DOCSLIB.ORG

Black Feminism in African American Science Fiction 2015

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Black Feminism in African American Science Fiction 2015 Masaryk University Faculty of Arts Department of English and American Studies English Language and Literature Bc. Lenka Drešerová Midnight Queens Dreaming: Black Feminism in African American Science Fiction Master’s Diploma Thesis Supervisor: doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph. D. 2015 I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently, using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography. …………………………………………….. Author’s signature 2 Acknowledgements: I would like to thank doc. PhDr. Tomáš Pospíšil, Ph.D. for his kind help and supervision of my diploma thesis, my sisters for being my role models and my partner for his support. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction.................................................................................................................5 I.1. African American Science Fiction................................................................10 I.2. Theoretical Background: Afrofuturism and Black Feminism.......................15 I.3. Octavia E. Butler and Nalo Hopkinson.........................................................20 II. Race: Negotiation, Implication, Exhaustion.............................................................27 II.1. Ancestry: Revisiting the Past........................................................................28 II.2. Race and Societies: Envisioning Safe Places................................................36 II.3. The New Mestiza in African American Science Fiction..............................45 III. Gender: Black Girls Are the Future..........................................................................49 III.1. Recognizing the Woman Within...................................................................51 III.2. Controlling Images........................................................................................58 III.3. Affinity of Being a Black Woman................................................................67 IV. Class: From Dystopia towards Utopia......................................................................72 IV.1. Class and Society: Learning from the Past and Present................................75 IV.2. Constructing New Worlds: Utopian Hoping.................................................86 IV.3. Class and a Black Woman‘s Identity: Issues to be Resolved........................92 V. Conclusion: Midnight Queens Dreaming..................................................................98 Works Cited........................................................................................................................104 English Resumé...................................................................................................................110 Czech Resumé.....................................................................................................................111 4 I. Introduction In this thesis I focus on a recent subgenre of science fiction—Black feminist science fiction. To examine and understand the significance of science fiction of African American and Caribbean women writers, I use Black feminism as a theoretical background. The engagement of Black feminist theories allows me to focus on themes such as race, gender, and class that I find at the centre of attention of Black feminist science fiction. By comparing and contrasting the novels of two contemporary black women writers—Octavia E. Butler and Nalo Hopkinson, I explore their visions on subverting racism, sexism, imperialism and colonialism. Since both authors are preoccupied with the position of a black woman in the society, be it real or fictional society, and her self-determination based on categories such as race, gender, sexuality, and class, I argue that Octavia E. Butler and Nalo Hopkinson challenge the stereotypical character of these concepts and subvert them. By revisiting the past and envisioning the future, the texts analyzed present utopian/dystopian worlds where black women are no longer oppressed and subdued. The reason why I choose to write about science fiction is its highly imaginative qualities. It is a very free genre where the primary values are imagination and speculation. A science fiction writer is offered a creative power to build new worlds which can have roots in reality but at the same time can go beyond it. Moreover, I understand science fiction as a social critique that addresses current pressing issues that stem from social injustice. Science fiction also has a political power and when written by someone who is not content with the current state of society, it can generate discussion about the pressing issues and eventually contribute to a positive change. 5 As to the theoretical background, both experiencing the position of ―the Other‖ because of Octavia E. Butler‘s African American origin and Nalo Hopkinson‘s Caribbean origin, the science fiction works of these two authors reflect their position not only in the society, but also in science fiction—a genre that is believed to be predominantly white and masculine. To reflect their position in the society and in the genre itself, I focus on topics of race, gender, sexuality and class which are addressed through the lens of Black feminism. I use Black feminist epistemology to interpret the implications of their social critique that is projected into their fictional worlds. When selecting the authors to analyze, I was motivated to choose Octavia E. Butler and Nalo Hopkinson for the following reasons. Octavia E. Butler can be considered a mother of African American science