Short Story Worlds A Wintersession Project Shane Fagan
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Short Story Worlds RISD Wintersession 2013 Developing from the printed word Overview The short story has always been a vehicle for telling a tale, moral or lesson. In only a few thousand words, a talented author brings you into a new world, introduces the main characters and unfolds their story. Science Fiction short stories, in particular, have been very popular. Magazines like Astounding Science Fiction, Fantastic, and Galaxy Science Fiction have been publishing science fiction stories for over 80 years by celebrated writers like Arthur C. Clarke, Poul Anderson and Fritz Leiber. These stories stir the imagination to dream of far off worlds, strange beings and impossible situations. The stories also inspire reality. Tales written in the 40’s and 50’s have been astonishingly accurate in predicting future events. Many of these stories have an alternate future for the world we know, typically seeped in dystopic tones. Dystopian novels provide a vehicle that can project our fears and concerns into realistic situations. It allows us to imagine what could or will happen if humanity ignores problems or creates a disastrous situation. Upon reading these stories we will develop the worlds we read about and ultimately respond to them. Brief
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In this 5 week course, we will select an award winning Science Fiction short story to elaborate upon, visualize and plan against. The class will be split into halves. In the first three weeks, we will select our stories, analyze the structures and details of the imagined worlds, and begin to produce material that will express our understanding of what it will be like to live in this world. In the second half of the class, we will expand and elaborate on our understanding of the new worlds and create a plan to address a larger issue.
Contributors Glenda Chen Hannah Choi Daniel Christensen Maura Henline Dillon Froelich Darcy Rozen Olivia Luo Sarah Gould
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Glenda Chen Undeclared Freshman
In Shane Fagan’s Short Story Worlds course I explored the world visualization and engaged with problem solving in various dystopian scenarios. It was very fascinating to see the development of my classmate’s projects and be critiqued by upperclassmen of different majors. I was exposed to new mediums and resources while doing projects that aided me in solving both aesthetic and critical thinking problems.
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opposite: Assignment 1 depicting an advertisement for “A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 2 Visualizing the world of “A Pail of Air”
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Above: Assignment 3 A model of the Nest in “A Pail of Air”
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Opposite: Assignment 4 Visualizing the continuation of “A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 4 Visualizing the continuation of “A Pail of Air”
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Hannah Choi Sophomore Illustration
The class Short Story Worlds was one of the most interesting classes I have taken, in that I wasn’t merely “taught� new information but was told to add my own contribution of data onto the given information. I very much enjoyed attempting to develop a comprehensive narrative of my invention to the short stories. This class not only renewed my interest in short literature, but also encouraged me to delve more into the characters who are only shown a glimpse of in their stories and to attempt to evaluate each detail of their actions and dialogue to find out more about their worlds. I hope that this class continues to be taught in the following years, because this was a great opportunity to explore the link between literature and visualization with physicality that goes beyond illustrations.
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Assignment 1 A propaganda poster for an Apocolyptic Cult in “A Pail of Air�
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Below: Assignment 2 Visualizing the world of “A Pail of Air” Opposite: Assignment 2 Visualizing the world of “A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 2 Visualizing the world of “A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 3 Survival outfit in “A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 4 Performance piece depicting the approaching disaster. (paired with a soundtrack and a pitch black room) “A Pail of Air�
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Daniel Christensen Sophomore Illustration
Visualizing elements and extrapolations from the novel Hothouse comprised my work for the class. As the course progressed, I worked to create a cohesive body of images that are grounded in the source material while expanding on details that were necessarily left unspecific. My response to the prompt for the final project embodies my reaction to the novel. In the novel, descriptions of the world of the story are equal in importance to the events in which the main characters are involved. Brief accounts of the strange Earth of the story left me desiring the ability to explore its environments at my own will, this naturally led me to begin conceptualizing a video game based upon the story. The five images I produced are based on the first, introductory level to the game, wherein the player learns to control the character, recognize threats and goals, and begins to be introduced to the story and its narrator. The smaller four images show how a player would see the game screens, and the larger image shows the layout of the entire first level -- a larger view than the player would actually see in-game. These images are strictly concept material for the appearance and mechanics of the game, and not from an existent game.
