The Dreaming Sex
Tales of Scientific Wonder and Dread by Victorian Women Writers
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"Rare jewels of Victorian fiction highlight the fantastic contributions made by women writers in the early development of science fiction
A selection of early science fiction short stories by women are collected here, along with an introduction exploring the contributions women made in the early development of the field—in particular the different perspectives they cast on the wonders or fears that technological and scientific advances may bring. The contributions of women to the history of science fiction and to the genre's development has been sorely overlooked. Frankenstein, generally reckoned as the first true work of science fiction, was by Mary Shelley, and one of the first utopian works written in America was also by a woman, Mary Griffith. A companion volume to his acclaimed The Darker Sex, Mike Ashley's latest collection is more essential reading by such female writers as Mary Shelley, Clare Winger Harris, Adeline Knapp, and many others."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Edgar-winning editor Ashley (The Mammoth Book of Mind-Blowing SF) counters the impression given by certain recent phallocentric anthologies: not only are female authors currently a significant part of the science fiction and fantasy landscape, they always have been. The 14 stories, all written by women, were published between 1834 and 1928 (Clare Winger Harris's "The Miracle of the Lily"). Well-known authors like Shelley and Edith Nesbit are outnumbered by their equally talented but more obscure peers. Others are known for their activities outside writing; Roquia Sakhawat Hossein, for example, is more likely to remembered as a pioneering Indian feminist and founder of Calcutta's Islamic Women's Association than for her story "The Sultana's Dream." This worthy assortment of stories is diminished only by the unfortunate need to show yet again that women are just as creative and skilled as men.