fiction that emerged after the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. As a woman, she introduced a new voice to the otherwise masculine genre. She also brought attention to issues connected to being black and woman. Moreover, both Butler and Hopkinson are the graduates of the Clarion Writing Workshop, which is a famous workshop for aspiring science fiction and fantasy writers. Since the dates of their graduation differ by two decades, I find it interesting to compare and contrast the works of Octavia E. Butler with one generation younger Nalo Hopkinson. In addition, Octavia E. Butler comes from a different social and cultural background than Nalo Hopkinson. Unlike Hopkinson who grew up in a middle-class intellectual family, Butler was raised only by her uneducated mother in poor conditions. Another interesting fact that saturates the presented analysis is that Octavia E. Butler is considered a mother of African American science 6 fiction, whereas Nalo Hopkinson has been recently viewed as a leading figure1 in Black feminist science fiction. The works I analyze in this final thesis are Kindred (1979) and a trilogy Lilith’s Brood (1987-89) by Octavia E. Butler and Brown Girl in the Ring (1998) and Midnight Robber (2000) by Nalo Hopkinson. When selecting which works to analyze, I focused on their importance for the writers‘ careers and on their critical reception. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler is now often included in classes on African American literature and taught ―along with the works of Toni Morrison and Alice Walker‖ (Rutledge 224). Lilith’s Brood is acclaimed for its discussion and challenging of the categories of race and gender. Brown Girl in the Ring is Nalo Hopkinson‘s first novel that instantly became a big success and her Midnight Robber only strengthened her position on the African American science fiction scene. I decided to write on the subject of Black feminist science fiction despite many obstacles and challenges I had to undergo while obtaining primary and secondary sources. Given the fact that science fiction is often omitted from the traditional Anglophone literary canon because of a label of popular literature, it has never been a subject of discussion in my literature program. The more I was surprised at its complexity and potential for challenging negative features of the society, such as discrimination and oppression of any kind, when I came across the texts of Nalo Hopkinson that became acclaimed at the turn of the 21st century. When I first learned about Nalo Hopkinson and her works, they struck me as exceptional by the way the Black feminist issues were addressed. I started researching other Black female science fiction authors only to find out that their number was and still is 1 In ―Futurist Fiction and Fantasy,‖ Gregory E. Rutledge asserts that ―Hopkinson ensures the continuation of a female voice in Black futurist fiction and fantasy. As a native West Indian, she has already introduced new elements into the genre‖ (247). 7 very limited.2 However, many authors3 who identified as Black (feminist) science fiction writers named Octavia E. Butler as their inspiration. Upon first learning about Nalo Hopkinson, Octavia E. Butler was already a prolific representative of Black feminist science fiction, especially inspired by the Black feminism of the 1960s and 1970s. Thus, my research has a retrospective character, which interestingly accentuates the relativity of time and space typical for the science fiction genre. Given the outsider position of science fiction in literary classes, there are only a few sources dealing with this genre in the Czech academic environment. All primary sources are from my personal collection as I was not successful in finding works of Nalo Hopkinson in any Czech library. The novels Kindred (1979) and Lilith’s Brood (1987-89) by Octavia E. Butler are available in the library of Charles University in Prague. As to the secondary sources, no broader scholarly discussion of African American science fiction emerged until 1990, but since then it has
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Views That Barnes Has Given, Wherein
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2018 Darker Matters: Racial Theorizing through Alternate History, Transhistorical Black Bodies, and Towards a Literature of Black Mecha in the Science Fiction Novels of Steven Barnes Alexander Dumas J. Brickler IV Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES DARKER MATTERS: RACIAL THEORIZING THROUGH ALTERNATE HISTORY, TRANSHISTORICAL BLACK BODIES, AND TOWARDS A LITERATURE OF BLACK MECHA IN THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS OF STEVEN BARNES By ALEXANDER DUMAS J. BRICKLER IV A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of English in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2018 Alexander Dumas J. Brickler IV defended this dissertation on April 16, 2018. The members of the supervisory committee were: Jerrilyn McGregory Professor Directing Dissertation Delia Poey University Representative Maxine Montgomery Committee Member Candace Ward Committee Member Dennis Moore Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Foremost, I have to give thanks to the Most High. My odyssey through graduate school was indeed a long night of the soul, and without mustard-seed/mountain-moving faith, this journey would have been stymied a long time before now. Profound thanks to my utterly phenomenal dissertation committee as well, and my chair, Dr. Jerrilyn McGregory, especially. From the moment I first perused the syllabus of her class on folkloric and speculative traditions of Black authors, I knew I was going to have a fantastic experience working with her.
