WOMEN OF COLOR IN SPECULATIVE LITERATURE

"The Future is Female" except in science fiction, where it still looks pretty white and male.  What happens when women of color take on such tropes as space exploration, cybernetics, superpowers, and the end of the world?  How can women of color change the way we not only think of the future, but think of the present as well?  In this class we’ll look at how speculative literature looks at the intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality, technology, and environmental concerns.  Readings will include work from such authors as Octavia Butler, Franny Choi, Sam Chanse, G Willow Wilson, and Tananarive Due with potential critical readings from Lisa Yaszek, Charlotte E Howell, and bell hooks.