Religion, SF, and Other Speculative Fictions.


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Feminist SF and Religion (Part One)

Posted by John on February 11th, 2008 at 12:37 pm · 5 Comments

Every student should be able to design their own classes.  Think about how many freakin’ Einsteins we’d have if teenage boys could create classes like “The Chemistry of Blowing Stuff Up” and “The Physics of Breast Movement in 3D Gaming Worlds.” I’m not saying that there wouldn’t be some *negative repercussions.  (We desperately need more women gamers creating games, however.)

I’ve had this glorious opportunity this semester, as I’ve found a wonderfully generous professor to sponsor my brilliantly conceived “Directed Graduate Research.” And no, no bombs or breasts are involved, at least not directly.  Working with my adviser, we’ve assembled a “(Literary) Science Fiction and Religion” bibliography.  The readings will cover four main themes and their intersection with religion:

  1. Feminist SF
  2. Mormon SF
  3. Apocalyptic SF
  4. Technology and Social Change in SF

You’d be surprised at how much stuff there is out there–I actually had to cut back to keep my readings manageable for the semester!  I even have a loose thread running through the entire course: “responses to religious authority.”

I’m working (can I call this “work?”) through the first theme this month.  This section includes academic/critical essays on the intersection of SF, feminism and religion (still trying to decide on these, so I welcome suggestions).  I’m reading the following representative texts:

Each story is a classic, and the first three deal directly with patriarchal religious institutions, as far as I can tell.  I’ve read Butler’s novel before, and you could say that it, too, responds to male-dominated religious hierarchy in some ways.  I plan on reviewing each book on Mind on Fire as I read through them, so if you’d like to join along, let me know.  I plan on getting to them at the rate of about one per week.

*Mind on Fire disavows any responsibility for damage to school property or upturns in the virtual porn software industry. 

Tags: Feminism · Religion · Science Fiction and Fantasy

5 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Sean // Feb 11, 2008 at 4:44 pm

    I’m doing my library-school databases project on feminist and queer SF and fantasy. No religious component, but then all I’m doing is cataloging ten items into a searchable collection–i.e, my project is boring and stupid and yours is awesome. But all four of those titles have a good chance of making it into my database!

    Tepper’s “The Gate to Women’s Country” specifically explores life in a polygamist, patriarchal, fundamentalist enclave (among many other things), if that’s interesting to you. Although I’m now trying to think of a Tepper novel that doesn’t deal with patriarchy and religion on some level…

  • 2 Bored in Vernal // Feb 11, 2008 at 7:13 pm

    I’m looking forward to your reviews of all of these books–especially interested in your take on the Handmaid’s Tale.

  • 3 John // Feb 11, 2008 at 7:35 pm

    Sean, thanks for the recommendation. Databases may not be exciting (I can say this cause I’m a DBA by trade :P ), but library school rocks!

    Have you read Le Guin’s Left Hand of Darkness? It’s about a society of human androgynes and is perhaps one of the most profound works of SF I’ve ever read (and one of my personal faves). Also, feministsf.org has been especially helpful with my bibliography. It even has a pretty comprehensive list of queer sf.

    Hey BiV! I’m more interested in your take, living as a woman embedded in two super-patriarchal traditions! Let’s make certain to compare notes.

  • 4 xJane // Feb 11, 2008 at 8:19 pm

    oooh, queer scifi, that sounds awesome! Although, now that I think about it, some of the stuff I’ve read prolly qualifies. I’d love to get recommendations from you, Sean.

    John: my recommendations are, as always, Silicon Karma by Thomas Easton and Archangel by Sharon Shinn.

    There was also an awesome book that looked at patriarchy and racism; I don’t remember the title, but it took place on a planet with three “races”: blue, white, and gold. The blues were almost like Indians (spots, not feathers) and matriarchal; the golds were obvious Nordics, with heavy influence from Arnold Schwarzenegger; I don’t remember much about the whites. The main character was a blue female who ends up working with a multi-cultural team and falling in love with a non-blue. The dynamics that surround the relationship & her work environment are part of what I love about SF. It’s such a non-judgmental mirror. Or judgmental, but in a good way. It shows us ourselves in a manner we cannot see without it.

  • 5 Elaine // Feb 11, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    Designing your own classes rocks, doesn’t it? :)

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