Postcolonialism and Science Fiction: An Introduction
Toronto scholar Jessica Langer has just published a fascinating book called Postcolonialism and Science Fiction. In this excerpt from the book’s introduction, she defines what that means, and explores some of the major themes in postcolonial SF. Langer currently works as an adjunct professor in the humanities, and has published widely on postcolonial theory and…
The Victorian Hugos: 1889
The Hugo Awards are given to the best science fiction or fantasy works of the previous year. Unfortunately, they’ve only been awarded since 1953. That’s where this column comes in — Jess Nevins will be awarding honorary Hugo Awards to the best novels of the Victorian era… and beyond. Top image: Illustrations from The Last…
Sex Change in the Pulps: Demonic Shapeshifters, Feminist Conspiracies, and Wacky Erotic Shenanigans
In many ways the science fiction pulps and the science fiction novels of the pulp era were conservative when it came to gender matters. Women – if they appeared at all – were usually relegated to the roles of girlfriends or victims, and sex was never mentioned. Compared to the romance, detective, and especially the…