Fandom High School

Class was in the Danger Shop today, and the instructor looked...less than good. He was not going to skip this one, though.

"Um, hello. We're in here today because real books are too dangerous. So we're going to have fake ones. He squinted at the console that he thankfully had programmed earlier and turned it on, revealing a library with one prominently displayed shelf of books. He waved at it.

"These are...well, some of the books I know of. Not all of them. And as you'll see, they're very different. Just...I thought this way you might get a feel for when something is off. Magical books can be deadly. Or...or worse."

If you looked closely, you could see a couple of the books smoking faintly. One seemed a little wet. Some seemed completely innocuous. Others were cold.

"A lot of the time, these books are...once you start reading them, you can't stop. Or you might be able to force yourself to. These ones aren't...they aren't really dangerous. They'll just, um. Tell you what would happen if you read the real thing. And hopefully give you a feel for what to look out for."

Did that make sense? Jon hoped so.

Class today met at Portalocity for another field trip.

"We're not going far today," Jon said. "The Library of Congress is in Washington, DC, not far from Fandom, geographically speaking. It's the de facto national library for the US, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the country, for whatever that's worth." Ah, Americans.

"Everything published in the US is expected to have two copies submitted to the library. They receive around fifteen thousand publications every day. We won't be able to take anything out, but there's still a lot to see there, both the books and the buildings themselves."

The portal opened, and he led the way through. "Enjoy yourselves, and I'll meet you back here when class is over."

"I, um." Jon rubbed his forehead with one hand. He was looking a little rough today. "We'll be watching a movie today, but it's...it's set in a library. Sort of. A dangerous one." So it was sort of on topic, right?

"It's...well, here." Jon pressed play.

He would probably be sitting in the back trying to ignore everything.

The classroom today was teeming with black cats, one white fluffy cat watching them all disdainfully from her perch on the desk.

"Well," Jon said, looking around, "I did actually have a lesson plan for today, but I'm disinclined to fight the island. This one," he indicated the white cat, "is Issa. I don't know if the others have names they'll tell us.

"There's actually a proud tradition of library cats, dating back to ancient Egypt. Mice, other rodents, and vermin can be destructive to texts, and cats keep the rodent and vermin population down. There are currently about three hundred known library cats around the world, though these days many of them are more used to help calm and entertain customers than they are as mousers. Cats, as some other pets, are known to decrease stress, which also helps in retaining information."

A cat came up and rubbed on his leg, and Jon reached down to pet it. Issa huffed. "Black cats were seen as good luck until the Middle Ages, when they started to be associated with evil and disease. To this day, black cats stand a worse chance of getting adopted in shelters, which is entirely unfair to these beautiful things."

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I doubt we'll be getting much done today, so enjoy the cats, and I'll answer any questions about them or their relationship to books and libraries that you have."

Jon had set up the projector again today. And it was working! So he was in a fairly good mood, even if looking a bit ragged.

"Next week we'll be going on the fall trip, which involves Paris," he said, fiddling with the settings. "So I don't know if we'll have time to see any of the libraries there, but I thought we could do a bit of introduction to them today, so if you do have the time, you'll know what your options are.

He called up the first image. "The Bibliothèque Mazarine is the oldest public library in the country, and has a lot of texts and rare documents on French history dating back to medieval times, including a Gutenberg bible, though that may or may not be on display.

"The Bibliothèque Nationale de France has several sites, but the the Richelieu-Louvois site is particularly lovely, and houses some of the most ancient writings of humanity, along with pottery, coins, and other material history.

"The Bibliothèque Publique d’Information is a more modern library, with plenty of magazines and books to learn about modern-day France, along with free wi-fi.

"The Sainte Geneviève library is a public library, but also the principal university library in the city, if you're looking for more scholarly texts. Its reading room is rather gorgeous, honestly.

"And finally, the Bibliothèque Marguerite Durand contains a vast variety of texts of, concerning, and written by women, focusing on feminism, as well as a number of material goods testifying to the place of women in history."

He gestured to the projector. "I've got more pictures and information about each of these, so let's discuss."

