User:Chavey/Gender
Gender of SF Authors
This section represents an attempt to classify the gender of book authors in the ISFDB lists. The current project limits itself to authors (or editors) who have published a book from the "Classic" time, i.e. more than 25 years ago. Specifically, it includes those individuals who have published a Novel, Collection, Anthology, or Omnibus prior to 1985. (This does not include chapterbooks, short stories, essays, nonfiction or non-genre books.) The lists linked to below are, currently, limited to enumerating the women writers and those writers whose gender cannot yet be identified. The methodology used to claim the gender of the author is detailed at the bottom of this page.
These lists are inclusive when it comes to defining "women". For example, they include: (i) Pseudonyms which are names for joint authors, one of each gender (often, husband and wife). (This probably deserves a separate list.); (ii) Writers who are transgendered or transexual. (I know of no intersexual SF writers, but they would be included also.)
Progress
This project has currently analyzed only those authors whose last name begins with A-D. I continue to work alphabetically through the authors.
The lists linked to below include authors, the date of their first book publication, the number of books they published before 1985, and, where applicable, the number of books they've published since 1985.
This does not include authors (or books) added to the ISFDB since Jan. 1, 2011.
This project has stalled while I've been working on other projects, and re-thinking how to approach the gender classification project.
Women Authors
Women authors who have published a book (novel, collection, anthology, or chapbook) prior to 1985. Organized by the first letter of their last name. The number after the letter is the number of authors in that category.
A (85) | B (149) | C (100) | D (52) | -E- | -F- | -G- | -H- | -I- |
-J- | -K- | -L- | -M- | -N- | -O- | -P- | -Q- | -R- |
-S- | -T- | -U- | -V- | -W- | -X- | -Y- | -Z- |
Magazines and Fanzines, prior to 1980, that were edited by women
In some cases these magazines had multiple editors, e.g. both the woman here and one or more male editors. In most of these cases we do not know the relative influence of the various editors on the magazine. We list only the female editor. Generally, we include only those magazines and fanzines known to ISFDB on Jan. 1, 2015. (At this point, our data is still weak with respect to fanzines.) We include only editorial positions that began by 1980, but for those that extended past 1980, we include the full range of years in that position. In some cases, the actual range of years during which they edited that magazine/fanzine may be longer than listed here.
A |
A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, Mary Gnaedinger, 1949-50 |
Amazing Science Fiction Stories / Amazing Stories, Cele Goldsmith, 1958-65 |
Amazing Stories, Elinor Mavel (as "Omar Gohagen), 1979-82 |
Astra's Tower, Marion Zimmer Bradley, 1947-49 |
B |
Belgravia (non-genre), Mary Elizabeth Braddon, 1870-72 |
The Baum Bugle, Barbara S. Koelle, 1979-84 |
C |
Cry of the Nameless, Elinor Busby, 1958-59 |
Chacal, Pat Cadigan, 1977 |
Capt. Hazzard, Rose Wyn, 1938 |
D |
Dr. Yen Sin, Edythe Seims, 1936 |
Doc Savage, Daisy Bacon, 1949 |
F |
Famous Fantastic Mysteries, Mary Gnaedinger, 1939-53 |
Fantastic Novels, Mary Gnaedinger, 1940-51 |
Fantasy Book, Margaret Crawford,1947-51 |
Fantastic / Fantastic Stories of Imagination, Cele Goldsmith, 1958-65 |
Fantastic, Elinor Mavor (as Omar Gohagen), 1979-80-65 |
G |
Galassia, Roberta Rambelli, 1962-65 |
