Early Science Fiction and women

[miriam_e]

I'm often surprised how much early science fiction was written by women. It seems to have been made-over into a male domain until fairly recently when a number of women have reclaimed some of the genre. (Some of my favorites are James [Alice Sheldon] Tiptree Jr, Kate Wilhelm, Ursula Le Guin, Melissa Scott.)

What is arguably the most famous science fiction story of all time was written by Mary Shelley: Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus (most people today would know it as Frankenstein's Monster, though of course the 'monster' was a victim of prejudice and was, like Mary Shelley herself, a vegetarian -- in the story the 'normal' people were the actual monsters). You can download it (for free) from Project Gutenberg at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/84

She also wrote another science fiction novel, The Last Man Likewise available from Project Gutenberg at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/18247

There is also a strange little short story by her called The Invisible Girl at Project Gutenberg Australia http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0603151h.html

And another short story The Mortal Immortal http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0602391h.html

Louisa May Alcott, best known for Little Women, also wrote a short story Lost in a Pyramid, or the Mummy's Curse, which is at Project Gutenberg Australia http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0603041h.html
Another short story by her, Perilous Play http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0603031h.html is about a drug-induced fantastic voyage.