Queer universes begins from a similarly broad understanding of what is signified by queer, and it effectively shows us that queer theory has indeed much to teach us about science fiction. Queer book list is an ongoing attempt to catalog novels with queer content and provide resources for both individuals and classes to use these texts. Liverpool science fiction texts and studies book 37. A witch wonders why her wouldbe lovers cant date her the oldfashioned way. Science fiction sf does more than provide a fleeting moment of entertainment. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book.
Alexis lothian old futures explores the social, political, and cultural forces feminists, queer people, and people of color invoke when they dream up alternative futures as a way to imagine transforming the. Read the fulltext online edition of queer universes. Its about making all lives livable, including those that. Science fiction as a young persons first queer theory. Queer sf texts and queer sf reading protocols have. So what other queer science fiction should you read. The cambridge companion to science fiction cambridge companions to literature. Through thoughtful analysis of a number of speculative stories from the last hundred years or so, alexis lothians 2018 book old futures. Nov 15, 2016 i doubt the book is intended for more advanced scholars. A journal of feminist cultural studies she edited based on that conference. If you want more after finishing this book, youre in luck.
So of course there should be great science fiction stories about them. Through the storys main theme it is proposed to take your life into your own hands no matter the circumstances. A journal of feminist cultural studies she edited based on that conference queer theory focuses on mismatches between sex, gender and desire. Francis spufford explores the british obsession with polar exploration in a book that jan morris, writing in the times, called, a truly majestic work of scholarship. Queer studies is the critical theory based study of issues relating to sexual orientation and gender identity usually focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex lgbti people and cultures. In ancient greece, adolescence was a time when young men left their biological families to become the lovers of adult men. The second section introduces four critical approaches to science fiction drawing their theoretical inspiration from marxism, postmodernism, feminism and queer theory. Im a professor and ive used the book to work with graduate students on questions of queerness, science fiction, and worldmaking. This month we have an anthology featuring charming and cruel demons, a science fiction series featuring older queer ladies and a bi teen, and a boys love manga where exboyfriends meet again in college.
Often examining the intersection of capitalism, gender, heterosexism and the state, queer theory is constantly seeking to break down norms and question the status quo. The chapters in this book investigate both contemporary and historical practices of representing sexualities and genders in science fiction literature. Speculative fiction and queer possibility offers a solid contribution to both geek and queer studies. Critics of sf have generally agreed that science fiction is a literature of ideas. Lgbt themes in speculative fiction include lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender themes in science fiction, fantasy, horror fiction and related genres. The cambridge companion to science fiction 2003 wendy gay pearson.
Jun, 2018 writer and editor bogi takacs writes about speculative fiction by queer and marginalized writers for and on eir website, bogi reads the world. A crossdressing man meets a suitclad soul whose gender defies definition. Although relatively few critics and writers in the genre have been avowed adherents of marxism, sf and the closely related genre of utopian fiction have deep affinities with marxist thought in particular, and socialist. List of books and articles about queer theory online.
Marxist theory has played an important role in sf criticism, especially in the last third of the past century. In my free time and on my long commute, i love to read and i like my books to be diverse, surprising, and genrebending. The essays in queer universes investigate both contemporary and historical practices of constructing sexualities and genders in science fiction literature. Sexualities in science fiction liverpool science fiction texts and studies. It tapped into my longsimmering anger over the state of queer representation in media, especially the genres i love so much science fiction and fantasy. Its time the genre explored fluid gender identity and lgbt themes. Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of queer studies and womens studies. The novel features asiancanadian characters in these lesbian relationships, incorporating racial and ethnic identity into a queer understanding of speculative. Science fiction needs to reflect that the future is queer. Apr 11, 2014 science fiction needs to reflect that the future is queer most science fiction still sticks to straight story lines. Indeed, for many people, it is the ideational content of sf that is its primary. We read the first book in my queer genre fiction book group and spent a little time talking. Queer theory includes both queer readings of texts and the theorisation of queerness itself. Science fiction as a young persons first queer theory jstor.
The cambridge companion to science fiction cambridge. But its a good beginning to queer science fiction or. The book introduces and explicates major works of science fiction literature by placing them in a series of contexts, using the history of science and technology, political and economic history, and cultural theory to develop the means for understanding the unique qualities of the genre. Science fiction and queer theory chapter 10 the cambridge. Universities have also labeled this area of analysis sexual diversity studies, sexualities. For the remainder of this essay, i want to explore what might be implied when one combines the terms queer theory and science fiction. Alexis lothian is assistant professor of womens studies and core faculty in the design.
