Nora Seed has been unhappy in life for a long time. When the last sources of happiness fall away, she attempts to take her life; only to end up in a magical library. The librarian explains that this library will let her undo all her regrets in life and “try out” other versions of her […]

Set in the 19th century, this novel tells the story of two slaves, Cora and Caesar, forced into labour on a plantation in Georgia. Desperate to escape their inhumane living conditions, they follow the Underground Railroad, a railroad transport system complete with secret routes and safe houses. They are hunted by a slave catcher, Ridgeway, […]

The musical drama West Side Story is the recent film adaptation of the stage musical by the same name. Set in 1957, the film tells the story of territorial and personal conflict between two gangs in Manhattan’s West Side. Prior to a planned ‘rumble’ between the Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks, Tony and Maria meet […]

The Maze Runner is a science-fiction film based on the novel by the same name, the first of a trilogy. The story follows 16-year-old Thomas, who wakes up in a moving elevator with no memory of who he is. The mysterious elevator delivers him to a patch of land in the middle of a maze. […]

Cadence Sinclair lives a life of luxury. Every summer is spent on a private island, called Beechwood Island, with her family and best friends. Her family comes from old money, Cadence being the eldest grandchild. Everything in their life is cushy and perfect, or so they pretend. The reality is that Cadence has had debilitating […]

This film is a classic in the dystopian science fiction genre. Gattaca presents a world driven by eugenics, in which children are genetically selected and modified during pregnancy. This leads to a society full of genetic discrimination where individuals are hired or disqualified for certain jobs solely due to their genetic makeup. The main character […]

Jurassic Park is the first installment of the science-fiction franchise of the same name. On the fictional island Isla Nublar, wealthy businessman John Hammond has created a wildlife-park like none other. His team of geneticists manages to bring formerly extinct dinosaurs back to life through the help of prehistoric mosquitos and cloning. When an employee […]

This animated film follows the life of a small robot called WALL-E. He spends his days collecting garbage on a deserted Earth, made uninhabitable by human behaviour. When he is visited by a probe, EVE, he falls madly in love with her and follows her across the galaxy back to her spaceship. There, on the […]

Based on a short story, this award-winning comedy tells the story of an unusual friendship. Victor and Thomas both live in the Coeur D’Alene Reservation in Idaho and have known each other their whole lives. Thomas was saved from a burning house by Victor’s father, Arnold, as a baby. Victor on the other hand mainly […]

In this beautifully illustrated picture book, a sloth shares his wisdom with the other jungle animals. They don’t understand why he does everything so… slowly. But given enough time to answer, the sloth explains that he isn’t “lazy” but just wants to take time to enjoy life. A reminder we could all use now and […]

This Postmodern utopian/dystopian novel is about artificial intelligence, religion, genetic engineering, and coping with death and guilt.Klara is an Artificial Friend sold to the sickly girl to help her cope with the loneliness and help with her daily challenges. Klara narrates the story and has a remarkable observational capability particularly noticing the little things. Because […]

A dystopian novel on the difference between freedom and security, surveillance, brain-altering surgery, and the power of mind and imagination. In the near future, the rust belt states are reigned by anarchy. Most people have lost their jobs and homes, the streets are not safe and there is a constant threat of being mugged, raped, […]

The dystopian sequel of The Handmaid’s Tale explores the experiences of three more characters regarding Gilead and its regime. It includes the accounts of Aunt Lydia and the two daughters of the narrating handmaid of the first book. It explains the views of someone who happened to be witness to the government takeover and is […]

This 6-part series explores the history of football in England. Set in the 1870s, two men from different social classes set out to change the sport forever. The series as a whole as well as individual episodes can be used to discuss Britain’s history, working conditions and sports.

A classic case of a Robinsonade, this film explores the extraordinary life of Chuck Noland. As a systems analyst executive with a terrible work-life-balance, Chuck regularly travels for work. On his way to Malaysia, his plane crashes, leaving him stranded on an uninhabited island as the sole survivor. He spends the next four years with […]

This painting has become on of the most famous symbols of Romanticism. The wanderer is the embodiment of the traveler from Romantic poetry looking for nature and the sublime. The Rückenfigur as a typical Romanitic picture motif represents the yearning for a unitiy of man and nature in contrast to industrialised cities and growing poverty. […]

This Gothic narrative poem is about a young scholar trying to cope with the loss of his love Lenore. While reading some old lore, he hears a knocking which, he finds out, comes from the window. A raven enters and settles on the bust of Pallas and speaks merely one word: ‘Nevermore’. Upon various questions, […]

This modern short story focuses on Benjamin Button, who is born looking like a 70-year-old and aging backward. His condition is not immediately diagnosed and it takes 5 years until he engages in adult activities. When he is 20 years of age, he marries Hildegarde and has a son with her. However, while she ages […]