GEO 006: Planets in Science Fiction

Course Description

Introduces the history of discoveries in planetary science and exoplanets and the influence on popular culture, movies, television, literature, and video games. Topics include planet discovery and exploration, planetary habitability, desert worlds, water worlds, moons, and terraforming in the context of science fiction.

Selected Reviews

Winter 2026 [119 Students in 3 Discussion Sections]

Evan is so personable and helpful—you can tell they have a true passion for the subject. Clear, concise material and engaging discussions; they are the epitome of a great instructor.

Very nice summary presentations that broke down key concepts from lecture into more detail. He explained things really well and easily, which was helpful and really aided in my success during the weekly quizzes.

Amazing TA, one of my favorites yet. Very knowledgeable and kind, really knows his stuff.

He explains the material very well and helps fill in things I might have missed in lecture. Always reminds us about deadlines on assignments and instructions. Very engaging to listen to.

They are knowledgeable on the concepts covered from lecture and explain the content in greaterdepth and efficiently for students’ understanding. They demonstrate a clear passion for the subject andit reflects in their presentations.