Galaxy (Italy), Roberta Rambelli, 1964 |
Ghosts & Scholars, Rosemary Pardoe, 1979-2001 |
Granfalloon, Linda Bushyager, ?? |
H |
Haverlings, Ethel Lindsay, ?? |
Heavy Metal, Valerie Merchant, 1978 |
HPL, Penny Frierson, 1972 |
J |
Janus, Jeanne Gomoll and Janice Bogstad, 1975-79 |
L |
Locus, Marsha Brown, 1968-69; Dena Brown, 1970-77. |
M |
Matrix, Eve Harvey, 1980 |
The Mysterious Wu Fang, Edythe Seims, 1935-36 |
Mystic Magazine, Bea Mahaffey, 1953-54 |
O |
The Octopus, Edith Jakobsson, 1939 |
Other Worlds Science Stories, Bea Mahaffey, 1952-55 |
P |
Perry Rhodan (US), Wendayne Ackerman, 1969-70 |
Pegasus (fanzine), Joanne Burger, 1968 |
Q |
Quantum, Marla Gold and Paula Gold, 1975-78 |
S |
STF Maglet, Eva Jane Clevenger, 1948-49? |
Satellite Science Fiction, Cylvia Kleinman, 1957-59 |
Science Fiction Monthly, Patricia Hornsey, 1974, and Julie Davis 1975-76 |
Science Fiction Yearbook, Helen Tono, 1967-69; Sharon Moore, 1970; and Anne Keffer, 1971 |
Science*Fiction, Judith Merril, 1946 |
Science Stories, Bea Mahaffey, 1953-54 |
The Scorpion, Edith Jakobsson, 1939 |
Secret Agent X Magazine, Rose Wyn, 1934-36 |
Sfear, Judi Mortimore, 1977 |
Shadows Of . . . , Dawn Atkins, 1980-82 |
Shayol, Pat Cadigan, 1977-85 |
Starling, Lesleigh (Couch) Luttrell, 1967-79 |
S.F. Digest Julie Davis, 1976 |
T |
Temper!, Judith Merril, 1945-47 |
Two Complete Science-Adventure Books, Katharine Daffron, 1953-54 |
U |
Universe Science Fiction Bea Mahaffey, 1953-55 |
V |
Vector Sandra Hall, 1959-60; Roberta Wild, 1959-60; Ella Parker, 1962; Doreen Parker, 1966-67; Eve Harvey, 1980. |
W |
Weird Tales Dorothy McIlwraith, 1940-54 |
Weird Tales (Canada) Dorothy McIlwraith, 1942-48 |
The Weird Tales Collector Phyllis Weinberg, 1977 |
The Witch and the Chameleon Amanda Bankier, 1974-76 |
Y |
Yandro Juanita Coulson, 1953-86 |
Authors of Undetermined Gender
A |
G. W. Abyl (1982, 1) |
Alexa (1880, 1) Chapbook only. |
C. M. Alexander (1979, 2) |
Drax Amper (1953, 1) |
Aratus (1793, 1) |
F. Archer (1896, 1) |
Augustinus (1898, 2) |
B |
C. H. Badet (1954, 1) |
R. A. Banks (1977, 1) |
Perl T. Barnhouse (1952, 1) |
Landell Bartlett (1928, 1) |
A. H. Barzevi (1931, 1) |
Cragg Beemish (1953, 1) |
Leigh Beresford (1981, 1) |
F. H. Bolton (1913, 1) |
Vektis Brack (1953, 2) |
J. S. Bradford (1936, 1) |
C. J. Browne (1980, 1) |
G. S. Burdick (1982, 1) |
C |
Jay Callahan (1983, 1 + 1) |
D. D. Chapman (1975, 1) |
J. A. Coffeen (1984, 1) |
Dale Cowan (1982, 1) |
D |
K. C. Dennis (1984, 1) |
Selected Online Resources: Women authors, feminism, gender issues in Speculative Fiction
Resources available, including lists of books and lists of authors associated with feminism and gender issues in speculative fiction, lists of women authors in speculative fiction, and closely related topics. In some cases, these are "directory" pages, which link to various other pages that should be included directly here. For now, we have not yet pulled in all of these indirect links. (But that will happen eventually.)
Lists where I've verified this data is in the ISFDB, where appropriate
Lists yet to verify against the ISFDB
- Bards of Thalia Muse, list of women authors and some of their recommended books.
- Early Women SF Writers, 1818-1925.
- Fantasy & Science Fiction -- "Women Writing Science Fiction: Some Voices from the Trenches".
- Feminist Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Utopia home page. Lots of information and links.
- Feminist SF Wiki, the Feminist SF Wiki, with many additional links
- Index to Female Writers, another page of the Feminist SF, but important enough by itself to list here.
