Hispanic Studies 425: Tropics of Disaster: Hispanic Speculative Fiction in the End of Times

This class examines narrative and visual representations of dystopia, utopia, and the apocalypse in the Hispanic Caribbean, US-Mexico borderlands and Central America. While speculative genres—fantasy, science fiction, horror—often envision what the future may have in store for humankind, they also compel us to reflect on the present limitations of our collective social, political, and cultural imagination in dealing with the pressing issues of the times; often, these genres also reflect on the enduring consequences of significant historical events. In this class we will consider the interventions of twenty-first century speculative fiction and visual narrative in the tropics, focusing on their critiques of the present, conjectures for the future, and assessments of the past. We will examine the possibilities speculative genres offer us for contending with twenty-first century problems relating to transnational migration and borders, revolution and civil war, colonialism and neocolonialism, drug and human trafficking, and environmental disaster. Evaluation is based on class participation, oral and written assignments, and a final research paper. Course taught in Spanish. May be applied to the narrative/essay or visual cultures requirement for the major in of the Hispanic Studies. Satisfies 400 level requirement for Hispanic Studies minor. May be taken for credit toward the Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies major or minor.