Welcome to SF at CSUF. Our mission is to explore and highlight the contributions Cal State Fullerton has made, and continues to make, to the genre of science fiction.
In Spring, 2016 (April 29-30), CSUF will host the Philip K. Dick Conference, a multidisciplinary, Graduate Student and Faculty Conference to be given in conjunction with the yearly Acacia Conference of the English Dept. Graduate Student Group.
See our Conference Page, our Call for Papers, and like our Facebook page so you can be kept up-to-date on the conference.
In 1972, author Philip K. Dick moved to Fullerton, California, in Orange County, at the behest of Dr. Willis McNelly, Professor of English at California State University, Fullerton. Dick lived in the OC for ten years until his death in 1982, and left his manuscripts and papers to CSUF’s Special Collections in the library.
In 2014, the first Digital Literary Studies class of the English Department, as a final collaborative assignment, created our website, “Philip K. Dick in the OC.” The site documents and shares CSUF’s literary history by creating digital archives both aggregating and ordering what was out there and creating content through interviews, new explorations, and research, especially into our University’s Special Collections.
See our Philip K. Dick in the OC site. Also, see our updated Philip K. Dick page, including new phildickian stories by students.
See also the 2015 Philip K. Dick in the OC zine and art show page, where you can see an online version of the zine and work from the show.
In 2015, our Critical Approaches to Popular Literature class, as a final collaborative project, has created this site, SF at CSUF, to celebrate our University’s contributions to literature. Our work has included work to digitally archive our fabulous collection of classic early twentieth century science fiction pulps, currently moldering in Special Collections. Special Collections also houses the manuscripts of many science fiction writers, including Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert and, of course Philip K. Dick.
See our growing collection of wondrous digital Pulps, including full color covers, and stories and poems by H.P. Lovecraft and many others. See also a discussion of our methodology for digitizing them.
See our University’s Special Collections page here.
One of the most prominent impacts CSUF has had on Science Fiction is the creation of Steampunk. Steampunk originated and developed in Orange County around the work of three CSUF alums, Tim Powers, James Blaylock and K.W. Jeter.
See our Origins of Steampunk page here. Also see our new interviews with James Blaylock and Tim Powers.
Read new Steampunk written by current students in our Startling Steampunk Stories online zine!
Keep up on our science fiction world and join the CSUF Science Fiction and Fantasy Club at the Science Fiction, Here and Now page.
Dr. David Sandner, Professor, English, and the students of ENG 579: Critical Approaches to Popular Literature:
Jorey Cantu
Kathleen Dubell
Usama Ehsan
Susan Geers
Jaime Govier
Christine Granillo
Cassie Gustafson
Louis Magallanes
Andalee Motrenec
Stephanie Panozzo
Allison Schmitendorf
Jonathan Snyder
