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Women of Wonder
Women of Wonder: The Contemporary Years, Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s
Women of Wonder: The Contemporary Years ... Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s — A companion volume to 'The Classic Years', dispelling the notion that women don't write "real" science fiction, showcasing recent science fiction by women. Here are Octavia E. Butler, Pat Cadigan, Angela Carter, Nancy Kress, and Connie Willis, among others.
Contents:
Introduction and Bibliography by the Editor.
Cassandra / C.J. Cherryh;
The Thaw / Tanith Lee;
Scorched Supper on New Niger / Suzy McKee Charnas;
Abominable / Carol Emshwiller;
Bluewater Dreams / Sydney J. Van Scyoc;
The Cabinet of Edgar Allan Poe / Angela Carter;
The Harvest of Wolves / Mary Gentle;
Bloodchild / Octavia E. Butler;
Fears / Pamela Sargent;
Webrider / Jayge Carr;
Alexia and Graham Bell / Rosaleen Love;
Reichs-Peace / Sheila Finch;
Angel / Pat Cadigan;
Rachel in Love / Pat Murphy;
Game Night at the Fox and Goose / Karen Joy Fowler;
Tiny Tango / Judith Moffett;
At the Rialto / Connie Willis;
Midnight News / Lisa Goldstein;
And Wild For To Hold / Nancy Kress;
Immaculate / Storm Constantine;
Farming in Virginia / Rebecca Ore.
Contents:
Introduction and Bibliography by the Editor.
Cassandra / C.J. Cherryh;
The Thaw / Tanith Lee;
Scorched Supper on New Niger / Suzy McKee Charnas;
Abominable / Carol Emshwiller;
Bluewater Dreams / Sydney J. Van Scyoc;
The Cabinet of Edgar Allan Poe / Angela Carter;
The Harvest of Wolves / Mary Gentle;
Bloodchild / Octavia E. Butler;
Fears / Pamela Sargent;
Webrider / Jayge Carr;
Alexia and Graham Bell / Rosaleen Love;
Reichs-Peace / Sheila Finch;
Angel / Pat Cadigan;
Rachel in Love / Pat Murphy;
Game Night at the Fox and Goose / Karen Joy Fowler;
Tiny Tango / Judith Moffett;
At the Rialto / Connie Willis;
Midnight News / Lisa Goldstein;
And Wild For To Hold / Nancy Kress;
Immaculate / Storm Constantine;
Farming in Virginia / Rebecca Ore.
420 pages, Paperback
First published July 5, 1995
6 people are currently reading
749 people want to read
About the author
Pamela Sargent
162 books209 followersPamela Sargent has won the Nebula Award, the Locus Award, and has been a finalist for the Hugo Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, and the Sidewise Award for alternate history. In 2012, she was honored with the Pilgrim Award by the Science Fiction Research Association for lifetime achievement in science fiction scholarship. She is the author of the novels Cloned Lives, The Sudden Star, Watchstar, The Golden Space, The Alien Upstairs, Eye of the Comet, Homesmind, Alien Child, The Shore of Women, Venus of Dreams, Venus of Shadows, Child of Venus, Climb the Wind, and Ruler of the Sky. Her most recent short story collection is Thumbprints, published by Golden Gryphon Press, with an introduction by James Morrow. The Washington Post Book World has called her “one of the genre's best writers.”
In the 1970s, she edited the Women of Wonder series, the first collections of science fiction by women; her other anthologies include Bio-Futures and, with British writer Ian Watson as co-editor, Afterlives. Two anthologies, Women of Wonder, The Classic Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1940s to the 1970s and Women of Wonder, The Contemporary Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s, were published by Harcourt Brace in 1995; Publishers Weekly called these two books “essential reading for any serious sf fan.” Her most recent anthology is Conqueror Fantastic, out from DAW Books in 2004. Tor Books reissued her 1983 young adult novel Earthseed, selected as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and a sequel, Farseed, in early 2007. A third volume, Seed Seeker, was published in November of 2010 by Tor. Earthseed has been optioned by Paramount Pictures, with Melissa Rosenberg, scriptwriter for all of the Twilight films, writing the script and producing through her Tall Girls Productions.
A collection, Puss in D.C. and Other Stories, is out; her novel Season of the Cats is out in hardcover and will be available in paperback from Wildside Press. The Shore of Women has been optioned for development as a TV series by Super Deluxe Films, part of Turner Broadcasting.
Pamela Sargent lives in Albany, New York.
In the 1970s, she edited the Women of Wonder series, the first collections of science fiction by women; her other anthologies include Bio-Futures and, with British writer Ian Watson as co-editor, Afterlives. Two anthologies, Women of Wonder, The Classic Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1940s to the 1970s and Women of Wonder, The Contemporary Years: Science Fiction by Women from the 1970s to the 1990s, were published by Harcourt Brace in 1995; Publishers Weekly called these two books “essential reading for any serious sf fan.” Her most recent anthology is Conqueror Fantastic, out from DAW Books in 2004. Tor Books reissued her 1983 young adult novel Earthseed, selected as a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association, and a sequel, Farseed, in early 2007. A third volume, Seed Seeker, was published in November of 2010 by Tor. Earthseed has been optioned by Paramount Pictures, with Melissa Rosenberg, scriptwriter for all of the Twilight films, writing the script and producing through her Tall Girls Productions.
