Writing Science Fiction
MIT's Comparative Media Studies program offers this workshop-based course in genre science fiction writing. For the first eight weeks, students read contemporary science fiction alongside lectures and writing assignments that address craft issues specific to the genre, such as world-building, exposition, and speculative premises. The remaining weeks shift to roundtable workshops where students critique one another's stories in progress. Materials on OCW include the syllabus, reading list, and assignment prompts, giving a clear sense of how the course moves from analysis of published work to production and peer critique of original fiction. There is no certificate, and no cost to access the materials, consistent with MIT OpenCourseWare's standard model. The course suits anyone wanting a structured, discussion-driven introduction to writing science fiction rather than a purely theoretical literature survey.