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Opposite: Assignment 1 Diagram map for newcomers “Hothouse�
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Assignment 2 Illustrations of the environments in “Hothouse�
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Opposite: Assignment 3 Daniel modeling his mind controlling fungus from “Hothouse” Above: Assignment 4 8 bit Video game screenshots for “Hothouse”
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Assignment 4 8 bit Video game screenshots for “Hothouse”
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Assignment 4 8 bit Video game screenshots for “Hothouse”
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Maura Henline Sophomore Illustration
My work is based in the short story world Hothouse by Brian Aldiss, in which the earth and the moon are locked in rotation, allowing nature to grow unencumbered while humans are demoted to the prey of much-evolved predatory plants. I investigated the connection of humans to Earth in Aldiss’ universe. It was my goal to utilize pattern to create a cohesive world where each piece I created would fit together seamlessly. I focused specifically on language, visualizations of Earth and the educational tools of pre-devolved humans. The educational tool is a culmination of explorations into Hothouse, combining visualizations of the Earth’s landscapes and plant life with a backstory of people who evacuated to another planet to continue Humankind. I wanted to create a tool primarily for children that would be used to show the different surfaces of Earth as it is described by Hothouse. I drew inspiration from previous projects to help dig deeper into the world I was trying to display.
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Assignment 1 Symbol system for in world notifications in “Hothouse”
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Assignment 2 Visualizations from the world of “Hothouse”
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Assignment 2 Visualizations from the world of “Hothouse”
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Assignment 3 Modeling the crystal flowers of “Hothouse”
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Opposite: Assignment 4 Educational presentation for the human children of “Hothouse”
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Dillon Froelich
Undergraduate Industrial Design Working from the Fermi & Frost short story written by Frederik Pohl, I chose to give the original situation of an airport panic during nuclear war a modern twist by satirically commenting on modern society. After discovering an object and its purpose within this new, exaggerated world I had created, I developed a story and characters to accompany the history and timeline through comic strip version.
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Opposite: Assignment 1 Advertisement for the typical disaster survivor of “Fermi and Frost�
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Assignment 2 Depictions of characters briefly mentioned in “Fermi and Frost�
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Assignment 3 Model of communications device with attached ashtray in “Fermi and Frost”
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Opposite: Assignment 4 Comic Strip of the side story in “Fermi and Frost”
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Darcy Rozen
Undergraduate Illustration No Statement
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Assignment 1 Signaling system in “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream�
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Assignment 3 Weapon described in “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream”
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Assignment 4 World Building for “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream”
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Assignment 4 World Building for “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream”
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Olivia Luo
Undergraduate Industrial Design I came into the class with a general interest in science fiction. What I was interested in were the concepts that science fiction presented, and how they weave into a story. I imagined each project as if it were another piece to the overall story I chose to focus on. Every project allowed me the opportunity to expand upon the short story world as I imagined it. I chose to focus on “A Pail of Air” by Fritz Leiber. I decided to view each project as if I were building a world for the character - what the character would see everyday, what his motivations and actions would be, where he will go in the story, and so on. I chose this story because of the ambiguity it had. It left a lot of room for the reader’s interpretation, and the voice it was written in had a very straightforward approach that didn’t leave much room for the reader to question the “reality” of it. Doubt is good sometimes, but this wasn’t a science class and I wanted to have fun with the concepts, scientifically realistic or not.
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The difficult part for me was choosing which parts of the world to visually represent for our projects. In coming to a concept for each project, I had to build other aspects around it, even if they would not be present in the final project itself. Throughout the projects, I kept a pretty consistent method of approach. As a graphic design major, I like to handle an abundance of data and attempt to simplify and organize it. My visual projects are often representations of this. In a way, my projects are my process of organizing the short story world as I saw it.
Assignment 1 Nest Infographic “A Pail of Air”
NEST NEST Humans need air to survive. After the Dark Star pulled Earth away from the Sun, the human population was almost completely eradicated and air froze over. To survive, humans have to extract the air and protect themselves by building a shelter. One known form of human habitat that has proved effective is the Nest.
Shovel Chimney The chimney allows smoke to leave.
The shovel is the main tool used to extract frozen air.
Pail
Shelf
Pails are used to hold and store the extracted frozen air.
