Tag Archives: reading

‘What if?’ – dystopias in fiction.

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Fictional dystopias use the power of ‘what if?’ to change something or extrapolate particular social or technological trends and imagine the impact on people’s lives. The best ones are also good stories, well told, about people; their hopes, fears, feelings … Continue reading →

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More fictional dystopias

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Eddie Playfair

Reading Dystopias offered an introduction to the genre of dystopian fiction through 4 classic dystopian novels. Here are four more which are also well worth reading. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953) [211 pages] Fahrenheit 451: The temperature at which … Continue reading →

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Reading dystopias

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

Reading dystopias Utopia: an imagined society or state of things in which everything is perfect or close to perfect. Dystopia: an imagined society or state of things in which things are very far from perfect to a frightening extent. An … Continue reading →

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20 questions to ask about a book you’ve read

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Eddie Playfair

A starting point for discussion in reading groups or for students doing reading assignments (fiction). Explain the title. What category or genre do you think it fits into? What do you think the author’s purpose was? Something you liked about … Continue reading →

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Socrates on e-learning

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Eddie Playfair

2,400 years ago in ancient Greece, when the main medium for cultural transmission and learning was the spoken word, the philosopher Socrates warned that “the written word poses serious risks for society”. In an oral culture, writing was a new … Continue reading →

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