Class was back in the classroom today, this time with computers!

"Last week we spoke about the Dewey Decimal system," Jon began. "Another major categorization system is the one used by the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States, and occupies several buildings in Washington, DC. We'll likely visit it later, and discuss its categorization, but for now, they have quite a number of online collections, and it's a good place to begin learning that you don't always need to physically go to a library to research or read."

He pulled up the collections on his screen and scrolled slowly through them. "It's also a lesson in the fact that libraries collect much more than just books. Historical documents, photographs, music - libraries often serve as," he grimaced a little as he said the word, "archives for older information.

"So, for today, find a topic that interests you, and research it. Then let us know some of what you found out. Rest assured, I'm not looking for an in-depth essay. I'd just like to hear a few interesting facts, and something about how you found them out and what you think about the collection or collections you used."

Class today met at Portalocity, and Jon nodded to them and counted heads before they headed off, coming out in a corner of the main room.

"For those of you not familiar with customs here, we whisper in libraries," he began. "Today we're starting out close to home, in case you'd like to visit later. This is the Enoch Pratt Free Library of Baltimore. It's one of the oldest free library systems in this country. Young for the world, but still worth noting. It opened its first branch in 1886. US libraries generally organize fiction alphabetically by author's last name, and nonfiction by the Dewey Decimal system, which we'll go into on another date." Because Jon hated it.

"My understanding is that this particular world has no supernatural connections, so the only danger here should be from a papercut." He paused. "Please don't take that as a challenge. Since you all technically live in Maryland - sort of - you should be able to get a library card. This is a plastic card that the library uses to allow you to remove books from the building. Not all books can be checked out, but the ones that can are usually lent out for a month at a time."

He waved toward the front desk. "Librarians are the other main resource here. They can help you get that card, help you find books, and answer any number of questions about...well, just about anything. Please be polite; their job is dealing with the public, so don't make it any more difficult than it already is."

He thought back over his speech and nodded, satisfied. "Meet me back here at the end of class, or if you have any questions you'd prefer not to ask the librarians."

"So, this is our final class," Jon noted, in case you hadn't realised that yet.

"I, erm. I didn't schedule a final exam, as I'm given to understand that's not really a done thing here." And honestly, he'd rather not bring people to tears grading their papers.

"I've quite enjoyed teaching you all this semester, so...thank you," he said awkwardly. "Anyway, I asked you to read or at least skim Dracula for today. There are quite a number of movies based in one way or another off of the story, all with varying degrees of accuracy. We'll be watching one of the more recent ones, which is...well, I suppose we'll see."

He pressed play.

Today's story was about a man with amnesia. Rather fitting, since Jon had nearly forgotten it was Tuesday and he had class. He'd cleaned up meticulously, but probably still looked like he was likely to blow over in a stiff wind.

He nodded to the class and got right into things. "It's worth noting that today's film was actually made more or less at the same time as the story was written. Mr Nolan the writer pitched the idea to his brother, a filmmaker, and supplied him with a draft story to work from while he finished the short story himself. So the screenplay and the story were developed by the brothers concurrently from the same idea."

He waved vaguely at the screen. "You'll find a number of differences, but I think it's worth exploring how each works in relation to the other." He started the film.


And as usual, there was next week's text: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Jon was a bit (more than his usual) tired today, but put on a good face and did his best to smile at the students. "I hope you all enjoyed the book. If so, there are two more in the series. If not, well, you can put it down after today. Meanwhile, you get to learn a lot of apocryphal things about Oxford. Call it another universe." He thought for a moment. "Which is, I suppose, plausible, but it was fictionalized. Anyway, let's get started on the movie."

There was a newer one, apparently, that had gotten better reviews, but a series was a bit long for class, so they'd be watching the 2007 version.

And afterward, there would be the usual note about next week's text: The Bicentennial Man.

Jon nodded to the students as they arrived. "Right, so today you read 'We Can Remember it for you Wholesale'. The movie version is Total Recall. There are actually two versions; we'll be watching the more recent one, but I've got notes for you about the other one." He passed around handouts with a summary and bullet points on some of the differences.