- Imagined Sexual Futures, a reading list from Dr. Elisa Kay Sparks.
- K. Tempest Bradford's list of women authors and authors of color, with selected books and stories.
- Loganberry Books selected Women's SF books.
- SF-FFW, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Female Writers association -- the home page of which lists a large number of current speculative fiction authors, with links for most of them to bios, home pages, etc.
- SF and Feminism on the Web, links to other such pages.
- Urania's Daughters (contents not online).
- Some Errors in Urania's Daughters.
- Wikipedia: Women, Women in Speculative Fiction.
- Wikipedia: Lists of Women authors, a "Category" page, linking to individual articles on Women authors in Science Fiction and Fantasy.
- Wikipedia: Feminism, Feminist Science Fiction.
- Wikipedia: Gender, Gender in Speculative Fiction.
- Wikipedia: Sexuality, Sex and Sexuality in Speculative Fiction.
- WordIQ, list of women SF authors.
Books on Women, Gender, and Feminism in SF
This list omits (at least for now) books that focus on the work of a single author, or a small number of authors. The focus is on books that treat the SF field more generally, but from the view of Gender-related issues.
Preliminary List:
- Armitt_1: Where No Man Has Gone Before: Women and Science Fiction, Lucie Armitt, 1991.
- Armitt_2: Contemporary Women's Fiction and the Fantastic, Lucie Armitt, 2000.
- Attebery: Decoding Gender in Science Fiction, Brian Attebery, 2002
- Baccolini: Dark Horizons: Science Fiction and the Dystopian Imagination, Raffaella Baccolini & Tom Moylan, 2003.
- Barr_1: Future Females: A Critical Anthology, Marlene S. Barr, 1981
- Barr_2: Alien to Femininity: Speculative Fiction and Feminist Theory, Marlene S. Barr, 1987.
- Barr_3: Feminist Fabulation: Space/Postmodern Fiction, Marleen S. Barr, 1992.
- Barr_4: Lost in Space: Probing Feminist Science Fiction and Beyond, Marleen S. Barr, 1993.
- Barr_5: Future Females, the Next Generation: New Voices and Velocities in Feminist Science Fiction Criticism, Marlene S. Barr, 2000
- Barr_6: Afro-Future Females: Black Writers Chart Science Fiction's Newest New Wave Trajectory, Marlene S. Barr, 2008.
- Beam: Style, Gender, and Fantasy in Nineteenth-Century American Women's Writing, Dorri Beam, 2010.
- Betz: The Lesbian Fantastic: A Critical Study of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal and Gothic Writings, Phyllis M. Betz, 2011.
- Botting: Gothic Romanced: Consumption, Gender and Technology in Contemporary Fictions, Fred Botting, 2008.
- Browing & Picart: Draculas, Vampires, and Other Undead Forms: Essays on Gender, Race, and Culture, John Edgar Browning and Caroline Joan Picart, 2009.
- Carpenter: Haunting the House of Fiction: Feminist Perspectives on Ghost Stories by American Women, Lynette Carpenter and Wendy K. Kolmar, 1991.
- Clareson: Extrapolation 23(1): Special Issue: Women in Science Fiction, ed. by Tom Clareson, 1982.
- Cortiel: Demand My Writing: Joanna Russ, Feminism, Science Fiction, by Jeanne Cortiel, 1999.
- Crosby: Cauldron of Changes: Feminist Spirituality in Fantastic Fiction, Janice C. Crosby, 2000.
- Davin: Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965, Eric Leif Davin, 2006.
- Dhuill: Sex in Imagined Spaces: Gender and Utopia from More to Bloch, Catriona Ni Dhuill, 2010.
- Donawerth_1: Utopian and Science Fiction by Women: Worlds of Difference, Jane L. Donawerth and Carol A. Kolmerten, 1994.
- Donawerth_2: Frankenstein's Daughters: Women Writing Science Fiction, Jane Donawerth, 1997.
- Du Pont: Women of Vision: Essays by women writing science fiction, Denise Du Pont, 1988.