    [Show full text]
  • Prototype of Sunken Place: Reading Jordan Peele’S Get out Through Octavia Butler’S Kindred As Black Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction Narratives
    Prototype of Sunken Place: Reading Jordan Peele’s Get Out through Octavia Butler’s Kindred as Black Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction Narratives BRITNEY HENRY Science fiction and speculative fiction have imagined new worlds, species, and technologies that have influenced individuals and societies. These genres have a significant space within American popular culture as “popular culture is woven deeply and intimately into the fabric of our everyday lives. While it may be tempting to imagine such amusements and attachments as apolitical, popular culture reflects and plays a significant role in contouring how we think, feel and act in the world for better and often for worse” (Mueller et al. 70). Science fiction and speculative fiction are not apolitical. These genres within the space of Black culture have illustrated forgotten or distorted historical events within American culture. America has a history of othering the Black body and the alterity of this body comes in the form of systematic oppression and racism. History has inflicted serious trauma and damage mentally and physically on Black bodies. I use “body” instead of “person” here because of the objectification of the body without regards to personhood which Hortense Spillers refers to as, “a territory of cultural and political maneuver” (67). Furthermore, the flesh and body are conceived as being separate. The body can become an object and dehumanized whereas the flesh takes the impact of the pain being inflicted. Black flesh has been abused, sexually degraded, and scientifically exploited throughout history. Mark Dery furthers this notion stating: in a very real sense, [Black people] are the descendants of alien abductees; they inhabit a sci-fi nightmare in which unseen but no less impassable force fields of intolerance frustrate their movements; official histories undo what BRITNEY HENRY is doctoral student of English Literature at The University of Delaware.
    [Show full text]
  • Afrofuturism: the World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture
    AFROFUTURISMAFROFUTURISM THE WORLD OF BLACK SCI-FI AND FANTASY CULTURE YTASHA L. WOMACK Chicago Afrofuturism_half title and title.indd 3 5/22/13 3:53 PM AFROFUTURISMAFROFUTURISM THE WORLD OF BLACK SCI-FI AND FANTASY CULTURE YTASHA L. WOMACK Chicago Afrofuturism_half title and title.indd 3 5/22/13 3:53 PM AFROFUTURISM Afrofuturism_half title and title.indd 1 5/22/13 3:53 PM Copyright © 2013 by Ytasha L. Womack All rights reserved First edition Published by Lawrence Hill Books, an imprint of Chicago Review Press, Incorporated 814 North Franklin Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 ISBN 978-1-61374-796-4 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Womack, Ytasha. Afrofuturism : the world of black sci-fi and fantasy culture / Ytasha L. Womack. — First edition. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-61374-796-4 (trade paper) 1. Science fiction—Social aspects. 2. African Americans—Race identity. 3. Science fiction films—Influence. 4. Futurologists. 5. African diaspora— Social conditions. I. Title. PN3433.5.W66 2013 809.3’8762093529—dc23 2013025755 Cover art and design: “Ioe Ostara” by John Jennings Cover layout: Jonathan Hahn Interior design: PerfecType, Nashville, TN Interior art: John Jennings and James Marshall (p. 187) Printed in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 I dedicate this book to Dr. Johnnie Colemon, the first Afrofuturist to inspire my journey. I dedicate this book to the legions of thinkers and futurists who envision a loving world. CONTENTS Acknowledgments .................................................................. ix Introduction ............................................................................ 1 1 Evolution of a Space Cadet ................................................ 3 2 A Human Fairy Tale Named Black ..................................