"So, let's watch the film, and then we can discuss the differences and what they mean."



As always, at the end of class, next week's assignment was on the board: Clive Barker, Cabal.

"Good morning." Jon nodded at the class. He looked fairly good this week (albeit still somewhat sleep-deprived). "I hope you enjoyed the reading for this week. The movie that goes with it has quite a few differences as well as similarities, so I look forward to discussing them. Particularly, pay attention to the treatment of magic and Christianity in it, and the growth of Gawain as a person.

"One thing you may notice is how few of the characters are actually named, so make a note of that, too. When it might be important and who it is. Keep an eye on the symbology used." He thought about it. "That's it, I suppose."


Before they left, he wrote next week's assignment on the board: The Princess Bride.

"Today's film is a bit long, so I'll, um, keep the chatter down and get to it," Jon announced.

He would absolutely be sleeping through it. Or zoning out at the least.

"Just remember to think about the differences from the book, how things translate - occasionally literally - and be prepared to discuss it after."


Before he lost track of things, he wrote the next week's assignment on the board: The Shawshank Redemption.

"Right, welcome back." Jon rubbed his eyes and gestured toward the screen. "I...actually, I hadn't planned doing two children's movies back to back, but there are so very many awful biblical movies out there, so this is what you get. At least it's slightly less whitewashed than most of them.

"Anyway, enjoy it, think of how it chose to expand on, ignore, or subvert the original text, and then let's discuss it.

"And for next week, please read 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep'."

"Good morning, class." Jon looked simultaneously wide awake and as if he hadn't slept. (Which, to be fair, he hadn't much.) "Those of you who haven't had me before, I'm Mr. Sims, and this is...well, a literature class, mostly, but also something I hope you'll find engaging.

"A lot of stories over the years have been written down and then made into films. Erm, for those of you not from this world or era, those are a method of recording and then showing stories visually. It's generally a process to move a story from written to filmed form, and changes are made for a variety of reasons. We're going to be reading a story each week, and then viewing a film that's been made from it, and we'll discuss the similarities and differences and what we think of them.

"Today, though, is for introductions. I should like to hear your names, which year you're in...erm, that is, in the school, although if you're from another year in time, that might be good to know, too...and if you have a favorite book or film or film made from a book."

He nodded at the first student to start.

Jon looked downright peaky today (and annoyed at his santa hat), but he scrubbed his hands over his face and determined to soldier on. The board read: The Web: The fear of being controlled, trapped, or manipulated. Also arachnophobia.

"Spiders," he said with a shudder. "They're the most obvious manifestation here. But beyond that, the Web is manipulation. Someone or something is controlling you that you might not even know about, but your actions aren't your own. Hopefully today's reading got that across. Do you think it did? Do you think the protagonist is being controlled, or is it purely his imagination? Some combination of the two? Is free will even possible, even if it's your own nature controlling your decisions?"

Jon made it through the class, but he totally forgot to put anything on the board for next week.

Jon was back to looking his normal, haunted and run-down self, albeit he was making an attempt and was nicely dressed and his hair was combed.

The board today said: The Vast: Fear of heights, space, deep water, and wide open spaces. Fear of insignificance.

He nodded at the students as they settled. "So. Today's story, "The Nothing Equation", is classified as science fiction rather than strictly horror, though I'm a bit baffled it can't be seen as both. Also, it has very little to do with math, if you were wondering." And if you hadn't read it, Troy.

"It is, however, very much about the fear of the depths of space and the nothing found there, and the insignificance of one human being against all of...well, everything. Do you feel that was well conveyed? How do you think you might do in such a situation? Do you agree with Captain McDowell about the right way to handle the situation?"



After the discussion, next week's assignment was written on the board: Uzumaki.

Jon looked noticeably tired today, though he was still as put-together as possible, with the exception of his hair, which he kept forgetting and running his hands through. He took a deep breath and forced himself upright, nodding to the students as they filed in and sat.

On the board was written: The Lonely: fear of isolation, being disconnected or abandoned.

