Women in Speculative Fiction

Women In Speculative Fiction

Women have always been represented among science fiction writers and fans. Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley has been called the first science fiction novel, although women wrote utopian novels even before that, with Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle, publishing the first, The Blazing World, in the 17th century. In fantasy, the rich heritage of myth, religion and folktales emerged from oral cultures transmitted by both men and women. Early published fantasy was written by and for both genders – for example gothic romances, ghost stories, and similar stories. Other examples of speculative fiction include utopias and surreal fiction, both of which, again, were written and enjoyed by women as well as men. However, genre science fiction in particular has traditionally been viewed as a genre orientated toward a male readership.