- Ferns: Narrating Utopia: Ideology, Gender, Form in Utopian Literature, Chris Ferns, 1999.
- Harries: Twice upon a Time: Women Writers and the History of the Fairy Tale, Elizabeth Wanning Harries, 2001.
- Heiland: Gothic and Gender: An Introduction, Donna Heiland, 2004.
- Helford: Fantasy Girls: Gender in the New Universe of Science Fiction and Fantasy Television, Elyce Rae Helford, 2000.
- Howey: Rewriting the Women of Camelot: Arthurian Popular Fiction and Feminism, Ann F. Howey, 2001.
- Johns: Women's Utopias of the Eighteenth Century, Alessa Johns, 2003.
- Jones: Imagination/Space: Essays and Talks on Fiction, Feminism, Technology, and Politics, Gwyneth Jones, 2009.
- King: Women of the Future: The Female Main Character in Science Fiction, Betty King, 1984.
- Larbalestier_1: The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction, Justine Larbalestier, 2002.
- Larbalestier_2: Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century, Justine Larbalestier, 2006.
- LeFanu: Feminism and Science Fiction, Sarah LeFanu, 1988.
- Lewes: Dream Revisionaries: Gender and Genre in Women's Utopian Fiction, 1870-1920, Darby Lewes, 1995.
- Little: Feminist Philosophy and Science Fiction: Utopias and Dystopias, Judith A. Little, 2006.
- McCorduck: The Futures of Women, Pamela McCorduck and Nancy Ramsey, 1997.
- Melzer: Alien Constructions: Science Fiction and Feminist Thought, Patricia Melzer, 2006.
- Merrick: The Secret Feminist Cabal: A Cultural History of Science Fiction Feminisms, Helen Merrick, 2009.
- Mohr: Worlds Apart?: Dualism and Transgression in Contemporary Female Dystopias, Dunja M. Mohr, Donald E. Palumbo and C. W. Sullivan, III, 2005.
- Palumbo: Erotic Universe: Sexuality and Fantastic Literature, Donald Palumbo, 1986.
- Pearson: Queer Universes: Sexualities in Science Fiction, Wendy Gay Pearson, Veronica Hollinger, & Joan Gordon, 2010.
- Pohl: Women, Space and Utopia 1600-1800, Nicole Pohl, 2006.
- Reid: Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2 vols, Robin Anne Reid, 2009.
- Resnick_1: Women Writing Science Fiction As Men, Mike Resnick, 2003.
- Resnick_2: Men Writing Science Fiction As Women, Mike Resnick, 2003.
- Roberts_1: A New Species: Gender and Science in Science Fiction, Robin Roberts, 1993.
- Roberts_2: Sexual Generations: "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Gender, Robin Roberts, 1999.
- Rosinsky: Feminist Futures: Contemporary Women's Speculative Fiction, Natalie M. Rosinsky, 1984.
- Russ: To Write Like a Woman: Essays in Feminism and Science Fiction, Joanna Russ, 1995.
- Shaw: Women, Science, and Fiction: The Frankenstein Inheritance, Debra Benita Shaw, 2000.
- Shinn: Worlds Within Women, Myth and Mythmaking in Fantastic Literature by Women, Thelma J. Shinn, 1986.
- Spivack: Merlin's Daughters: Contemporary Women Writers of Fantasy, Charlotte Spivack, 1987.
- Staicar: The Feminine Eye: Science Fiction and the Women Who Write It, Tom Staicar, 1982.
- Weedman: Women Worldwalkers: New Dimensions of Science Fiction and Fantasy, Jane Weedman, 1986.
- Weese: Feminist Narrative and the Supernatural: The Function of Fantastic Devices in Seven Recent Novels, Katherine J. Weese, 2008.
- Williamson: The Lure of the Vampire: Gender, Fiction and Fandom from Bram Stoker to Buffy, Milly Williamson, 2005.
- Wolmark: Aliens and Others: Science Fiction, Feminism and Postmodernism, Jenny Wolmark, 1994.
- Wu: Female Rule in Chinese and English Literary Utopias, Qingyun Wu, 1995.