"Right. So. I trust you all read today's assignment. Or possibly watched the Twilight Zone episode based on it. The story posits that loneliness can wear on even the most antisocial person and cause them to better themselves. Do you think it adequately gets across that fear of loneliness? Do you think it's right? How do you think the protagonist will get through his second year?"



As usual, before they left he wrote the next week's assignment on the board: All Quiet on the Western Front.

Jon still looked a bit rough today, but he had a class to teach, and he was going to put on his most professional appearance, damn it. So he had combed back his overlong hair (uselessly, as he'd kept running his fingers through it on the way over), pressed his shirt and slacks, and was doing his best to not look like he hadn't slept more than an hour or so on the couch in his office.

The board at the front read: The Flesh: the fear of being meat.

"Even satire can show the existence of fear," Jon noted. "So, in this essay, Swift starts with the apparent assumption that this particular fear is right and correct - that humans, particularly the poor and/or the Irish - are no more than animals in the eyes of his audience, and he uses that assumption to hopefully teach them it isn't the case. That it is something wrong, something to be feared. And he gets plenty of digs in at landlords and the capitalist system as he goes.

"So, do you think his actual arguments are more poignant for using this fear as a tool, or were there better ways to go about it? Do you think he employs it effectively?"



When they were done, he wrote on the board again. "For next week, please read 'The Most Dangerous Game'."

Jon was at the front of the class today as usual, and the board just said: The End. Death

"This fear is a fairly simple and primal one," he said once they were settled. "The fear of death, of ceasing to be. The coming end that waits for all and cannot be ignored. This week's story was Bradbury's "The Crowd". There are any number of stories involving the fear of death - again, any number of stories even if we only went with Poe. This one has a bit more of a persona or embodiment of Death, though, in the crowd itself. So, do you think that made it more or less effective in getting across the fear of death itself? How do you think this fear compares, contrasts, and interacts with the others we've dealt with so far? After all, they all involved death, too."



Before they left, he wrote the next assignment on the board. "For next week, please read Jorge Luis Borges' "The Book of Sand", and we'll be discussing it.

This week when the students arrived, they'd find their teacher in better health and poorer spirits than previously.

Jon waved at the board. It had written on it: The Dark: Fear of the dark and things unseen.

"I hope you all read 'The Shadowy Street' for today," he told them. "You may have noticed Ray uses a similar conceit to Poe in our first story: that of finding other stories and merely transmitting them. This one is structured as two tales in one, and the overlap isn't clear until towards the end. So, why do you think he's done that? Do you think it's effective in conveying the horror? Which section do you think best imparts that visceral fear of the dark and the unseen?"

He waved a hand dismissively. "Or should we just have given up and watched Pitch Black? Discuss."


At the end of class, he wrote their assignment on the board. "For next week, please read 'Fire Watch' by Connie Willis."

Jon set his bag down at the front and pulled out his laptop, opening it to the text, then turned to the board and wrote on it: The Buried. He nodded decisively and took a deep breath before starting.

"The Buried is the fear of being buried alive, obviously. More generally speaking, claustrophobia, fear of being trapped, fear of things crashing down around you, physically or metaphorically. It's an extremely common fear. Even just choosing among Poe's stories, there are four or five you could use for it, and he's far from the only one."

He turned back to his laptop. "In Poe's The Premature Burial, we get the fear of both the physical and metaphorical burying - the protagonist is terrified of being buried while alive, but also terrified that all his meticulous preparations will fail and everything will go wrong.

"He begins by relating a number of stories of others being buried alive. These are, in case it isn't clear, fictional. There are a few stories of people being buried alive - look up Alice Blunden if you're interested - but many of the most famous are apocryphal, and the problem was never as widespread as legend or Poe's narrator would make it out to be, although there are a number of known designs of coffins and tombs that could be used to alert the living that somebody buried was not, in fact, dead. There are no recorded uses of them actually helping, but again, the fear was common."

He looked out to the class. "So, how do you feel this fear is reflected in the story? How well does Poe do it? Which of the included stories in the narrative best embodies it?" How best could you get your teacher to go on tangents about this or other things?

"And for next week, please read Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year and be ready to discuss it."


[ETA: Next week's.]