The power of lists: the Women’s Press science fiction and the making of a genre

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article traces the development of a prolific area of cultural production: feminist science fiction. Though, in our moment, the subgenre is the focus of popular attention and voracious scholarly discussion, such success was predicated on the concerted effort of cultural activists—authors, fans and publishers. Where scholarship on this generic phenomenon has thus far provided us with a rich understanding of individual texts and authors, as well as the fan and writing communities which sustained it, the role of feminist publishing practice in facilitating this innovative work has not yet been examined. Methodologically, the article contends that the study of publishing offers scholars a new toolkit through which to understand insurgent cultural forms. Through a combination of archival research and oral history interviews, this article will unpack the strategies through which The Women’s Press, a UK feminist publisher, contributed to the emergence of the genre. It shows the discursive means through which workers marketed and edited texts toward their core feminist audience and dedicated science fiction fans. It examines the selection practices involved in constituting the list—recovery, transatlantic reissue, original publication and criticism—which, in turn, acted to define the genre for new audiences.