The 2013 Arthur C Clarke award for science fiction was announced on My 1st. Of 82 novels submitted by publishers 6 were shortlisted. Not one of those 6 was by a female author.
Well, you might be thinking, that’s no surprise, men voting for themselves again.
But not so. Of the five judges, four were women.
Aha! In that case this possibly reflects the fact that science fiction is more of a male domain? After all doesn’t it have that word ‘science’ in there? And men have been writing science fiction for years, centuries even, so women are still catching up.
Hmm… I’m afraid that won’t wash either. Amazingly enough, one of the earliest novels exploring alternative worlds was written in 1666 – by a woman. The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish – a duchess no less – was the fifth novel published in English. A woman ahead of her time, she also wrote poetry.
Canadian author Margaret Atwood has written a very interesting book, IN OTHER WORLDS – SF and the Human Imagination. If you’re interested in the genre, it’s a great way to get an overview, and, as you might expect from Atwood, it’s an overview with a strong feminist flavour. One of the ideas she explores is that science fiction has provided women with a way of imagining worlds which challenge the restrictive patriarchies we have so long been subjected to.
I was surprised to realise just how many books by women I’ve read that could be classed as Science Fiction, particularly as I’ve never considered myself a fan of the genre. But I am attracted to fictional imaginings of alternative societies – whether utopian or dystopian, and Doris Lessing’s The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four and Five is a book that had a huge impact on me as its heroine strives to find the zone where she can truly realise her own potential.
I’d like to recommend Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring too. It’s not science fiction – as there’s nothing fictional about it. Though there are those who would like to dismiss this as a work of fantasy. When it first came out in 1962 the chemical industry in the US mounted robust challenges and threatened legal action. Today it’s merited as the starting point for the environmental movement.
So here’s my Top Ten List of Science Fiction by Women. It’s a personal choice, and I’ve tried to show just how long women have been writing – and creating – the genre. We’re certainly not Janey-Come-Latelys. I’d love to hear what books you would recommend to others.
The Blazing World Margaret Cavendish 1666
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley 1818
The Victorian Chaise-longue by Marghanita Laski 1953
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin 1969
The Female Man by Joanna Russ 1975
Where late the sweet birds sang by Kate Wilhelm 1976
Woman on The Edge of Time by Marge Piercy 1976
The Marriages between Zones Three, Four and Five by Doris Lessing 1980
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood 1985
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood 2012
Magi
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