Gender in speculative fiction

[3] The conventions of speculative fiction genres encourage writers to explore the subject of biological sex and present alternative models for societies and characters with different beliefs about gender.

[8] Science fiction's tendency to look to the future and imagine different societies gives it the potential to examine gender roles and preconceptions, whereas the use of archetypes and quasi-historical settings in fantasy has often included patriarchy.

[17] Examples include the Greek myth of Pygmalion, and the female robot Maria in Fritz Lang's Metropolis as well as the classic 1970s film The Stepford Wives.

[18] Many male protagonists of science fiction are reflections of a single heroic archetype, often having scientific vocations or interests, and being "cool, rational, competent", "remarkably sexless", interchangeable, and bland.

[25] The book Spreading Misandry argues that science fiction is often used to make unfounded political claims about gender, and attempt to blame men for all of society's ills.

[4] While the ability to shift gender is common in Speculative and Science fiction, there is very little representation of transgender human characters, and they are used as little more than a plot device for the author.

Mandelo points out that these characters are often used as plot devices rather than full developed individuals, though some newer writers are working to portray gender and sexuality with greater complexity.

[29] In speculative fiction, female-only worlds have been imagined to come about by the action of disease that wipes out men, along with the development of technological or mystical methods that allow female parthenogenic reproduction.

Many influential feminist utopias of this sort were written in the 1970s;[29][30][31] the most often studied examples include Joanna Russ's The Female Man, Suzy McKee Charnas's Walk to the End of the World and Motherlines, and Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time.

In contrast, Doris Lessing's The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five (1980) suggests that men's and women's values are inherent to the sexes and cannot be changed, making a compromise between them essential.

Sultana's Dream (1905) by Begum Rokheya Sakhawat Hossain, a writer and early Muslim feminist, is a story of Ladyland - a universe where women overrule aggressive men.

SF portrayals of future societies remained broadly patriarchal, and female characters continued to be gender stereotyped and relegated to standardised roles that supported the male protagonists.

[39] William Knoles wrote in his 1960 Playboy article on the era, "Girls of the Slime God", that[40] A quivering bosom was no novel sight for a thirties s-f hero.

But a girl with proud, arrogant breasts was definitely a spy—while a ripe, full bosom meant she was a Pirate Queen and all hell would soon break loose.Isaac Asimov disagreed, stating in 1969 that "until 1960 there was no branch of literature anywhere (except perhaps for the children's stories in Sunday school bulletins) as puritanical as science fiction", and that Knoles had to get his quotes from one "1938-39 magazine" which, Asimov said, published "spicy" stories for its "few readers" before "a deserved death".

Although physically more capable, female characters frequently continued to act as helpers to the male leads, but were now depicted as extremely attractive and very briefly clothed.

The first female lead character of a sword and sorcery story was Jirel of Joiry, created by C. L. Moore and first appearing in "Black God's Kiss" (Weird Tales, volume 24, number 4, October 1934).

Important short stories included many by James Tiptree Jr. (a male pseudonym used by Alice Sheldon),[45] for instance The Women Men Don't See (1973), The Girl Who Was Plugged In (1973), and The Screwfly Solution (1977).

It is disconcerting, for example, that in Expanded Universe Heinlein calls for a society where all lawyers and politicians are women, essentially on the grounds that they possess a mysterious feminine practicality that men cannot duplicate.

[48] The Hugo, Nebula and Arthur C. Clarke Award winning Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (2013) portrays a society where gender is an unimportant detail in people's lives.

The first widely recognizable female superhero is Wonder Woman, created by William Moulton Marston for All-American Publications, one of three companies that would merge to form DC Comics.

Although the character's seductive nature is polarizing to some, Catwoman serves as a way for women to ‘realize’ the power and authority that the female audience desires in their lives.

[60] Though the domineering DC character has settled itself as the queen of hearts among female comic book readers, her skin tight jumpsuit nods at her appearance being a feast for eyes among male audiences.

The character was seen as a success of the feminist and civil rights movements of the era, representing the ideal of racial equality and women's ability to find meaningful employment outside of marriage and family.

However, her role never rose beyond that of futuristic receptionist, and her uniform and prominent but generally silent placement in the background of scenes made her the series primary eye candy.

[63] SF series of the 1970s followed in a similar vein, with speculative elements used to physically empower women, while society required that they pretend to be typical and non-threatening.

Adaptations like Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, based on Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel, delve into themes of reproductive rights, patriarchy, and personal autonomy, echoing modern socio-political discussions on gender and power.

Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy explores oppression, race, and power dynamics within speculative settings, expanding the genre through a feminist and anti-colonial lens.

Jemisin's work has been noted for tackling themes of social justice and resilience in fresh ways,[67] while Naomi Alderman's The Power critiques historical and modern inequalities through a narrative that envisions women developing unique physical abilities.

This collection explores how gender and intersectionality are portrayed in speculative fiction, providing insights into feminist utopian and dystopian narratives that reflect broader global viewpoints.

[69] Authors like Nalo Hopkinson from Jamaica and Nnedi Okorafor from Nigeria bring unique perspectives to speculative fiction, often incorporating cultural heritage and folklore to address universal themes of gender, power, and identity.