Introduction to Women's Literature, 1890-present - Diversity Intensive (online)

Female Futures: Science Fiction by Women Authors
ENGL 2180
Semester
Spring
Year
2021
Trudy Lewis
Tuesday
Thursday
12:30-1:45
Course Description

2180 Female Futures: Speculative Fiction by Women Authors

Space opera heroines, gender-bending aliens, apocalyptic pregnancies, changeling children, and interplanetary battles of the sexes. According to feminist science fiction scholar Lisa Yaszek, these are just a few of the tropes we encounter in the surprisingly long and varied tradition of female-authored science fiction. In this class will take a historical approach to science fiction and science fantasy by women and women-identified authors, from the classic Frankenstein, through pulp sci-fi, feminist sci-fi, and current Nebula and Hugo award winners. We will work with Yaszek’s anthology The Future is Female, supplementing it with contemporary short stories.  Other texts may include: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe by Kij Johnson, and Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. Students will complete group work assignments, take two exams, give an oral report, write several one-page response papers and a longer (5-7 page) creative or critical work.