New reference book: Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Liz Henry of Feminist SF – The Blog! has cool photos of an interesting new reference book to which she and Laura Quilter contributed: Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by Robin Anne Reid (Greenwood Press, December 2008, 2 Vols.). Here’s a description of the work, taken from the website of Greenwood Press:

"Students and general readers love science fiction and fantasy. And science fiction and fantasy works increasingly explore gender issues, feature women as central characters, and are written by women writers. Older works demonstrate attitudes toward women in times past, while more recent works grapple with contemporary social issues. This book helps students use science fiction and fantasy to understand the contributions of women writers, the representation of women in the media, and the experiences of women in society.

The set covers a wide range of media and genres, including fiction, nonfiction, film, television, music, graphic novels, comics, and art. The first volume offers survey essays on topics essential to women in science fiction and fantasy, including: Art and Illustrations, Arthurian Fantasy, Cloning, Fandom, Feminist Spirituality, Gaming, Girls and the Fantastic, Intersections of Class and Gender, Men Writing Women, Science Fiction Novels and Short Fiction, 1900-1960, Sexual Identities, Women's Writing Groups.

The second [volume] offers alphabetically arranged short entries on more specific subjects, such as Amazons, Margaret Atwood, Children's and Young Adult Literature, China, Arthur C. Clarke, Nicola Griffith, Hindu Mythology, Magical Realism, Toni Morrison, Neurodiversity, Quest Fantasy, Utopias, Vampires."

Since Women in Science Fiction and Fantasy is a reference work, it's expensive: $250. Here's the link to Amazon, where you might find pre-owned copies in the near future.