Since the late 1980s, theories of gender and sexuality have redefined how we think about culture and society. A young transgender magician travels the world on a quest for a mystical talking sword. My personal thanks are also due to kathryn wagner for support through the editing process, to the students in my science fiction, queer theory, literature and technology, and cultural studies classes at iup for constantly reminding me of the various contexts in which this work matters, and to the online and conventionbased feminist science. Queer has been associated most prominently with bisexual, lesbian and gay subjects, but its analytic framework also. My main takeaways were that queer theory abhors binaries, queer theory doesnt hold much with essences, and queer theory is rather illdefined and kind of a mashup, probably containing the seeds of its own selfdestruction. Queer theory is a rapidly growing field in the critical theory tradition. Queer theory is a field of poststructuralist critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of queer studies and womens studies. Science fiction needs to reflect that the future is queer most science fiction still sticks to straight story lines. The essays in queer universes investigate both contemporary and historical practices of representing sexualities and genders in science fiction literature.
Delany to sense8, lothian considers the ways in which early feminist utopias and dystopias, afrofuturist fiction, and queer science fiction media have insisted that the future can and must deviate from dominant narratives of global annihilation or highly restrictive hopes. Critics of sf have generally agreed that science fiction is a. Queering the scene, which provides a theoretical framework that is evident in many contributions. Science fiction professor in modern and contemporary. This contemplation will circulate around two quite different strategic interventions of queer into the world of sfone is the performance of a queer reading and the other is the recognition of a queer. Wheres the queer representation in science fiction and. Sep 25, 2018 old futures is a smart, fascinating book that brings together queer studies and questions of futurity. Queer theory by nasrullah mambrol on march 4, 2019 1. Queer universes opens with wendy pearsons awardwinning essay on reading sf queerly and goes on to include discussions about sextrapolation in new wave science fiction, stray penetration. Speculative fiction and queer possibility postmillennial pop book 10 ebook. Luckhurst reads science fiction as a literature of modernity. All queer, all comics, and all science fiction and fantasy. What is queer theory definition of queer theory define. Why do we need more science fiction by lgbt writers.
Sexualities in science fiction, edited by wendy gay pearson, veronica hollinger, and joan gordon, is a collection of academic essays on, as it says, sexualities in science fiction. Discover librarianselected research resources on queer theory from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more. Queer theory 1970s present arose from feminist theory. The book opens with wendy pearsons awardwinning work on reading sf queerly and goes on to include discussions about sextrapolation in new wave science fiction, stray penetration in.
Queer theory focuses on mismatches between sex, gender and desire. Wendy pearson is currently a faculty member at the university of western ontario. The entire time i was thoroughly enjoying the movie, i couldnt stop thinking about james gunns statement about queer representation in these films. My main takeaways were that queer theory abhors binaries, queer theory doesnt hold much with essences, and queer theory is rather illdefined and kind of a mashup, probably. Queer theory includes both queer readings of texts and the theorization of queerness itself. Old futures is a smart, fascinating book that brings together queer studies and questions of futurity. They have raised new questions about the construction of the gendered and sexualized subject and put forward radical new ideas about performance and. Queer theory project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Science fiction with queer protagonists recommendations. I will read the occasional contemporary romance, but my heart actually beats faster for genre books like fantasy, science fiction, or steampunk. One of the more important aspects of this issue is the centering of queer issues so that we can talk about how science fiction can affect our lives, both for the.
Sexuality was but one element of an affectional and educational relationship in which youths learned the ways of manhood. By christopher marcatili lothian, alexis 2018 old futures. Tipping the velvet by sarah waters, oranges are not the only fruit by jeanette winterson, the song of achilles by madelin. The final section of the book looks at various themes and subgenres of science fiction. Apr 05, 2019 they talk about the boom in trans fiction and being a nonbinary parent. We spoke to a few queer theory aficionados and came up with this list of 20 mustread queer theory texts.
Sexualities in science fiction accomplishes that groundbreaking work for a newly identified area of the genre known as queer. Other topics like social injustice, rebellion, and samesex love are touched, and the story features both chinese attributes as well as elements of the science fiction genre. They talk about the boom in trans fiction and being a nonbinary parent. Science fiction and queer theory by wendy gay pearson. Examining speculative texts from the 1890s to the 2010s, from samuel r. Queer theory is a field of university of california, santa cruz in 1990 and a special issue of differences. I doubt the book is intended for more advanced scholars. Queer universes relies upon a provocative and perceptive claim. We read the first book in my queer genre fiction book group and spent a. Finding articles queer theory libguides at university. The cambridge companion to science fiction edited by edward james november 2003.
Best gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender nonfiction. Queer sf texts and queer sf reading protocols have long been flying under most critics radar. Knowing sfs potential for using the future to explore contemporary reality and its alternatives, one might think the genre ideal for the examination of alternative sexualities. It features select rare works from notable lgbt publishers including alyson books and cleis press, as well as mainstream trade and university publishers. Amassing an impressive and eclectic archive of utopian and. Such elements may include an lgbt character as the protagonist or a major character, or explorations of sexuality or gender that deviate from the heteronormative. By wendy gay pearson, veronica hollinger, joan gordon. Lgbtq people will pilot spaceships, colonize planets, battle aliens, invent warp engines, and discover all sorts of intergalactic weirdness. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers.
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