Spring 2024 | Princeton University
Feminist Futures explores the way in which recent writers have transformed science fiction into speculative fiction – an innovative literary form capable of introducing and exploring new kinds of feminist, queer, and multi-cultural perspectives. These books confront the limitations imposed on women and imagine transformative possibilities for thinking about gender roles and relationships, the body, forms of power, and political and social structures.
General
Reading List
[\c] Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
[\c] Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, eds., Sisters of the Revolution
[\c] Justina Ireland, Dread Nation
[\c] Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky
[\c] Octavia Butler, Bloodchild and Other Stories
[\c] Ling Ma, Severance
[\c] Rivers Solomon, An Unkindness of Ghosts
[\c] Chitra Divakaruni, The Palace of Illusions
[\c] Alix E. Harrow, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
[\c] Naomi Alderman, The Power
[\c] Becky Chambers, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
Schedule
February 1: Introduction and Overview
[\c] Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
February 8
[\c] Selections from Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, eds., Sisters of the Revolution
[\o] Eleanor Arnason, “The Grammarian’s Five Daughters,” 41–49
James Tiptree, Jr., “The Screwfly Solution,” 83–101
[\o] Joanna Russ, “When It Changed,” 195–202
Susan Palwick, “Gestella,” 215–234
[\o] Catherynne M. Valente, “Thirteen Ways of Looking at Space/Time,” 315–326
[\c] Pat Murphy, “Love and Sex Among the Invertebrates,” 185–194
Eileen Gunn, “Stable Strategies for Middle Management,” 249–260
Pamela Sargent, “Fears,” 299–307
February 15
[\c] Justina Ireland, Dread Nation
February 22
[\c] Charlie Jane Anders, All the Birds in the Sky
February 29
[\c] Octavia Butler, Bloodchild and Other Stories
Read the following stories and Butler’s background explanation of how she came to write them:
March 7
[\c] Ling Ma, Severance
March 28
[\c] Rivers Solomon, An Unkindness of Ghosts
April 4
[\c] Chitra Divakaruni, The Palace of Illusions
April 11
[\c] Alix E. Harrow, The Ten Thousand Doors of January
April 18
[\c] Naomi Alderman, The Power
April 25
[\c] Becky Chambers, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet