C.W. Sullivan III

Donald E. Palumbo

Melanie A. Marotta

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.

Essays on Female Characters in the 21st Century Science Fiction Western

Women's Space

Mur Lafferty

Jamie Mason

Natania Barron

Holly Schofield

Patrice Sarath

Julie C. Day

Jennifer Brozek

Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam

Wendy Wagner

Karen Bovenmyer

Marie Vibbert

Katie Cord

Caroline Cormack

E. N. Auslender

Monica Joyce Evans

Future Crime Stories

The Way of the Laser

In the wake of the second wave of the Black Lives Matter movement, inequalities and disparities were brought to light across the publishing industry. The need for more diverse, representative young adult literature gained new traction, resulting in an influx of young adult speculative fiction featuring African American young women. While the #BlackGirlMagic movement inspired a wave of positive African American female heroes in young adult fiction, it is still important to acknowledge the history and legacy of enslavement in America and their impact on literature. Many of the depictions of young Black women in contemporary speculative fiction still rely on stereotypical representations rooted in American enslavement. African American Adolescent Female Heroes: The Twenty-First-Century Young Adult Neo-Slave Narrative investigates the application of the neo-slave narrative structure to the twenty-first-century young adult text. Author Melanie A. Marotta examines texts featuring a female, adolescent protagonist of color, including Orleans, Tankborn, The Book of Phoenix, Binti, and The Black God’s Drums, as well as series like the Devil’s Wake series, Octavia E. Butler’s Parable series, and the Dread Nation series. Taken together, these chapters seek to analyze whether the roles for adolescent female characters of color are changing or whether they remain re-creations of traditional slave narrative roles. Further, the chapters explore if trauma, healing, and activism are enacted in this genre.

The Twenty-First-Century Young Adult Neo-Slave Narrative

African American Adolescent Female Heroes

Melanie A. Marotta

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