- Yaszek: Galactic Suburbia: Recovering Women's Science Fiction, Lisa Yaszek, 2008. Also see the Strange Horizons review of this book by Maureen Kincaid Speller.
- Yntema: More Than 100 Women Science Fiction Writers: An Annotated Bibliography, Sharon Yntema, 1988.
Anthologies of SF by Women
Anthologies devoted (or primarily devoted) to works by women authors. Specifically, anthologies where at least 85% of the stories are by women. This does not include anthologies that are about women, but not necessarily by women.
- Women of Wonder Series
- Sargent, Women of Wonder (1975)
- Sargent, More Women of Wonder (1976)
- Sargent, The New Women of Wonder (1978)
- Sargent, Women of Wonder: The Classic Years (1995)
- Sargent, Women of Wonder: The Contemporary Years (1995)
- Women of Darkness Series
- Ptacek, Women of Darkness (1988)
- Ptacek, Women of Darkness II (1990)
- Women's Fantasy and Science Fiction Series
- Sturgis, Memories and Visions (1989)
- Sturgis, The Women Who Walk Through Fire (1990)
- Sisters in Fantasy Series
- Shwartz & Greenberg, Sisters in Fantasy (1995)
- Shwartz & Greenberg,Sisters in Fantasy 2 (1996)
- Women's Erotic SF, Lesbian SF (various)
- Tan, SexMagick: Women Conjuring Erotic Fantasy (1993)
- Keesey, Daughters of Darkness: Lesbian Vampire Tales (1993)
- Tan, Worlds of Women: Sapphic Science Fiction Erotica (1994)
- Ford, Once Upon a Time: Erotic Fairy Tales for Women (1996)
- de Moss, Blood Sisters: Lesbian Vampire Tales (2006)
- Tan, Women of the Bite: Lesbian Vampire Erotica (2009)
- Wright, Fairy Tale Lust: Erotic Fantasies for Women (2010)
- Ghost Stories and the Supernatural (various)
- Manley & Lewis, Ladies of Fantasy: Two Centuries of Sinister Stories by the Gentle Sex (1975)
- Manley & Lewis, Women of the Weird: Eerie Stories by the Gentle Sex (1976)
- Manley & Lewis, Ghostly Gentlewomen: Two Centuries of Spectral Stories By the Gentle Sex (1977)
- Bendixen, Haunted Women: The Best Supernatural Tales By American Women Writers (1985)
- Ryan, Haunting Women (1988)
- Salmonson, What Did Miss Darrington See? (1989)
- Dalby, Victorian Ghost Stories by Eminent Women Writers (1989)
- Dalby, Modern Ghost Stories by Eminent Women Writers (1992)
- Dalby, Victorian Ghost Stories by Noted Women Writers (1996)
- Adrian, The Ash-Tree Press Annual Macabre 1997 (1997)
- Ashley, Unforgettable Ghost Stories by Women Writers (2008)
- Ashley, The Darker Sex: Tales of the Supernatural and Macabre by Victorian Women Writers (2009)
- Other anthologies by Victorian, and other early, women writers (various)
- Vampires, Werewolves, and Supernatural creatures (various)
- Brownworth, Night Bites: Vampire Stories by Women (1996)
- Jones, The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women (2001)
- Special issues of Speculative Fiction magazines
- Bova, Analog, June 1977 Special Women's Issue (1977)
- Strahan, Byrne, & Scriven, Eidolon, Autumn 1997 Issue 24, Special Women's Issue (1997)
- Cohen, Realms of Fantasy, August 2011 planned issue (2011)
-
Other Anthologies
- Ghidalia & Elwood, The Venus Factor (1972)
- Anderson & McIntyre, Aurora: Beyond Equality (1976)
- Lewis & Manley, Sisters of Sorcery (1976)
- Laurance, Cassandra Rising (1978)
- Salmonson, Amazons! (1979)
- Kidd, Millennial Women (1978)
- New Victoria Collective, Woman Space (1981)
- McCarthy, Isaac Asimov's Space of Her Own (1983)
- Green & LeFanu, Despatches from the Frontiers of the Female Mind (1985)
- Carter, Wayward Girls & Wicked Women: An Anthology of Stories (1986)
- Zipes, Don't Bet on the Prince: Contemporary Feminist Fairy Tales in North America and England (1987)
- Sturgis, Tales of Magic Realism By Women: Dreams in a Minor Key (1991)
- Yates, Dragons and Warrior Daughters: Fantasy Stories by Women Writers (1991)
- Williams, The Lifted Veil: The Book of Fantastic Literature by Women (1992)
- Windrath, The Women's Press Book of New Myth and Magic (1993)
- Stine, Frank, & Ackerman, New Eves: Science Fiction About the Extraordinary Women of Today and Tomorrow (1994)
- Williams & Jones, The Penguin Book of Modern Fantasy By Women (1995)
