From the Star Wars expanded universe to Westworld, the science fiction western has captivated audiences for more than fifty years. These twelve new essays concentrate on the female characters in the contemporary science fiction western, addressing themes of power, agency, intersectionality and the body. Discussing popular works such as Fringe, Guardians of the Galaxy and Mass Effect, the essayists shed new light on the gender dynamics of these beloved franchises, emphasizing inclusion and diversity with their critical perspectives.
Author(s): Melanie A. Marotta
Series: Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy, 66
Publisher: McFarland & Company
Year: 2019
Language: English
Pages: 206
City: Jefferson
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Table of Contents
Introduction
Where Are We Going and Whence Have We Come? • Melanie A. Marotta
Mara Jade, Frontier Woman: Agency in Star Wars andI nfluencing the Transmedia Franchise • Monica Louzon
The Reformation of the “Plastic Girl”: Prostitute/Killer and Messenger Characters in Cyberpunk to Post-Cyberpunk • Melanie A. Marotta
“Shut up and get over here”: Lovers and Cattle in Mass Effect • Adam Crowley
Olivia Dunham and the New Frontier in Fringe • Teresa Forde
A Fistful of Gender: Power and the Body in Text-Based Trans-Femme SF Western Video Games • Joshua King
Wanheda, Commander of Death, Healer: Hybrid FemaleIdentities in the Post-Apocalyptic Wars of The 100Lindsey Mantoan
The Most Dangerous Woman in the Universe: Redefining Gamora as a Female Native American in Guardians of the Galaxy • Brett H. Butler
Accidents of Occidentalism: Women, Science Fiction and Westerliness in Becky Chambers and Nnedi Okorafor • Laurie Ringer
If He Can Break It In, She Can Break It Out: The Public Impact of Domestic Machines in Elizabeth Bear’s Karen Memory • Selena Middleton
A Host of Questions: Women’s Artificial Agency in Westworld • Maria Elena Torres-Quevedo
Triggered: The Post-Traumatic Woman and Narratology in HBO’s Westworld • Keith Clavin and Christopher J. La Casse
About the Contributors
Index
