Customer Reviews

Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century

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Expertly compiled and deftly edited by science fiction expert and author Justine Larbalesier, "Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century" is both a collection of eleven short stories by famous feminist science fiction authors and eleven analytical essays which accompany and explain the short stories displayed. Both the authors of the short stories and the authors of the critical essays are feminist science fiction experts. Some of the authors of the short stories include Octavia Butler, Gwyneth Jones, Leslie Stone, Kate Wilhelm, Pamela Zoline, Lisa Tuttle, Pat Murphy, and James Tiptree Jr. Critical essayists include, not in order, Lisa Yaszek, Josh Lukin, Wendy Pearson, Joan Haran, Veronica Hollinger, Andrea Hairston, and L. Timmel Duchamp. These are the famed jewels of feminist science fiction, and it is indeed a rare treat to have the entire volume and its companion essays to peruse. If you have ever read Octavia Butler "The Evening and the Morning and the Night," you will relish the companion essay, 'Praise Song to a Prophetic Artist,' by Andrea Hairston. Paving the way for future feminist writers and thinkers, these authors represent a rich composite vein to be mined at will. An amazing amount of detective work and scholarship went into this edition. "Daughters of Earth" is a gift to the readers of the twenty-first century, in hopes that they remember upon whose literary shoulders they are standing in the fields of science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy.

I enjoyed all but one of the 11 stories in this book from 1927 to 2002. Even though I didn't enjoy Pamela Zoline's "The Heat Death of the Universe" I can see why it is an important story to include in this collection of some of the science fiction that can be seen as feminist. "seen as feminist" here is the key I think especially when you look at the essays paired with each story. A few of the essays were spot on -- looked at the author and the story in their historical context. Others rambled between sharing previous scholarship and trying to find multiple readings of the material one of which was a feminist interpretation. The 11 stories are intense and moving, challenging the reader while entertaining. I loved that they were organized chronologically because I could see a flow and development of the feminist voice. I wish a concluding essay had tied them all together to bring this out more.

The best work in Sci Fi during the 50's, 60's and 70's was by women, and a lot of the best stories are right here. Fantastic!