Post-apocalyptic science fiction : a feminist reading

Abstract

Post-apocalyptic science fiction is often a social and anthropological experiment in which the science fiction author puts forward his or her theories regarding the correction of perceived flaws in contemporary human societies. Although the terms 'apocalypse' and 'Armageddon' are generally taken to mean the end of all human life, science fiction writers tend to keep to the etymology of the term apocalypse as a revelation of some kind: an unveiling, in this case, of the essence of humanity. Writers of post-apocalypse science fiction recreate various types of society in devastated landscapes or bucolic idylls, positing emulations of past societies or creating new and radical forms of human coexistence. In the course of the dissertation I propose to undertake a feminist reading of various texts in the post-apocalyptic genre, and I will attempt to show how female and more specifically feminist writers are more likely to create 'new worlds' rather than restructuring the world on past historical models. This usually involves egalitarian societies in which men and women are equally privileged, although there are a few examples of sexually segregated societies. Chapter One is an introductory chapter in which I will discuss the general implications of a feminist reading of the post-apocalyptic genre, with specific references to two popular novels as well as a discussion of some seminal science fiction texts written in the 1950s and 1960s. The second chapter is a discussion of overtly feminist post-apocalyptic science fiction novels written mainly by female or feminist authors, with special emphasis on issues of identity, whether female or feminist or both writers and protagonists. One issue of feminist postholocaust science fiction is whether androgyny is preferable to a clear cut female identity. Such thematic considerations and others are further discussed in Chapter Three, where I focus on mutation in post-holocaust science fiction and how it is sometimes linked with reproduction. The latter is often no longer considered a typically female issue. However, mutation can be interpreted as a male way of accelerating the evolutionary process and devaluing female control over reproduction, which at times spurs feminist writers to re-evaluate the importance of pregnancy as a feminist issue. The final chapter is a discussion of what in my view are two warring feminist ideologies, ecofeminism and cyberfeminism, and the way these ideologies have been appropriated for literary purposes by various writers. I shall examine some of the ways in which these ideologies interact in certain feminist post-holocaust texts, and are individually privileged in others.