Space Sirens, Scientists and Princesses

Women are now central to many science fiction films—but that has not always been the case. Female characters, from their token presence (or absence) in the silent pictures of the early 20th century to their roles as assistants, pulp princesses and sexy robots, and eventually as scientists, soldiers and academics, have often struggled to be seen and heard in a genre traditionally regarded as of men, by men and for men. Surveying more than 650 films across 120 years, the author charts the highs and lows of women’s visibility in science fiction’s cinematic history through the effects of two world wars, social and cultural upheavals and advances in film technology.

Dean Conrad is a writer, producer and teacher who has taught film-, theater- and television-related subjects in schools, colleges and universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. He lives and works in England.

Dean Conrad

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 336
Bibliographic Info: 37 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6927-4
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3271-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface: Invisible Man 1
Introduction: Captive Women 5

I Science Fiction—Silents and the Establishment of Female Roles 15
II Science Fantasy—Sound, Technology and the Service of Male Desires 40
III Science Fact—Peace and the Emergence of Female Professionals 69
IV Intermission—Watershed Years, or, Destination Unknown and an Annus Mirabilis 95
V Golden Era—Blockbusters and the Development of Female Heroes 124
VI Dangerous Times—Identity Crises and a Millennial Mélange 152
VII 21st Century—Computers, Corporations and Consumers 181

Conclusion: Invisible Woman 213
Epilogue 227
Appendix: Female Representation in Science Fiction Cinema—A Selection 231
Chapter Notes 257
Bibliography and Filmography 268
Index 303

“A concise and remarkably complete history of female representation in SF cinema…solid…highly recommended”—Fafnir-Nordic Journal of Science Fiction and Fantasy Research