Part 1 – Roadside Picnic

Respond to one of the two prompts or write a response to something you want to say about Roadside Picnic. Make sure it’s not just plot summary and please respond in 250 + words.

So my question is – What different ideologies, morals, or values in society influence how people interact with the Zone? Put another way, what are the different characters’ motivations for entering the Zone and dealing with the dangerous swag? How do they relate to one another? What aspects of culture or human nature are the authors trying to get readers to consider?

Part 2 – Pop Culture

Find some aspect of science fiction pop culture to explore. You could look into fandom, gaming, fashion, art, music, language, etc. The only thing I ask is you don’t focus on film; that’s another assignment. After you’ve done some research, respond to the following:

1. What aspect of science fiction and popular culture did you research?

2. Who is the audience? A small group of people or many? Older or younger people? What nationalities or cultures? Is it a unique community of fans?

3. How do artists or fans you’ve researched express their interest in science fiction? For example, is it humorous, serious, critical?

4. How does this sci-fi pop culture interact with other forms of art, literature, fandom? For example, the image above reinterprets Spock’s famous “Live Long and Prosper” gesture as an urban gang sign.

5. What else did you learn about science fiction and popular culture?

200 + words

Part 1 – On Roadside Picnic – Who are the various groups of people who make a living in and around “The Zone?” What are the relationships between these groups of people? Give examples from the story. 250+ Words

Part 2 – On film – Response must be 250+ words please.

1. Choose a science fiction movie. Watch or rewatch that movie. You can probably use any movie you’ve seen recently and remember well.

2. Without giving away the end, briefly provide an overview of the film. Give a very quick plot summary. When was it made? Who directed? What major stars? Was it a hit/flop?

3. Is the film based on a book or short story? If so, who wrote the original and when?

4. What genre or subgenre of sci-fi does the film belong to? Why? Does it have a common sci-fi central conflict? For example, alien contact, space war, bad artificial intelligence, post apocalyptic?

5. What is the fan base of the film like? Are there many diehard fans, huge popular audiences, or do few recall the film?