ANTH 2230

This class was pretty interesting. The books are focused on futuristic technology and alien species. Some of the books are a bit dense, so skimming is okay-- just go to class because the professor goes in depth about the books you read. Going to class isn't necessary if you just keep pace on the reading, but definitely go because he brings up good points for the papers! He also gives out cheat sheets! His essays seem intimidating at first; the prompts are all one-paragraph long, and some of them are hard to understand, but after reading the entire book, you'll know what to write about! Pretty easy A, but you still have to put in some effort!

Like the other reviews say, Wagner is very out there and this is a relatively easy course, but it's also a course of utter pointlessness. I'd say about 30% of the things Wagner said in his lectures were somewhat related to the material, while the remaining information involved pointless rambling or descriptions of Wagner's time in Papua New Guinea. I found the books covered in class interesting, but Wagner was simply a poor professor, failing to provide basic information, like his office hours and email, on the syllabus. If you want to take classes in which you actually learn something, do not take ANTH 2230.

I decided to write a review after reading so much criticism of Prof. Wagner's lectures, many of which involve personal anecdotes about his time in New Guinea. Roy Wagner is unlike any other professor I've had at UVA, and his lectures definitely don't follow the syllabus 100%, but I very rarely found something he said to be "pointless." Wagner was ALWAYS making a point, making an argument, and challenging his students to think in new ways. His paper topics were bizarre and sometimes difficult to dissect, but I found that he just wanted thoughtfulness and effort in essays-- I was always graded well, even when I was unable to finish a book or find a proper thesis. I would definitely recommend this class.

Read 6 novels this semester. All science fiction/ fantasy. If you want an easy class and like reading science fiction, sign up for this class. If you go the class and put a decent effort into the 3 essays (4-5 pages) you'll get an A or A-

Without a doubt, this will be one of the classes that I remember most vividly from my time at UVA, and that's something given that I took it my first semester first year. Professor Wagner truly takes this time and makes it part story telling, part literary analysis of subjects that he is truly passionate about. He is quite a character. Our readings were literally just super eclectic science fiction. In papers, I found that the more ridiculous and "out-there" your claim was, the more likely you were to do well. I really enjoyed this course and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take a relatively easy elective and expand their literary consciousness. Try it out!

He was very sweet and passionate, but sadly passed away about a third of the way through the semester. His successor, Carolyn Howarter, was sweet and a bit more loosely structured, but helpful and carried the class through to the end. Most of the books are interesting and the discussion relaxed; it is a simple, relaxing way to start a morning with three straightforward papers that are graded by content and not minutely like an English paper.