The history of SCI-FI owes a debt of gratitude to Trailblazing Women — who have left an indelible mark on the genre, challenging stereotypes and pushing boundaries — stretching back to the 19th century.
FEMALE AUTHORS
Despite facing great obstacles, Female Authors have proved to be a huge creative force in SCI-FI.
Mary Shelley (Frankenstein, 1818) — written at the age of 18, this classic tale introduces some of the most popular SCI-FI archetypes, such as the “mad scientist” and the “creature”.
Anne McCaffrey (The White Dragon, 1978) — one of the first Science Fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list. She was also the first woman to win the Hugo and Nebula awards. Best known for her long-running Dragonriders of Pern series.
Octavia E. Butler (Kindred, 1979) — the first African-American woman to gain prominence as a major SCI-FI writer, she transcended the genre conventions by addressing racial injustice, women’s rights, and political issues. She once said, “I began writing about power because I had so little.”
STAR TREK
Star Trek has a rich history of empowering Women, both on-screen and behind the scenes.
D.C. Fontana: Episode: “Journey to Babel” (1967)
In this pivotal episode, Fontana introduced Spock’s parents and delved into Vulcan culture. She wrote 11 episodes of TOS, creating several classic Alien species in the process including the Andorians. The first woman to have a producer credit for any of the Trek series, Fontana continued to be involved through the first season of TNG, as associate producer for 12 episodes.
Jean Lisette Aroeste: Episode: “Is There No Truth in Beauty?” (1968)
A librarian without any connections to the industry, she decided to try her hand at writing an episode of Star Trek (and the studio actually bought it!) It beautifully encapsulates Vulcan philosophy: “Infinite diversity in infinite combinations.” — emphasizing the beauty of diversity.
Nichelle Nichols — hailed all frequencies as Lt. Uhura on Star Trek from 1966 until her final appearance in 2022. Uhura was capable and smart on the Enterprise — where her race and gender were mere footnotes in Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic vision of the future. Her portrayal of a black woman in a leadership role was groundbreaking, and she inspired generations of viewers.
ON THE BIG SCREEN
The type of strength Women exhibit — in outer space or some parallel universe — usually involves more brains than brawn.
Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) — Alien (1979)
Ripley is an iconic character who starts off hunted by brutal creatures before evolving into a militaristic warrior. Her emotional depth and intelligence challenge preconceived notions about femininity.
Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) — Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
In “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”: Sarah, initially pursued by malevolent forces, transforms into a fierce protector. Her maternal instincts and tactical prowess set her apart.
Dr. Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) — Contact (1997)
A brilliant scientist pondering questions of faith, science, and otherworldly life, Dr. Arroway defends her beliefs to skeptical male politicians and scientists.
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) — The Hunger Games (2012)
Katniss battles for her life in a dystopian ceremony before becoming the ultimate freedom fighter. Her strength, resourcefulness, and determination make her a powerful female protagonist.
Professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) — Arrival (2016)
A linguistics expert, Banks leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, she and her crew must find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The forgotten Woman who designed The Creature From The Black Lagoon.
The terrifying movie monster could both swim and walk on land. He had long claws, webbed hands and feet, scales and a dorsal fin. His round, fishy head had bulging eyes and layers of wavy gills.
First captured on film in 1954, the elusive Creature — and Milicent Patrick, the woman who designed him — are now the focus of a book: The Lady from the Black Lagoon.
Born in 1915, Patrick was skilled visual artist. After attending art school, she became one of the first women animators at the Walt Disney Studios. Her pastel chalk artwork was featured in the 1940 movie Fantasia — a winged creature in the sequence “A Night on Bald Mountain.”
Her boss at the Universal monster shop, a man named Bud Westmore, told her that she “could not take credit for it”. He was so jealous of all of the attention she was getting that he fired her. As the head of the studio’s makeup department, it’s his name on the movie’s credits, as was the custom. (Sadly, she never worked behind the scenes in Hollywood ever again.)
SCI-FI would not be the same without Traiblazing Women — whose creative imaginations and artistic talent have given us some of the most memorable characters in TV and Movie History.
The future may just be Female after all.
***
click on image link to see YouTube video