The shelf is used for storing goods such as canned food and coal.
Suit A suit and helmet must be worn at all times outside the Nest. Trips outside must be short and quick.
Walls Walls are made of 30 layers of blankets or rugs to trap air in. The innermost layer is covered with aluminum to prevent heat from escaping.
Fire The fire can never be extinguished. It thaws the frozen air, cooks the food, and provides heat and light. It is crucial for human survival.
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Assignment 2 Outdoor and Indoor Environments from “A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 2 Device to safely transport frozen oxygen from “A Pail of Air�
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WELCOME TO
LOS ALAMOS
Los Alamos
“TETRA FLATS” Modular Apartment
The City Level 3 Residency
Modular rooms allow for easy construction and combination. Combining multiple modular rooms expands the housing for larger families.
Los Alamos
Los Alamos The City
City Dome
FARM WASTE FACILITY
GARDEN
THE CITY
RESOURCE FACILITY
Level 2 Business
Level 3 VIVARIUM
Level 4 Manufactory
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Dining and Food Entertainment Institutions Residency Transportation
The City Level 3
Los Alamos The City Level 3
Los Alamos
The City Level 3
The City Level 3
Dining and Food
Dining and Food
Entertainment
Entertainment
Institutions
Institutions
Residency
Residency
Transportation
Transportation
Entrance to City You are here Exit and Entrance to City
Apartment Building
Platform for Level 2
Transportation Hubs Mall
You are here
Offices and Organizations Restaurants and Eateries
The City Level 3
Los Alamos
Residency
Residency
Los Alamos The City
The City
Level 3
Level 3
Residency
“HEXAHIVE� Modular Apartment
TETRA FLATS
CAPSULE TRIPOD
HEXAHIVE Front view
HEXAHIVE
Single housing units designed for students and workers. The HEXAHIVE apartments are conveniently located near Los Alamos University.
Los Alamos University
OCTOPOD
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Los Alamos
“HEXAHIVE” Modular Apartment
The City Level 3 Residency
Single housing units designed for students and workers. All units are the same.
Bed, desk, shelves, and closet folds up into the interior walls.
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Assignment 4 An original Welcome to Los Alamos Guide Booklet from “A Pail of Air”
Los Alamos The City Level 3 Residency
“TETRA FLATS” Modular Apartment
Side view
Top view Available in 7 different styles. Each modular unit occupies the same area.
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Sarah Gould
Graduate, Landscape Architecture A Pail of Air is set in a future in which the Earth is ripped away from the sun by a massive dark star, and in the frozen vastness of space, the atmosphere precipitates out, leaving the planet coated in layers of oxygen and nitrogen snow. The main characters are a small family who have survived in a makeshift hut, melting oxygen on a fire. They think they’re the only ones left alive, but in the end they are discovered by scouts from Los Alamos. The human race, far from dead, has retreated into nuclear-powered compounds around the globe. But are they truly at peace in a world where even air is a limited resource? I propose a sequel, in which the son of the original family leaves to discover the wonders of the human race… and ends up discovering some of its horrors.
peace... or so they say! The father in the story is hesitant to leave his family’s survival hut and return to civilization, and refusing to tell his son how people behaved during apocalypse. But I decided that his eight-year-old son would venture forth and explore one of the last remaining pockets of life and civilization: the Los Alamos compound. What he finds is a carefully planned community run by a government which has to control the limited populace while secretly planning to take out its resource competitors, the other compounds. Apparently if there’s one thing more improbable to me than a giant lightless mass hurtling through space without regards to the laws of physics, it’s people living in a functioning utopia. The long legacy of dystopic science fiction has ruined me forever!
The science of the world is a bit dubious, but the plot itself is odd: it veers away from being a (rather cool) horror story at the last minute and concludes with a rosy picture of humans at
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Assignment 1 Propaganda poster “A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 2 Visualizations of what happens after the end of “A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 3 The Great Time Room in Sarah’s continuation of“A Pail of Air”
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Assignment 4 Visualizations of what happens after the end of “A Pail of Air”
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Book compiled from the collective works of the Short Stories Wintersession Class in 2013.
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Created and Taught by Shane Fagan 804.822.2867 shanefagan@gmail.com