Frankenstein's daughters
Subtitle: women writing science fiction
By: Jane Donawerth.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Syracuse, N.Y
Language: eng
Number of pages: 213
Subjects: Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851; Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851 -- Influence; Science fiction, American -- History and criticism; Women and literature -- English-speaking countries -- History -- 20th century; American fiction -- Women authors -- History and criticism; English fiction -- Women authors -- History and criticism; Science fiction, English -- Women authors -- History and criticism; American fiction -- 20th century -- History and criticism; English fiction -- 20th century -- History and criticism; Science fiction, American -- English influences; Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.)
Description: Women Science fiction authors - past and present - are united by the problems they face in attempting to write in this genre, an overwhelmingly male-dominated field. Science fiction has been defined by male-centered, scientific discourse that describes women as alien "others" rather than rational beings. This perspective has defined the boundaries of science fiction, resulting in women writers being excluded as equal participants in the genre.

Frankenstein's Daughters explores the different strategies women have used to negotiate the minefields of their chosen career: they have created a unique utopian science formulated by and for women, with women characters taking center stage and actively confronting oppressors. This type of depiction is a radical departure from the condition where women are relegated to marginal roles within the narratives.

Donawerth takes a comprehensive look at the field and explores the works of authors such as Mary Shelley, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Anne McCaffrey.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 187-203) and index.