A collection, Puss in D.C. and Other Stories, is out; her novel Season of the Cats is out in hardcover and will be available in paperback from Wildside Press. The Shore of Women has been optioned for development as a TV series by Super Deluxe Films, part of Turner Broadcasting.
Pamela Sargent lives in Albany, New York.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 14, 2009
Pamela Sargent has been compiling short science fiction collections by women for 25 years; she knows the sub-genre really well and manages to mine out the "headier" authors who often get pushed aside for pulp sci-fi. The collection is a great way to discover new authors and, as always, Sargent includes historical context by way of her introduction, and an annotated list of works by the authors in the back, making this an invaluable reference. I would recommend any of her collections, all titled Women of Wonder--she has a classic version of this one, a novella collection, etc. Unfortunately though, her own stories included here can be the weakest.
July 18, 2008
science fiction offers me space and intellectual exercise to temporarily free myself from any social assumptions.
"the myths of science fiction run along the lines of exploring a new world conceptually (not necessarily physically), creating needed physical or social machinery, assessing the consequences of technological or other changes, and so on. These are not stories about men qua Man and women qua Woman; they are myths of human intelligence and human adaptability. They are not only ignore gender roles but - at least theoretically - are not culture-bound. Some of the most fascinating characters in science fiction are not human." --- Joanna Russ
"the myths of science fiction run along the lines of exploring a new world conceptually (not necessarily physically), creating needed physical or social machinery, assessing the consequences of technological or other changes, and so on. These are not stories about men qua Man and women qua Woman; they are myths of human intelligence and human adaptability. They are not only ignore gender roles but - at least theoretically - are not culture-bound. Some of the most fascinating characters in science fiction are not human." --- Joanna Russ
September 5, 2011
A fantastic sampler of stories by fabulous women writers including an introduction to each author and a recommended reading list. This anthology won't save you, however.
It has "BloodChild," by Octavia Butler, but you'll still need BloodChild: and Other Stories, for the other stories and Butler's commentary. It has "Game Night at the Fox and Goose," but you'll want Karen Joy Fowler's anthology What I Didn't See, where every story reels you in. It has "Scorched Supper on New Niger," by Suzy McKee Charnas, but you'll want Stagestruck Vampires, the anthology of her fabulous fantasy works. It has "Abomidable," but can you live without The Collected Stories of Carol Emshwiller? There's a story by Angela Carter, but you'll want Bloody Chambers and possibly Saints and Strangers, too. You'll probably also want the anthology Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century edited by Justine Larbalestier which, in addition to Pat Murphy's "Rachel in Love" collected here, also has Pamela Zoline's "Heat Death of the Universe." After reading "Tiny Tango," you'll want to read Judith Moffett's novel The Ragged World.
Notable here are Jayge Carr's "Webrider," and Pat Cadigan's "Angel."
This anthology won't sate you or necessarily introduce you to each author's most compelling work, but it does spark thought. The stories each explore a particularly feminist line of speculation.
What if:
• the fate of the world rested on a discarded old woman? Lisa Goldstein's "Midnight News"
• women and men lived apart? Emshwiller's "Abdomidable"
• people chose only to have male babies until women were an extremely scare resource? Pamela Sargent's "Fear"
The ideas may be ones you've considered before, but it is remarkable how a science fiction short story can tighten the focus on an issue, magnify and bright it to light, and make a searing impression.
It has "BloodChild," by Octavia Butler, but you'll still need BloodChild: and Other Stories, for the other stories and Butler's commentary. It has "Game Night at the Fox and Goose," but you'll want Karen Joy Fowler's anthology What I Didn't See, where every story reels you in. It has "Scorched Supper on New Niger," by Suzy McKee Charnas, but you'll want Stagestruck Vampires, the anthology of her fabulous fantasy works. It has "Abomidable," but can you live without The Collected Stories of Carol Emshwiller? There's a story by Angela Carter, but you'll want Bloody Chambers and possibly Saints and Strangers, too. You'll probably also want the anthology Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century edited by Justine Larbalestier which, in addition to Pat Murphy's "Rachel in Love" collected here, also has Pamela Zoline's "Heat Death of the Universe." After reading "Tiny Tango," you'll want to read Judith Moffett's novel The Ragged World.
Notable here are Jayge Carr's "Webrider," and Pat Cadigan's "Angel."
This anthology won't sate you or necessarily introduce you to each author's most compelling work, but it does spark thought. The stories each explore a particularly feminist line of speculation.