    [Show full text]
  • W41 PPB-Web.Pdf
    The thrilling adventures of... 41 Pocket Program Book May 26-29, 2017 Concourse Hotel Madison Wisconsin #WC41 facebook.com/wisconwiscon.net @wisconsf3 Name/Room No: If you find a named pocket program book, please return it to the registration desk! New! Schedule & Hours Pamphlet—a smaller, condensed version of this Pocket Program Book. Large Print copies of this book are available at the Registration Desk. TheWisSched app is available on Android and iOS. What works for you? What doesn't? Take the post-con survey at wiscon.net/survey to let us know! Contents EVENTS Welcome to WisCon 41! ...........................................1 Art Show/Tiptree Auction Display .........................4 Tiptree Auction ..........................................................6 Dessert Salon ..............................................................7 SPACES Is This Your First WisCon?.......................................8 Workshop Sessions ....................................................8 Childcare .................................................................. 10 Children's and Teens' Programming ..................... 11 Children's Schedule ................................................ 11 Teens' Schedule ....................................................... 12 INFO Con Suite ................................................................. 12 Dealers’ Room .......................................................... 14 Gaming ..................................................................... 15 Quiet Rooms ..........................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 229 INDEX © in This Web Service Cambridge
    Cambridge University Press 978-1-107-05246-8 - The Cambridge Companion to: American Science Fiction Edited by Eric Carl Link and Gerry Canavan Index More information INDEX Aarseth, Espen, 139 agency panic, 49 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (fi lm, Agents of SHIELD (television, 2013–), 55 1948), 113 Alas, Babylon (Frank, 1959), 184 Abbott, Carl, 173 Aldiss, Brian, 32 Abrams, J.J., 48 , 119 Alexie, Sherman, 55 Abyss, The (fi lm, Cameron 1989), 113 Alias (television, 2001–06, 48 Acker, Kathy, 103 Alien (fi lm, Scott 1979), 116 , 175 , 198 Ackerman, Forrest J., 21 alien encounters Adam Strange (comic book), 131 abduction by aliens, 36 Adams, Neal, 132 , 133 Afrofuturism and, 60 Adventures of Superman, The (radio alien abduction narratives, 184 broadcast, 1946), 130 alien invasion narratives, 45–50 , 115 , 184 African American science fi ction. assimilation of human bodies, 115 , 184 See also Afrofuturism ; race assimilation/estrangement dialectic African American utopianism, 59 , 88–90 and, 176 black agency in Hollywood SF, 116 global consciousness and, 1 black genius fi gure in, 59 , 60 , 62 , 64 , indigenous futurism and, 177 65 , 67 internal “Aliens R US” motif, 119 blackness as allegorical SF subtext, 120 natural disasters and, 47 blaxploitation fi lms, 117 post-9/11 reformulation of, 45 1970s revolutionary themes, 118 reverse colonization narratives, 45 , 174 nineteenth century SF and, 60 in space operas, 23 sexuality and, 60 Superman as alien, 128 , 129 Afrofuturism. See also African American sympathetic treatment of aliens, 38 , 39 , science fi ction ; race 50 , 60 overview, 58 War of the Worlds and, 1 , 3 , 143 , 172 , 174 African American utopianism, 59 , 88–90 wars with alien races, 3 , 7 , 23 , 39 , 40 Afrodiasporic magic in, 65 Alien Nation (fi lm, Baker 1988), 119 black racial superiority in, 61 Alien Nation (television, 1989–1990), 120 future race war theme, 62 , 64 , 89 , 95n17 Alien Trespass (fi lm, 2009), 46 near-future focus in, 61 Alien vs.
    [Show full text]
  • SLF Portolan Project Interview with Nalo Hopkinson, Andrea Hairston, and Sheree Renée Thomas Los Angeles, California, 2019
    SLF Portolan Project Interview with Nalo Hopkinson, Andrea Hairston, and Sheree Renée Thomas Los Angeles, California, 2019 Mary Anne Mohanraj: Hi everybody, this is Mary Anne Mohanraj, and I'm here at the World Fantasy Convention 2019 in Los Angeles. I'm here with Nalo Hopkinson, Andrea Hairston, and Sheree Renée Thomas, really delighted to be interviewing them for the SLF. So, I thought we would start with how I first got to know all of you and your work. I think the first one was Nalo Hopkinson. I met Nalo at WisCon, it would have been, I want to say around 1997-98, when WisCon was making a real effort to do outreach to people of color, and they had actually invited me to come, and I was a starving grad student at the time, and said I couldn't possibly fly from California all the way to Madison. And they had covered my expenses to attend the convention. And I got there, and there were five people of color, at the seven – Andrea Hairston: That was a good year. [laughter] ​ Mary Anne Mohanraj: Yeah, at the 700-something person convention. So they had an issue, which they were trying to address. And Nalo was one of them. Does that match up with your memory? And, I don't know, was that your first WisCon as well, or? Nalo Hopkinson: My first WisCon was right after Clarion, and I did Clarion in ‘95, so it was probably a few years before. Mary Anne Mohanraj: A little before, then. Nalo Hopkinson: I think I knew who you were before then.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Riverside UC Riverside Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title The Race of Machines: A Prehistory of the Posthuman Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/90d94068 Author Evans, Taylor Scott Publication Date 2018 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ 4.0 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE The Race of Machines: A Prehistory of the Posthuman A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English by Taylor Scott Evans December 2018 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Sherryl Vint, Chairperson Dr. Mark Minch-de Leon Mr. John Jennings, MFA Copyright by Taylor Scott Evans 2018 The Dissertation of Taylor Scott Evans is approved: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside Acknowledgments Whenever I was struck with a particularly bad case of “You Should Be Writing,” I would imagine the acknowledgements section as a kind of sweet reward, a place where I can finally thank all the people who made every part of this project possible. Then I tried to write it. Turns out this isn’t a reward so much as my own personal Good Place torture, full of desire to acknowledge and yet bereft of the words to do justice to the task. Pride of place must go to Sherryl Vint, the committee member who lived, as it were. She has stuck through this project from the very beginning as other members came and went, providing invaluable feedback, advice, and provocation in ways it is impossible to cite or fully understand.
