The Roots and Future of Feminist Science Fiction
From Vonda N. McIntyre to Today
A Free Virtual Panel
Saturday, June 8 at 11 am PST
Four award-winning authors discuss the roots and future of feminist science fiction, with a special focus on Clarion West founder Vonda N. McIntyre and other major influences on the genre.
About the Event
Vonda N. McIntyre contributed extensively during her lifetime to the ongoing explosion in feminist sf criticism and correspondence.
Little Sisters and Other Stories, a new collection of Vonda’s short stories, has been published by Gold SF, an imprint of Goldsmiths Press dedicated to discovering and publishing new intersectional feminist science fiction. The new collection captures McIntyre’s distinctive themes of gender and power dynamics, human and species diversity, and a pragmatic utopianism that emphasizes our mutual dependency.
Join us for what promises to be a fascinating panel discussion as we bring together four award-winning voices in science fiction to discuss their work, how these same concepts influence their writing, and what trends they are seeing in today’s genre writing.
Our panelists include Dr. Nicola Griffith, SJ Groenewegen, Dr. Una McCormack, and Nisi Shawl.
Their books are available for purchase on Bookshop.org and a bookstore near you! A short list of their most recent releases can be found on the Clarion West Bookshop page.
Dr. Nicola Griffith
Nicola Griffith is the author of nine novels, including Hild, Spear, and Menewood. In addition to her fiction and nonfiction (New York Times, Guardian, Nature, New Scientist) she is known for her data-driven 2015 work on bias in the literary ecosystem and as founder and co-host, with Alice Wong, of #CripLit. Awards include the Los Angeles Times Ray Bradbury Prize, Society of Authors ADCI Literary Prize, two Washington State Book Awards, the Premio Italia, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Otherwise/Tiptree awards, and six Lambda Literary Awards. She holds a PhD from Anglia Ruskin University, is married to writer Kelley Eskridge, and lives in Seattle.
SJ Groenewegen
SJ (Sarah) Groenewegen BEM authored the novels The Disinformation War (GoldSF, 2023 – long listed in the BSFA Awards 2023 Best Novel category), Lethbridge-Stewart: A Most Haunted Man (Candy Jar, 2022), and Lethbridge-Stewart: Daughters of Earth (Candy Jar, 2017). SJ also wrote the Black Archive on Doctor Who’s Face the Raven, as well as numerous essays on Doctor Who, SFF, gaming, and being queer. SJ’s short fiction has won awards (Scarlet Stiletto in 2002), appeared in Big Finish’s Doctor Who Short Trips range, the Lethbridge-Stewart Havoc Files collections and UNIT anthologies. In 2016, SJ was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to law enforcement and LGBTQIA diversity. Born and raised in Australia, SJ now calls the Scottish Highlands home.
Dr. Una McCormack
Dr Una McCormack is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling science fiction writer of more than twenty novels, plus many audio dramas and short stories.
An associate fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge, Una’s academic interests include feminist science fiction, transformative works, and creative writing practice and methodology. She writes and broadcasts regularly on these and other topics on local and national radio. She is on the editorial board of Gold SF, an imprint of Goldsmiths Press aimed at publishing new voices in intersectional feminist science fiction.
Una lives in Cambridge with her partner and daughter, a full-sized Dalek, and many, many books.
Nisi Shawl
Nisi Shawl is a multiple-award-winning writer and editor. Their novel Everfair was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the short story collection Filter House won the James Tiptree Jr. Award. They cofounded the Carl Brandon Society to help give people of color greater visibility in the science fiction and fantasy worlds, and their “Writing the Other” workshops and accompanying book (cocreated with Cynthia Ward and K. Tempest Bradford) have taught thousands of writers new ways of thinking about diversity and representation within fiction.
Nisi received the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Speculation is their first novel for young readers. Born in Kalamazoo, Nisi now lives in Seattle.