October 28th, 2020 
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
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