Feminist Science Fiction: Gender, Power, and (Outer)Space [Durham, NC]

from $25.00

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $140 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose PayPal or Klarna at check out.

The space race of the mid-20th century sparked the imagination of science fiction writers. How would humans live together on long space voyages? What would it look like to interact with aliens? For some writers, imagining these possibilities meant repurposing the same tired tropes that fueled colonization: new frontiers, resource extraction, and savage others. But for feminist science fiction writers in particular, it offered an opportunity to question those tropes and imagine alternative futures. In their critiques of neocolonialism, these authors asked: How does power influence what counts as a human society? How can we change our understanding of gender, and if we do, what alternative forms of social organization are possible? And how can we prioritize ecology and symbiosis over extraction?

Key feminist writers including Ursula Le Guin, James Tiptree Jr. (the pen name of Alice Hastings Bradley), and Octavia Butler imagined space exploration as a site for examining and answering these questions, which in turn reflect back on social organization right here on planet earth. For two weeks, we’ll gather to discuss a short story and a short creative essay per week in order to examine these ideas, think about how these writers transformed the issues of their own moment (1970s-80s) into creative works, and explore how they might help us imagine something different today.

Each short story is ~30-45 pages. Each essay is ~5-10 pages.

August 6: Story: James Tiptree, Jr., “Houston, Houston, Do You Read?” (1976)

Essay: Ursula Le Guin, “The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction” (1986)

August 13: Story: Octavia Butler, “Bloodchild” (1984)

Essay: Octavia Butler, “Positive Obsession” (1989)
—

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income.

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.

Sliding-Scale Tuition:

**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+

Full Tuition: $140 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose PayPal or Klarna at check out.

The space race of the mid-20th century sparked the imagination of science fiction writers. How would humans live together on long space voyages? What would it look like to interact with aliens? For some writers, imagining these possibilities meant repurposing the same tired tropes that fueled colonization: new frontiers, resource extraction, and savage others. But for feminist science fiction writers in particular, it offered an opportunity to question those tropes and imagine alternative futures. In their critiques of neocolonialism, these authors asked: How does power influence what counts as a human society? How can we change our understanding of gender, and if we do, what alternative forms of social organization are possible? And how can we prioritize ecology and symbiosis over extraction?

Key feminist writers including Ursula Le Guin, James Tiptree Jr. (the pen name of Alice Hastings Bradley), and Octavia Butler imagined space exploration as a site for examining and answering these questions, which in turn reflect back on social organization right here on planet earth. For two weeks, we’ll gather to discuss a short story and a short creative essay per week in order to examine these ideas, think about how these writers transformed the issues of their own moment (1970s-80s) into creative works, and explore how they might help us imagine something different today.

Each short story is ~30-45 pages. Each essay is ~5-10 pages.

August 6: Story: James Tiptree, Jr., “Houston, Houston, Do You Read?” (1976)

Essay: Ursula Le Guin, “The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction” (1986)

August 13: Story: Octavia Butler, “Bloodchild” (1984)

Essay: Octavia Butler, “Positive Obsession” (1989)
—

SLIDING SCALE TUITION

Full tuition is the cost per-student of running the class. If you choose a tier below full tuition, you are receiving a discount. If you choose to make a donation in addition to full tuition, you are helping to cover the cost for students who are not able to pay the full amount.

The mid-level tier is a discounted rate for people whose household income is at or above living wage but who have limited discretionary income.

The low-level tier and the full-scholarship tier are for people whose household income is below living wage or who need extra assistance to meet their needs.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Through our fundraising efforts, we are able to offer three full scholarships per class. The full-scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering. Each student may only take one full-scholarship class at a time. Because our scholarship funding is limited, if a student selects multiple overlapping classes at the full-scholarship level, they will be disenrolled from all classes.

All sliding-scale and scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.

Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans, refund policy, and sick and inclement weather policy.