. Yet many devices and occurrences, once considered extraordinary or fantastic, have now become real. Some of the selections in Part 1 describe technological advance that did not exist during the author's lifetime but that do exist today. Readers are challenged to compare the author's vision of the future with their own knowledge of the present.

Web Resources
Science Fiction and Fantasy Research Database
http://www.library.tamu.edu/cushing/sffrd
This Web site is an extensive and scholarly database on science fiction scholarship.

Is Science Fiction Science?
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/closertotruth/explore/show_01.html
This PBS Web site includes online articles, interviews, and teaching resources with related links.

Ray Bradbury
http://www.raybradbury.com/
Ray Bradbury own Web site includes summaries of his books and his insightful comments about science fiction.

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Part 2: The Uncanny and Mysterious

Overview
Mysteries are puzzles waiting to be solved by keen-eyed detectives like the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Other mysteries contain secrets waiting to be discovered by ordinary people. The selections in Part 2 are stories about the uncanny and the mysterious. Some of the authors masterfully create a sense of dread and suspense in their works. An author's style and tone strongly contribute to the appeal of many mysteries.

Web Resources
Finding Suspense
http://homepages.stmartin.edu/students/srees/webquest.htm#Resources
This Web site gives aspiring short story writers pointers on how to create suspense and mystery.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/hound/ei_doyle.html
This PBS Web site from the Mystery! Series features a biography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and links to topics about detective fiction.

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