What if:
• the fate of the world rested on a discarded old woman? Lisa Goldstein's "Midnight News"
• women and men lived apart? Emshwiller's "Abdomidable"
• people chose only to have male babies until women were an extremely scare resource? Pamela Sargent's "Fear"
The ideas may be ones you've considered before, but it is remarkable how a science fiction short story can tighten the focus on an issue, magnify and bright it to light, and make a searing impression.
February 2, 2015
Like most anthologies there were some great stories (Cassandra - C.J. Cherryh, And Wild for to Hold - Nancy Kress). some less than stellar (Abominable - Carol Emshwiller, At the Rialto - Connie Willis) and a load of middle of the road stories.
November 4, 2012
Lots of great stories, interesting & new ideas I haven't read in other scifi before. Definitely worth a read if you like scifi - you may not otherwise encounter these authors.
March 15, 2015
The tradition continues. Another wonderful anthology of top-shelf scifi.
April 2, 2015
A quite satisfying wide-ranging collection. Some truly brilliant gems in here. Altogether it was lots of fun!
March 28, 2023
I started reading SF in 1964. I have read, I think, everything by Andre Norton and most of McCaffrey, and quite a lot of Le Guin and MZBradley. I found this collection rather dark. I have ophidiophobia, so I had difficulty reading the last story.
This is probably a good read, for folks new to SF.
This is probably a good read, for folks new to SF.
December 30, 2017
Having read the original Women of Wonder when it first came out in the early 70s, it was quite fun to read this anthology so many years later. Some great stories, many very good ones and I think there was only one I didn't like at all.
April 7, 2019
You know, like right, it's an anthology. So not every story is a hit. But a lot of them are.
May 6, 2020
An impressive variety of stories. Personal favorites were: "And wild for to hold," "Cassandra," and "Scorched supper on New Niger."
March 8, 2023
I did like many of the stories, I did skip 2 or 3 but I think this is a collection that is well worth of listen/read even today...
April 8, 2023
An excellent collection!
February 2, 2019
080817: well it is contemporary of its time, now the most recent is 24 years old. but this is to differentiate the stories here from the golden age sff anthology of the same name, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5.... have only previously read a few, but interesting that this publication/anthology is the most recent i have found that is feminist sf. on the other, i have not kept up with how sff is going these days, except by the strange horizons website...
i understand there continues to be a masculinist prejudice, has even been a fervent attack on the diversification, in gender, race, class, that seems to threaten some men. who have managed to believe their favourites, hard science, military, are not gendered. i do not know what else to do but search out and read sff which is aware of its typical discourse and so critically examines this in fictional form. as a collection there are some very good, some less. protagonists and plots slightly different. feminist? i guess so though as mentioned have not read much to know...
i understand there continues to be a masculinist prejudice, has even been a fervent attack on the diversification, in gender, race, class, that seems to threaten some men. who have managed to believe their favourites, hard science, military, are not gendered. i do not know what else to do but search out and read sff which is aware of its typical discourse and so critically examines this in fictional form. as a collection there are some very good, some less. protagonists and plots slightly different. feminist? i guess so though as mentioned have not read much to know...
August 30, 2012
Most excellent colection of stories! OK, one real dud, but overall a wonderful collection!
Wait... I didn't read the essays! As a reader Science Fiction is so dominated by men that I've always tried to find and buy books by women just to get variety, this book being one example. While not all women authors appeal to me, just as not all male authors appeal to me, this book is a great introduction to a wonderful variety of woman authors who weave great stories!
Wait... I didn't read the essays! As a reader Science Fiction is so dominated by men that I've always tried to find and buy books by women just to get variety, this book being one example. While not all women authors appeal to me, just as not all male authors appeal to me, this book is a great introduction to a wonderful variety of woman authors who weave great stories!
February 21, 2026
Most excellent colection of stories! OK, one real dud, but overall a wonderful collection!
Wait... I didn't read the essays! As a reader Science Fiction is so dominated by men that I've always tried to find and buy books by women just to get variety, this book being one example. While not all women authors appeal to me, just as not all male authors appeal to me, this book is a great introduction to a wonderful variety of woman authors who weave great stories!
Wait... I didn't read the essays! As a reader Science Fiction is so dominated by men that I've always tried to find and buy books by women just to get variety, this book being one example. While not all women authors appeal to me, just as not all male authors appeal to me, this book is a great introduction to a wonderful variety of woman authors who weave great stories!
January 16, 2015
The stories were simply okay but I didn't like the layout of the book. Missed the author information pushed way to the end so I didn't get a chance to learn anything about any of the writers. The editors story was included and was pretty lackluster, making the book feel like an excuse to publish her own work.
March 21, 2016
As with the earlier volume, this is something of a hodge-podge, with many good stories but some odd selections, and some highly dubious ones given the SF focus; at least some are by no reasonable definition SF.
August 10, 2011
Looking forward to this.
August 11, 2009
Lots of interesting reading here!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews