The Female Man (Cover image via Beacon Press)
3. Joanna Russ
If you’re interested in explicitly feminist and queer science fiction, then it would be difficult to go wrong by reading Joanna Russ. Her work was oftentimes strongly debated, given its robust themes and Russ’ propensity to confront some of the darkest parts of human behavior. Her novels and short stories are sure to make you face some of your own most troubling fears, too.
Russ was especially unique for her time and place. She first began to write in the 1950s, though her more outright feminist themes did not become clear until a decade later. That was also when Russ finally came out as a lesbian.
Her sexual orientation, along with her outspoken politics and views on gender, certainly did not make it easy for her to progress in the traditionally masculine realms of sci-fi and literary academia. Yet, she did well, taking on serious teaching positions and publishing a myriad of fiction and nonfiction works until her death in 2011. She was noted for the far-reaching, revolutionary nature of her work, and of the flashes of rage and harshness that moved through her characters.
The Female Man
Though Russ may not be immediately well known outside of sci-fi circles, we’ve actually talked about her work before: The Female Man. This 1975 novel focuses on four different women from separate realities.
Joanna, who lives in a reality similar to 1970s Earth, refers to herself as the “female man”, as she thinks that she must discard her femininity to succeed in a male-dominated world. However, she soon begins to rethink her position when she encounters the other three women, some of whom support a more militaristic reaction against the patriarchy.
If you’d like your introduction to Russ’ work to be a little pulpier, then check out The Adventures of Alyx. This short story collection features the eponymous Alyx, a time-traveling ancient woman who works as an assassin for some time. These stories still have Russ’ mark on them, especially with the angry, yet often realistic Alyx.