- Sussex & Buckrich, She's Fantastical (1995)
- Bujold & Green, Women at War (1995)
- Brownworth & Redding, Night Shade: Gothic Tales by Women (1999)
- Jens, Daughter of Dangerous Dames (1999)
- Merrick & Williams, Women of Other Worlds: Excursions Through Science Fiction and Feminism (1999)
- Willis & Williams, A Woman's Liberation: A Choice of Futures by and About Women (2001)
- Flanagan & Booth, Reload: Rethinking Women + Cyberculture (2002)
- Resnick, Women Writing Science Fiction as Men (2003)
- Keesey & Ackerman, Womanthology (2003)
- Pohl-Weary, Girls Who Bite Back: Witches, Mutants, Slayers and Freaks (2004)
- Stine, Future Eves: Great Science Fiction About Women by Women (2004)
- Larbalestier, Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century (2006)
- McFall, WomanScapes (2006)
- Dawn, Fist of the Spider Woman: Tales of Fear and Queer Desire (2009)
- Milholland, Bell, McFadden, & Felix, Women of the Apocalypse (2009)
Gender Identification Methodology
Methodology used to determine gender:
In general, I believe the name being used by an author, and accept most "gender-specific" names as evidence of the gender of the individual. Of course many authors write under gendered names that do not agree with their gender, but the presumption is that when this is known to the SF or literature world at large, the true name is known from a pseudonym relation or from the "Legal Name" associated with that author, and that the true name reflects the individual's gender.
For each author that meets the criteria of this analysis, I proceed as follows:
- If the author has a wikipedia page, the gender specified there is accepted. (The large majority of individual pages there do specify a gender, but not all.)
- If the ISFDB database has a "Legal Name" for the author, and that name is gender-specific, that is used as the author's gender.
- Otherwise, the name used by the author, when gender-specific, is used to list the gender of the author.
Some names (John, Barbara, etc.) are well-known to be gender-specific for English-born writers. In unclear cases, I decide if a name is gender-specific by checking Wikipedia pages for individuals with that first name, e.g. via Jules for the name "Jules". I require that I have at least 20 people with that name, and check 20-100 such names. If 95% of those names have the same gender, I assume the name is gender specific. For example, checking 100 "Jules", I found 99 men and Jules Asner, a woman. Thus I view that name as male-specific. Of course as this example shows, this process can result in errors. Gender specificity for a name can change as a result of the country of origin (e.g. "Jean" is female in the U.S., but male in France) or the year of birth (e.g. "Hilary" is male in the 19th century and female in the late 20th century). Issues such as these, as discussed on Wikipedia's Unisex Names page are taken into account. For authors with such gender ambiguous names, more proof is required before being listed by gender.
In most cases, reviews of books (especially historic era books), that specify the gender of the author are accepted as conclusive. (Unless, of course, we have a Legal Name for the author that indicates otherwise.) The presumption here is that the reviewer was specifically familiar with either the author or else with the way that name was used at that time.
In the case of authors who write under initials only, I attempt to determine a legal name for the author. This information may come from online web pages, Google Books, or (occasionally) "About the Author" essays in their books. When successful, this is entered into ISFDB. In the case of gender-ambiguous names, I do similar research to attempt to identify the author. In some cases, I discover enough about the author to write a short Biography of them, which I include in ISFDB. In these cases, if I have identified the gender, I include that information in the Biography. In doing this research, I have identified the "true name"/identity of about 200 authors in the database.