Sisters of Tomorrow: The First Woman of Science Fiction reminds me of the fine movie, Hidden Figures. Women were involved in Science Fiction from the beginning and Sisters of Tomorrow presents plenty of examples of short stories, poems, journalism, editorial content, and artwork that women produced from the early decades of the 1920s to the 1950s. Lisa Yaszek and Patrick B. Sharp provide supporting information on these women to put their efforts into context of their times. The untold stories of women’s impact on the new genre of Science Fiction engaged me. The only SF story in this collection that I’d read previously was C. L. Moore’s classic “Shambleau.” If you’re interested in Science Fiction history and the story of women’s role in it, Sisters of Tomorrow does a remarkable job of enlightening readers. I also really like the cover artwork by Milton Luros that first appeared on the cover of the November 1950 issue of Future 2.4. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: New Work for New Women
• 1. AUTHORS
• Clare Winger Harris—“The Evolutionary Monstrosity” (1929)
• Leslie F. Stone—“Out of the Void” (1929)
• Lilith Lorraine—“Into the 28th Century” (1930)
• L. Taylor Hansen—“The Man from Space” (1930)
• C. L. Moore—“Shambleau” (1933)
• Dorothy Gertrude Quick—“Strange Orchids” (1937)
• Amelia Reynolds Long—“Reverse Phylogeny” (1937)
• Leslie Perri—“Space Episode” (1941)
• Dorothy Louise Les Tina—“When You Think That . . . Smile!” (1943)
• 2. POETS
• JULIA BOYNTON GREEN
• “The Night Express” (1931)
• “Evolution” (1931)
• “Radio Revelations” (1932)
• VIRGINIA KIDD
• “Untitled” (1933)
• LEAH BODINE DRAKE
• “They Run Again” (1939)
• “The Wood-Wife” (1942)
• “Sea-Shell” (1943)
• TIGRINA
• “Defiance” (1945)
• “Affinity” (1945)
• LILITH LORRAINE
• “Earthlight on the Moon” (1941)
• “The Acolytes” (1946)
• “Men Keep Strange Trysts” (1946)
• 3. JOURNALISTS
• ELLEN REED, FRAN MILES, HENRIETTA BROWN, LYNN STANDISH, AND LAURA MOORE WRIGHT
• Ellen Reed, “Natural Ink” (1942)
• Fran Miles, “Oil for Bombing” (1944)
• Henrietta Brown, “Marine Engineering in the Insect World” (1945)
• Lynn Standish, “The Battle of the Sexes” (1943)
• Lynn Standish, “Scientific Oddities” (1945)
• Laura Moore Wright, “Sunlight” (1946)
• L. TAYLOR HANSEN
• “Scientific Mysteries: The White Race—Does It Exist?” (1942)
• “Scientific Mysteries: Footprints of the Dragon” (1944)
• H. Malamud, I. Berkman, and H. Rogovin, “A Protest” (1943)
• L. Taylor Hansen, “L. Taylor Hansen Defends Himself” (1943)
• 4. EDITORS
• MARY GNAEDINGER
• “Editorial Note” (1939)
• “The Editor’s Page” (1940)
• “The Editor’s Page” (1943)
• DOROTHY STEVENS MCILWRAITH
• “The Eyrie” (1940)
• “The Eyrie” (1940)
• “The Eyrie” (1941)
• LILITH LORRAINE
• “Cracks—Wise and Otherwise” (1943)
• “Training for World Citizenship” (1946)
• “The Story of Different” (1950)
• 5. ARTISTS
• Olivette Bourgeois
• Lucille Webster Holling
• Margaret Johnson Brundage
• Dorothy Louise Les Tina
• Dolly Rackley Donnell
• Conclusion: Challenging the Narrative, Or, Women Take Back Science Fiction—Kathleen Ann Goonan
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
