Book Vloggin’ with Jan: Women of Science Fiction

“Good science fiction holds a mirror up to humanity and speculates on our evolution. Good science fiction, like good fiction, reveals who we are and who we can become.”

Each month, Jan, one of our intrepid booksellers, picks a different topic and tells us about her must-read books in that genre. This month she’s vloggin’ about the Women of Science Fiction.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

“Butler’s story is complexly and delicately crafted to create a sympathetic character–sympathy itself, in fact–in a harsh world. When asked how she imagined this horrific near-future Earth, she said she just looked at our current issues and took them to their logical extreme–a phrase that is striking in its ambivalence but profound in its truth.”

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

“The Left Hand of Darkness is widely considered to be part of many subgeneres, including feminist science fiction, speculative fiction, and “soft” science fiction (based on the “soft” or social sciences). It won both Hugo and Nebula awards, and Le Guin is one of those talents that holds a mirror to our own world.”

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

“Who do we have to thank for the literary genre known as science fiction genre? None other than a bored teenage girl trying to impress her future husband–who she stole… from another woman….that he was married to…”

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If you enjoyed this vlog, be sure to check out Jan’s previous Adventures in Vloggin’. (Seriously, she’s good at this; funny, knowledgeable, well-read and incredibly good with video editing software.)