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Abstract. The work of the three women writers analyzed in this article-Isabel M. Lewis, Clare Winger Harris, and Leslie F. Stone-was recognized when they were writing in the early twentieth century, but by the time academic attention included science fiction in the 1970s, their work had been forgotten. Although today, the fiction writers Harris and Stone have gained a place in science fiction scholarship, it is still a challenge to create a space for the non-fiction writer Lewis as well. This article considers the history of their reception in the context of the history of diversity in science and engineering more generally. The waning and waxing of their reputations reflect the history of women in STEM, and the past one hundred years have shown a remarkable change in the scientific consensus on the nature of gender differences as well. Therefore, science fiction offers valuable evidence for understanding how women were included, then excluded, and finally re-included in the STEM professions. Re-reading these authors in this context shows how a concern about gender was central to the formation of the genre itself, which deserves greater attention from critics and fans alike.
Recent efforts to fight sexism in science coexist with sexist reactions to inclusive science fiction. At the same historical moment when a Star Wars fan shockingly cut 100 minutes from The Last Jedi to create a "de-feminized" version (McLeay), as little as 10 percent of workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can be counted as female in the United States (Hill et al.).\ Scientists and engineers often credit their interest in the field to engagement with science fiction. The number of people who identify as women in STEM is on the rise, but if the wounds inflicted by "Girlz Powah*' on some Star Wars viewers are any indication, the growing female presence is in spite of the toxic masculinity of the community.
Publisher Hugo Gernsback coined the phrase "science fiction" in 1929, so clearly female writers and fans like Martin, Harris, and Stone participated in the earliest days of the genre, making the history of this social side to science worth exploring. Science fiction offers readers reliable documentation on earlier efforts to challenge sexism in science and shows how the social aspect...