    [Show full text]
  • “There's No Fiction Like Science Fiction”
    THE CHRONOCAR An Urban Adventure In Time by Steve Bellinger Publication Date: September 3, 2019 In the turn of the 20th Century, a genius son of a Trade Paperback (2nd ed.) slave discovers the secret of time travel and ISBN‐10: 1690827912 designs a time machine that he cannot build. 125 ISBN‐13: 978‐1690827917 years later, an African American college student in Retail Price: $12.99 USD Chicago finds the plans for the time machine and travels to the year 1919 where he meets the Binding: 6 x 9 in. Paperback inventor and his beautiful daughter. Page count: 129 Also available: Kindle ebook But he has chosen an unfortunate time and gets and Audiobook caught up in the bloodiest race riot in Chicago's Publisher: Wordwooze Publishing history. Contact Steve Bellinger www.SteveBellinger.com www.BellingerBooks.com 2018 Best Indie Book Award, Science Fiction [email protected] 2019 Independent Authors Outstanding (312) 880‐9014 Science Fiction Award 2019 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal, Young Adult Science Fiction “An inherently engaging and entertaining read from beginning to end, The Chronocar showcases author Steve Bellinger's genuine flair for originality and narrative driven storytelling.” ‐‐Midwest Book Review “…the most innovative take on time travel that I have ever read.” ‐‐The Black Science Fiction Society Steve Bellinger was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago by a single mom who worked nights for a printing company. She would bring home books and magazines to encourage her kids to read. This is how Steve discovered Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke and the other masters of classic science fiction.
    [Show full text]
  • The Strong Binti in Nnedi Okorafor's African American Science Fiction
    Revue de Traduction & Langues Volume 19 Numéro 2/2020, pp.290-304 مجلة الترجمة واللغات Journal of Translation & Languages ISSN (Print): 1112-3974 EISSN (Online): 2600-6235 The Strong Binti in Nnedi Okorafor’s African American Science Fiction Djeddai Imen M’Hamed Bougara University - Boumerdes, Algeria [email protected] Dr. Benabed Fella Badji Mokhtar University - Annaba, Algeria [email protected] Received: 14/07/2019; Accepted: 06/11/2020, Published: 31/12/2020 Abstract: By looking carefully at the history of science fiction, we can notice that African American authors have been excluded from the scene for a long time due to the “whiteness” of the genre in terms of writing and publication. In addition to racism, sexism persists in the science fiction community. Hence, marginalized black women writers of science fiction try to include more black women characters in their literary works. Through Binti, Binti: Home, and Binti: The Night Masquerade, Nnedi Okorafor focuses on the experience of being black and woman in a technological society of the future. This study discusses how Okorafor provides sharp comments on the lives of black women in America in terms of “race” and “gender.” She challenges the stereotypical image of the black woman as “other” through the subversion of white norms and traditions. In this analysis, we use “Afrofuturism” and “black feminism” as a theoretical framework since “Afrofuturism” tackles African American issues related to twentieth-century technoculture, and “black feminism” deals with black women empowerment. The major character, Binti, proves that she deserves to reach a higher position as an empowered girl of the future, which gives her self-confidence to be autonomous and to have control over her own life.
