Sci Fi for girls?!

Navigating stereotypes

I once had a male literary agent ask me why, as a woman, I was writing science fiction. This was during a pitch session (a nerve-racking exchange in which a writer has mere minutes to hook an agent for their beloved book baby). I was so taken aback by both the question and the condescension that my mind blanked. I nearly blurted, “Princess Leia, of course!” before I recovered my wits and stumbled through an explanation of how sci-fi provides an ideal vehicle to thematically explore real world issues.

It was an honest answer, yet the core truth for me is far simpler. If asked that question today, I wouldn’t stutter. I would tick off a list of the visionary women who inspired me: Lois MacMaster Bujold, Julie Czerneda, Anne McCafferty, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Joan Vinge. Lastly, I’d drill it home with Mary Shelly, author of Frankenstein and arguably the mother of science fiction.

After that pitch session, I felt both angry and deflated. Today, I wouldn’t be rattled because I understand the agent’s question revealed more about him than any answer could reveal about me.

As I prepare to launch my debut novel, I feel all the typical terrors of putting my work out in the world, but I’m grounded by a strong sense of gratitude for the women who inspired me to write. However my book is received, I’m proud to walk the path they paved.

I believe more women and girls are reading and writing science fiction than ever. Here’s hoping that stereotypes finally catch up with that reality.