Alien Constructions: Science Fiction and Feminist Thought“An incisive critical work” that looks at Octavia Butler’s writing, the movies of the Matrix and Alien series—and more—through a feminist lens (Femspec). Feminist thinkers and writers are increasingly recognizing science fiction’s potential to shatter patriarchal and heterosexual norms, while the creators of science fiction are bringing new depth and complexity to the genre by engaging with feminist thewories and politics. This book maps the intersection of feminism and science fiction through close readings of science fiction literature by Octavia E. Butler, Richard Calder, and Melissa Scott and the movies The Matrix and the Alien series. Patricia Melzer analyzes how these authors and films represent debates and concepts in three areas of feminist thought: identity and difference, feminist critiques of science and technology, and the relationship among gender identity, body, and desire, including the new gender politics of queer desires, transgender, and intersexed bodies and identities. She demonstrates that key political elements shape these debates, including global capitalism and exploitative class relations within a growing international system; the impact of computer, industrial, and medical technologies on women’s lives and reproductive rights; and posthuman embodiment as expressed through biotechnologies, the body/machine interface, and the commodification of desire. Melzer’s investigation makes it clear that feminist writings and readings of science fiction are part of a feminist critique of existing power relations—and that the alien constructions (cyborgs, clones, androids, aliens, and hybrids) that populate postmodern science fiction are as potentially empowering as they are threatening. |
Contents
1 | |
Difference Identity and Colonial Experience in Feminist Science Fiction | 35 |
Technologies and Gender in Science Fiction Film | 103 |
Posthuman Embodiment Deviant Bodies Desire and Feminist Politics | 177 |
Conclusion | 259 |
Notes | 265 |
299 | |
317 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
agency alien Alien Resurrection becomes binary body boundaries Butler Calder’s Call challenge characters colonized complex concept conflicting connection construction context creates critical cultural cyberpunk cyborg Dead debates defined desire developed difference discourse discussion dolls dominant elements embodiment ence existence experiences explore fear female feminine feminism feminist fiction figure film find gender gender identity genre Girls heterosexual historical human identity ideological images imagination issues literature lives machines male manifestations material Matrix meaning metaphor mind mother movie narrative nature needs normative notion Oankali object Octavia oppression organizing original patriarchal physical points political position posthuman potential produced queer question race racial reading reality reflected relations relationship representations represents reproduction resistance Ripley role science fiction sexual shape social space species structures subjectivity texts theories tion traditional transgressive ultimately understand United Western woman women writing