    [Show full text]
  • Octavia Butler's Maternal Cyborgs
    Centre for Arts, Humanities and Sciences (CAHS), acting on behalf of the University of Debrecen CAHS OCTAVIA BUTLER'S MATERNAL CYBORGS: THE BLACK FEMALE WORLD OF THE XENOGENESIS TRILOGY Author(s): Éva Federmayer Source: Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies (HJEAS), Vol. 6, No. 1, SCIENCE FICTION ISSUE (2000 Spring), pp. 103-118 Published by: Centre for Arts, Humanities and Sciences (CAHS), acting on behalf of the University of Debrecen CAHS Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41274076 Accessed: 09-04-2018 20:06 UTC JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms Centre for Arts, Humanities and Sciences (CAHS), acting on behalf of the University of Debrecen CAHS is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Hungarian Journal of English and American Studies (HJEAS) This content downloaded from 130.108.169.119 on Mon, 09 Apr 2018 20:06:19 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms OCTAVIA BUTLER'S MATERNAL CYBORGS: THE BLACK FEMALE WORLD OF THE XENOGENESIS TRILOGY ✓ £,wx *pcd&u*uUf&i Since its pulp origins, American science fiction has been generally assumed to be a white and masculine domain with regards to its thematics and readership.
    [Show full text]
  • Variable Otherness in Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis
    Linköping University | Department of Culture & Society | English Linköpings universitet | Institutionen för kultur och samhälle | Engelska Bachelor’s Thesis 15 credits C uppsats 15 hp Spring Term 2020 Vår 2020 Variable Otherness in Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis Olika Former av ”Otherness”i Octavia Butlers Xenogenesis James Campbell Supervisor/Handledare: Lars Liljegren Examiner/Examinator: Anna Watz Linköping University Linköpings universitet SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden 013-28 10 00, www.liu.se Contents Introduction ......................................................................................... 3 Science Fiction, Xenogenesis, and a Background to Otherness ................. 4 Chapter 1—Alien Otherness ................................................................. 7 Chapter 2 – Racial Otherness/Colonialism ............................................. 8 Chapter 3 – The Otherness of Queer Theory......................................... 12 Chapter 4 – The Importance of a Shared Habitus .................................. 14 Chapter 5 – Celebrating Otherness ...................................................... 16 Conclusion ........................................................................................ 21 References......................................................................................... 22 2 Introduction In modern literary theory, one concept that is often investigated is the concept of otherness. This concept, which has incurred many different interpretations and definitions over the years, is intrinsically
    [Show full text]
  • Overview of Afrofuturism WRITTEN by TANANARIVE DUE ARTWORK by NIKKOLAS SMITH
    Overview of AfroFuturism WRITTEN BY TANANARIVE DUE ARTWORK BY NIKKOLAS SMITH A. What is Afrofuturism? Why does it matter? Afrofuturism is the science fiction and fantasy of the African Diaspora: comics, futurism, myths, magical realism, horror. Whether it’s stories imagining African deities or Shuri as a technological genius in Black Panther, Afrofuturism expands our vision of ourselves: past, present and future. Like Black Panther, Afrofuturistic works often blend the traditional with the futuristic. Afrofuturism--also known as the Black Speculative Arts Movement--exists in films, literature, comics, visual arts or music. In music, Afrofuturism breaks barriers: fusion stylings and groundbreaking music in the works of musical artists like Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Janelle Monae, George Clinton and Beyoncé. Afrofuturism shows us people of African descent at the heart of the future and worlds of magic. Writers like Nnedi Okorafor, N.K. Jemisin, Nalo Hopkinson, Samuel R. Delany, and the late Octavia E. Butler create convincing worlds that point out flaws in our own world -- and help steer us toward building a better tomorrow. Afrofuturism is important because it inspires CHANGE: Afrofuturistic artists showcase omissions and injustice. Like in Black Panther, Afrofuturism helps artists use pure imagination to highlight real-world problems and inspire solutions. As Octavia E. Butler wrote: “All that you Touch, you Change.” B. What is the difference between science fiction and Afrofuturism? Or is there no difference? Traditional science fiction is storytelling about the application or discovery of scientific principles, discoveries, or perspectives. Often stated as “what if” (“what if robots ran the world?”), “if only” (“if only Lincoln hadn’t been assassinated”) and “If this goes on” (“if populations continue to increase, we’ll run out of food.”).
    [Show full text]