Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy & Utopia Page

Learn about feminist science fiction...including fun trivia facts

• Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy & Utopia Page
• by Laura Quilter
• Supports text-only

s the name suggests, the Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy & Utopia Page is designed as a resource for users interested in feminist speculative fiction. Site designer Laura Quilter admits up front that "feminist science fiction" is a troublesome term to define, so she has included references to any speculative works that discuss gender issues.

The backbone of this site is a bibliography and an index of authors working in the feminist speculative fiction field, a list of related anthologies and a bibliography of nonfiction texts covering the subject. There is also a list of general feminist themes such as societies, biology, fantasy, and strong women and feminist heroes.

Another section contains information on non-print media such as feminist television shows, movies and radio programs, and there is also a directory of scholars working in the field. Several areas of the site are works in progress, including a section of recommendations for younger readers and a primer for those just getting their feet wet in feminist fiction. One of the more offbeat topics covered is a trivia page, which lists things such as the "male sf writer who claimed James Tiptree, Jr., as an exemplar of manly science fiction writing." (Answer: Robert Silverberg)

The bibliography is clearly the heart of the site and provides a comprehensive overview of speculative fiction writers whose work deals with gender issues. Notable writers, such as Margaret Atwood, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Ursula Le Guin, have separate pages devoted to their specific works. The Le Guin page, for instance, is very detailed, with a complete listing of her published short stories and novels, and a list of interviews that she has given. However, the bibliography is not restricted to female writers -- a few male writers such as Terry Pratchett, David Brin and Bruce Sterling are listed. The emphasis is mainly on North American and British writers. For instance, Australian writers working in this field, such as Alice Nunn, Lucy Sussex and Rosaleen Love, are not listed. Nunn and Sussex are included in the separate index of writers, but this does not have any details of their work.

A lot of the site suffers from being in the "under construction" phase. The entries in the Trivia and Quotes section are minimal, as is the listing of television shows (although this could perhaps be attributed to the scarcity of television shows with strong female characters). The site is Spartan in its use of graphics, but as this is not its main focus, this is not a real disadvantage.

The overall coverage provided is excellent and obviously represents a labor of love. The site provides an ideal launch point for those interested in learning more about feminist work in speculative fiction.

This page achieves what it sets out to do -- provide a comprehensive source of information for readers interested in learning more about feminist speculative fiction. -- Aidan

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