The Role of Women in Science Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Role of Women in Science Fiction - Essay Example Even in television, science fiction programs such as Star Trek Voyager have been shown with a female captain of the ship and strong female characters such as Seven of Nine and Lieutenant Torres. In fact, the show itself can be seen as a feminist interpretation of the Star Trek universe which was dominated in the 60s by swaggering captains such as James T. Kirk who thought it was their duty to kiss every alien female they could find. Undoubtedly, the times have changed and with them, the notion of science fiction has also developed. In this regard, two novels stand out in terms of how they treat femininity, masculinity and the relationship between the male and the female. These are The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin and He, She and It by Marge Piercy. A deeper examination of these novels and their treatment of gender is necessary to gain a better understanding of gender and the role of women in modern science fiction. The first novel which raises some interesting questions about gender and the idea of masculinity is also the novel which deals directly with the idea of androgyny. While we know that stories about titans, giants, and dragons can easily be considered as fiction, we also know that legends are often based on facts. The legend of King Arthur and his knights of the round table is one such instance where the historical fact was distorted to an extent that the fiction became more popular than the facts of history. Nevertheless, the basis of the story was a historical character. In a similar manner, the stories about the future may also be based on developments that are taking place here and now.