This invited talk was part of the American Literature Festival, held online on 3 June 2021 and sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
Abstract
In the age of diversity, equity, and inclusion, a new story about the history of science fiction can be told. Although it is not hard to find unacknowledged white male privilege in the early days of science fiction, plenty of authors before 1970 like C. L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, and Judith Merril who challenged masculinist biases in science and engineering that served the needs of colonial and neo-colonial relationships. These authors offer today’s readers strategies to challenge notions of white masculinity, showing how the marginalization of women and people of color was far from inevitable. What is more, their challenge to the assumption that white men were somehow naturally suited for a globalized, uniform technology can offer inspiration for creators of culture who wish to promote a more cosmopolitan ethic today.
Selected Slides
Historical overviews of science fiction often omit women writers, even though they played important roles. A good example of this is Lester del Rey’s book, The World of Science Fiction.
