Disability in Science Fiction

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-vii

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2. Introduction

   1. Introduction

      • Kathryn Allan

      Pages 1-15

3. Theorizing Disability in Science Fiction

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 17-17

      PDF

   2. Tools to Help You Think

      • Joanne Woiak, Hioni Karamanos

      Pages 19-33

   3. Freaks and Extraordinary Bodies

      • Ria Cheyne

      Pages 35-46

   4. The Many Voices of Charlie Gordon

      • Howard Sklar

      Pages 47-59

   5. The Metamorphic Body in Science Fiction

      • António Fernando Cascais

      Pages 61-72

4. Human Boundaries and Prosthetic Bodies

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 73-73

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   2. Prosthetic Bodies

      • Netty Mattar

      Pages 75-87

   3. The Bionic Woman

      • Donna Binns

      Pages 89-101

   4. Star Wars, Limb Loss, and What It Means to Be Human

      • Ralph Covino

      Pages 103-113

   5. Animal and Alien Bodies as Prostheses

      • Leigha McReynolds

      Pages 115-127

5. Cure Narratives for the (Post)human Future

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 129-129

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   2. “Great Clumsy Dinosaurs”

      • Brent Walter Cline

      Pages 131-142

   3. Disabled Hero, Sick Society

      • Robert W. Cape Jr.

      Pages 143-151

   4. “Everything Is Always Changing”

      • Christy Tidwell

      Pages 153-168

   5. Life without Hope?

      • Gerry Canavan

      Pages 169-187

6. Back Matter

   Pages 189-217

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In this groundbreaking collection, twelve international scholars – with backgrounds in disability studies, English and world literature, classics, and history – discuss the representation of dis/ability, medical "cures," technology, and the body in science fiction.

• body
• corpus
• English
• English literature
• fiction
• future
• history
• history of literature
• literature
• science
• Science Fiction
• Sophocles
• utopia
• world literature
• writing

“The essays in this collection provide insight for any reader interested in the spectrum of disability and the relationship between identity and the body. … The collection provides not only new and insightful ways of looking at disability, but also a helpful language through which to talk about it.” (Laura R. Kremmel, The Journal of the Fantastic in the Art, Vol. 29 (3), 2018)

“Disability in Science Fiction, an edited collection of twelve essays, focuses on the use of technology as cure for disability in science fiction. … This collection encourages us to think more creatively about disability and technologies, and challenges the reader to realize the future potential for the disabled body.” (Coreen McGuire, H-Disabilities, networks.h-net.org, July, 2017)

“This collection of essays undertakes the valuable task of placing science fiction texts … in dialogue with disability studies (DS). … Disability in Science Fiction is a groundbreaking text, offering an exciting and rigorous introduction to the mobilization of CDS alongside science fiction.” (Kayte Stokoe, Foundation, 2016)

"Disability in Science Fiction is an unusual collection of academic articles: it combines interesting scholarship with an remarkable degree of accessibility to the general reader . . . It is a very thought-provoking collection, and one I'm glad to have read." - Liz Bourke, Tor.com

"An anthology of thought-provoking essays . . . Disability in Science Fiction develops an innovative method to highlight how SF deals with disability as a fundamental part of identity." - Science Fiction Research Association

"Disability in Science Fiction seems to present a selection of possibilities rather than an overarching argument (a sort of critical buffet) - though these possibilities can feed off each other in exciting ways. Other works and collections will hopefully build on some of what is here; Allan's collection is a good beginning." - Strange Horizons

"It is hard to say enough good about Disability in Science Fiction. It is, quite simply, the single best resource for those interested in the intersection of SF and disability. Not only does it provide seed stock for future research in disability studies, but in the rich example of nexuses between disability and SF that it provides, it makes the case that no course in science fiction literature can afford to ignore a discussion of disability . . . While it may not be true that every reader is a science fiction fan, it would take someone with a great poverty of imagination to come away from Disability in Science Fiction without becoming excited by some idea it sparked." - Michael Northen, Editor of Wordgathering

"This is the first volume to recognize the link between science fiction and disability studies in doing the important work of concrete speculation about our embodiment. It opens an important conversation about the vital role of science fiction in disability studies." - Joan Gordon, editor of Science Fiction Studies and Humanimalia

Kathryn Allan, Independent Scholar Donna Binns, Eastern Illinois University, USA. Robert W. Cape, Jr., Austin College, USA. Gerry Canavan, Marquette University, USA. António Fernando Cascais, New University of Lisbon, Portugal Ria Cheyne, Liverpool Hope University, UK. Brent Walter Cline, Spring Arbor University, USA. Ralph Covino, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA. Hioni Karamanos, Independent Scholar Netty Matar, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Leigha McReynolds, The George Washington University, USA. Howard Sklar, University of Helsinki, Finland. Christy Tidwell, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, USA. Joanne Woiak, University of Washington, USA.

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