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ENG32110

Academic Year 2026/2027

Literature and Science (ENG32110)

Subject:
English
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
English, Drama & Film
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Professor Fionnuala Dillane
Trimester:
Autumn and Spring (separate)
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Nineteenth century Britain witnessed dramatic developments in all areas of the sciences. Debates about new sciences were integral to literary culture. The impact of new understandings of psychology, geology, biology, physiology on the environment; on the body; on religious belief; and on the sense of selfhood for example is a key feature of writings from this period. This interdisciplinary course will examine how scientific issues were registered and interrogated across a range of literary genres (essays; novels; short stories; poems) in nineteenth-century Britain and how these debates are reimagined in the 20th and 21st century.

We will consider the use of literary devices in scientific texts and the cross-influences of scientific and literary interests and the related development of genres such as vampire fiction, science fiction and steampunk. Areas of interest that will shape our discussions include: evolution and degeneration; theories of race, gender, sexuality and class; interactions of the mind and body; new understandings of illness and disease; new understandings of our built and natural environment theories of sustainability and extraction practices. Writers studied include George Eliot, Robert Browning, Charles Darwin, John Ruskin, Edward Lear, H.G. Wells; Alfred Tennyson; AS Byatt and Sarah Waters

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the role of key scientific debates in the works of British writers in the 19th century and argue with critical awareness about cultural, social, historical and literary significance and impact of the interactions of literature and science for the nineteenth century and for today
• Demonstrate understanding of nineteenth-century literary and scientific culture and its role in shaping social, political, natural worlds
• Analyze literary strategies in scientific texts in an informed way
• Increased understanding of the development of literary genres and techniques (gothic fiction; ghost stories; science fiction; the elegy; limericks; nonsense literature; satire)
• Demonstrate analytical, critical and writing skills including the ability to produce a research-informed essay demonstrating knowledge of key points noted above.

Indicative Module Content:

SEMINAR 1: Literature and Science? Literature or Science?: introduction to our terms of
SEMINAR 2: Facts and Faith: Deep Time and Planetary Consciousness: Tennyson and Lyell
SEMINAR 3: Free Will or Biological Determinism, Systems or Chaos: Darwin and Browning
SEMINAR 4: Ways of Seeing: Nonsense Literature and the Microscopic
SEMINAR 5: Race Science, Degeneration and Darwin's Descent of Man
SEMINAR 6: Insects, Genes and Colonies: AS Byatt's Morpho Eugenia
SEMINAR 7: Bodies, Minds, Desire and Disease: Le Fanu's short stories
SEMINAR 8: Spiritualism versus Materialism: Sarah Water's Affinity
SEMINAR 9: Experimental Science and Ethics: HG Well's Island of Dr Moreau
SEMINAR 10: Utopias, Dystopias and Techno Optimism: Ruskin, George Eliot, Rokeya, and Steampunk
SEMINAR 11: Conclusion and review: Environmental Consciousness and Essay Workshop



UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Advanced Beginner

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Novice

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Competent

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

84
Autonomous Student Learning

92
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Seminar style teaching based on preparation of readings in advance of class, circulation of study questions to guide reading, slides to support reading revision so that our seminar is a place of focused discussion, exploration and development of ideas.

Key learning and teaching components include:
Group discussions
Guided discussions
In-class learning activities (critical reading; reflection; review)
Interrogation of critical positions based on weekly handouts or critical text (Provided in advance of class on Brightspace)
Generation of study questions (Provided in advance of Each class on Brightspace)
End of term research essay
Please note: The use of AI tools is not permitted in this module. Students are expected to engage directly with module materials and activities without the use of AI tools. Debates about artificial intelligence and machine learning in the nineteenth century will form part of our seminar discussions throughout the term and will be part of our primary reading in weeks 1, 10 and 11.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): End-of-semester research-based essay (3000 words) Week 14 Graded No
60
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Mid-Term Critical Reflection (500 words) linking two course texts Week 7 Graded No
20
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Sign up to lead the class discussion by responding (in-class or online) to questions circulated in advance or by generating your own Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10 Graded No
10
 No
Quizzes/Short Exercises: Essay preparation and revision workshop in-class. You will be graded in participation and submission of questions generated during our revision session Week 12 Graded No
10
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
Repeat Within Two Trimesters
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Our class discussions constitute a live feedback platform: we will refine our own thinking and approach to critical questions by hearing and attending to the views of others Online feedback on your short mid-term assignment will help to prepare you for your final essay One-on-one meetings in week 12 will provide feedback on your essay plan to help you to flourish in your final essay

The majority of the course material is freely available online and links will be provided on Brightspace

PRIMARY TEXTS (all freely available)
*Laura Otis, ed. Literature and Science in the Nineteenth Century, An Anthology (2002) on which includes course material on theories of Evolution, Race Science, theories of Gender and Sexuality, Sciences of the Mind, on Physiology, Geology, Degeneration, Cosmology and Vivisection
*Extracts from Alfred Tennyson's In Memoriam (1850)
*Robert Browning's Caliban Upon Setebos (1864)
*Edward Lear's Nonsense works (1840s, 1860s, 1870s)
*Sheridan Le Fanu's ‘Carmilla’ and 'Green Tea' from In a Glass Darkly (1872)
*H.G. Well's The Island of Dr Moreau (1896)

Books to purchase (widely available second hand) are the more contemporary Neo-Victorian texts:
*Sarah Waters, Affinity (1999)
*A.S Byatt's novella 'Morpho Eugenia' (1992) .
We will also look at extracts from the graphic steampunk League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1999-) by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill.

Name Role
Professor Nicholas Daly Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 10:00 - 11:50
Autumn Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 6 Thurs 10:00 - 11:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Thurs 10:00 - 11:50
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