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Popular Fiction (ENGL30007)

Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 2 - On Campus
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Welcome to the shadow side of literature! Popular fiction has huge cultural reach and significance, and it is the site of long-standing and fierce debates about the psychological (and bodily) impact, social utility, and aesthetic merit of stories. In this subject, students will read a range of contemporary and recent popular texts, written by professional authors, fans, and artificial intelligence, while learning about the historical and institutional contexts that produced them. Students will think about the gendering of popular fiction, and learn to apply multiple critical approaches and theoretical frameworks - from the positive (pop fiction as the true culture of the people) to the negative (mass-produced fiction as mechanism of patriarchal and authoritarian control).

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Analyse major genres of popular fiction through close reading of representative works across historical periods and cultural contexts.
  • Evaluate competing theoretical frameworks for understanding the production, circulation and reception of popular fiction.
  • Investigate the role of publishing, media institutions and fan communities in shaping how popular fiction is defined, marketed and consumed.
  • Critique the cultural politics of popular fiction, including issues of gender, race, class and sexuality in relation to form, readership and ideology.
  • Produce well-structured written and oral arguments that integrate textual analysis, theoretical perspectives, and contextual research on popular fiction.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills;

  • Be able to apply new research skills and critical methods to a field of inquiry
  • Develop critical self-awareness and shape and strengthen persuasive arguments
  • Communicate arguments and ideas effectively and articulately, both in writing and to others.

Last updated: 15 January 2026