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. Old futures is a smart, fascinating book that brings together queer studies and questions of futurity. 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. If you want more after finishing this book, youre in luck. Science fiction with queer protagonists recommendations. Speculative fiction and queer possibility offers a solid contribution to both geek and queer studies. 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. Its about making all lives livable, including those that. Science fiction and queer theory by wendy gay pearson. Alexis lothian is assistant professor of womens studies and core faculty in the design. Examining speculative texts from the 1890s to the 2010s, from samuel r. All queer, all comics, and all science fiction and fantasy. Queer sf texts and queer sf reading protocols have.
Queer theory focuses on mismatches between sex, gender and desire. But its a good beginning to queer science fiction or. Critics of sf have generally agreed that science fiction is a. Amassing an impressive and eclectic archive of utopian and. What is queer theory definition of queer theory define. A journal of feminist cultural studies she edited based on that conference queer theory focuses on mismatches between sex, gender and desire. Science fiction needs to reflect that the future is queer most science fiction still sticks to straight story lines. Science fiction professor in modern and contemporary. Im a professor and ive used the book to work with graduate students on questions of queerness, science fiction, and worldmaking. Queer theory is a field of critical theory that emerged in the early 1990s out of the fields of queer studies and womens studies. Wheres the queer representation in science fiction and. Queer theory 1970s present arose from feminist theory. Science fiction needs to reflect that the future is queer.
The essays in queer universes investigate both contemporary and historical practices of representing sexualities and genders in science fiction literature. 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 cambridge companion to science fiction edited by edward james november 2003. Queer universes relies upon a provocative and perceptive claim. Queer sf texts and queer sf reading protocols have long been flying under most critics radar. A young transgender magician travels the world on a quest for a mystical talking sword. A witch wonders why her wouldbe lovers cant date her the oldfashioned way. Sexualities in science fiction liverpool science fiction texts and studies. We read the first book in my queer genre fiction book group and spent a little time talking. For the remainder of this essay, i want to explore what might be implied when one combines the terms queer theory and science fiction. 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. Science fiction as a young persons first queer theory. By christopher marcatili lothian, alexis 2018 old futures. Queer theory by nasrullah mambrol on march 4, 2019 1.
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. Queer theory is a rapidly growing field in the critical theory tradition. Discover librarianselected research resources on queer theory from the questia online library, including fulltext online books, academic journals, magazines, newspapers and more. Apr 11, 2014 science fiction needs to reflect that the future is queer most science fiction still sticks to straight story lines. By wendy gay pearson, veronica hollinger, joan gordon. Liverpool science fiction texts and studies book 37. Queering the scene, which provides a theoretical framework that is evident in many contributions. List of books and articles about queer theory online research. Marxist theory has played an important role in sf criticism, especially in the last third of the past century. Luckhurst reads science fiction as a literature of modernity. 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. The entire time i was thoroughly enjoying the movie, i couldnt stop thinking about james gunns statement about queer representation in these films. 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.
Queer theory includes both queer readings of texts and the theorisation of queerness itself. Its time the genre explored fluid gender identity and lgbt themes. Since the late 1980s, theories of gender and sexuality have redefined how we think about culture and society. 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. Best gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender nonfiction. Through thoughtful analysis of a number of speculative stories from the last hundred years or so, alexis lothians 2018 book old futures. 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. In ancient greece, adolescence was a time when young men left their biological families to become the lovers of adult men. The cambridge companion to science fiction cambridge. Science fiction and queer theory chapter 10 the cambridge. Queer has been associated most prominently with bisexual, lesbian and gay subjects, but its analytic framework also.
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. Indeed, for many people, it is the ideational content of sf that is its primary. 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. We read the first book in my queer genre fiction book group and spent a.
Sexuality was but one element of an affectional and educational relationship in which youths learned the ways of manhood. Finding articles queer theory libguides at university. A journal of feminist cultural studies she edited based on that conference. 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. 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. 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. The chapters in this book investigate both contemporary and historical practices of representing sexualities and genders in science fiction literature. I will read the occasional contemporary romance, but my heart actually beats faster for genre books like fantasy, science fiction, or steampunk. Sep 25, 2018 old futures is a smart, fascinating book that brings together queer studies and questions of futurity. So what other queer science fiction should you read.
Queer theory is a field of university of california, santa cruz in 1990 and a special issue of differences. Lgbtq people will pilot spaceships, colonize planets, battle aliens, invent warp engines, and discover all sorts of intergalactic weirdness. 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. Apr 05, 2019 they talk about the boom in trans fiction and being a nonbinary parent. Sexualities in science fiction accomplishes that groundbreaking work for a newly identified area of the genre known as queer. The cambridge companion to science fiction 2003 wendy gay pearson. 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. Lgbt themes in speculative fiction include lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender themes in science fiction, fantasy, horror fiction and related genres. Wendy pearson is currently a faculty member at the university of western ontario. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Speculative fiction and queer possibility postmillennial pop book 10 ebook. 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. The cambridge companion to science fiction cambridge companions to literature.
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. 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. 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. Through the storys main theme it is proposed to take your life into your own hands no matter the circumstances. Sexualities in science fiction by wendy gay pearson.
Nov 15, 2016 i doubt the book is intended for more advanced scholars. 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. Why do we need more science fiction by lgbt writers. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon kindle store best sellers. Science fiction sf does more than provide a fleeting moment of entertainment. 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. Read the fulltext online edition of queer universes. 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. Critics of sf have generally agreed that science fiction is a literature of ideas.
It features select rare works from notable lgbt publishers including alyson books and cleis press, as well as mainstream trade and university publishers. The novel features asiancanadian characters in these lesbian relationships, incorporating racial and ethnic identity into a queer understanding of speculative. 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. Queer theory includes both queer readings of texts and the theorization of queerness itself. Home browse literature literary theory queer theory.
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