This page lists some of the best criticism of Joanna Russ's SF, IMHO. It is not a comprehensive list, but if anyone out there is doing a project on Russ (a graduate paper, an essay, a book), feel free to contact me. I'll be happy to share information about many sources which are not listed here.

Russ's own critical commentary on feminist SF is invaluable to anyone studying Russ or feminist SF in general.

More criticism has been written on The Female Man than on Russ's other works combined, although all of her work deserves critical attention.

If you know of a published essay, chapter or book which you think should be included here, please let me know.

And Chaos Died

Delany, Samuel R. "Orders of Chaos: The Science Fiction of Joanna Russ." Women Worldwalkers: New Dimensions of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Ed. by Jane B. Weedman. Lubbock, TX: Texas Tech P, 1985. 95-123.

As provocative and challenging as ACD itself. Discusses in general how to read science fiction and in particular the "model of sexuality" in ACD. Essential for anyone studying ACD; useful for studies of homosexuality in SF.

The Female Man

DuPlessis, Rachel Blau. "The Feminist Apologues of Lessing, Piercy, and Russ." In Frontiers 4.1 (1979): 1-8.

Considers The Female Man as an example of an apologue, or "teaching story." Also includes Doris Lessing's The Four-Gated City and Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time.

Moylan, Tom. Demand the Impossible: Science Fiction and the Utopian Imagination.New York: Methuen, 1986.

Long chapter on TFM as an example of the 1970s "critical utopias." The entire book is useful for anyone studying utopian literature; the Russ chapter is very valuable to any study of TFM.

General

Hacker, Marilyn. "Science Fiction and Feminism: The Work of Joanna Russ." In Chrysalis 4 (1977): 67-79. Reprinted as an introduction to The Female Man, Boston: Gregg Press, 1977.

Personal and anecdotal; good biographical information on Russ; excellent introduction to Russ's feminist thought; survey of her work to 1977.

Kaveney, Roz. "The Science Fictiveness of Women's Science Fiction." In From My Guy to Sci-Fi: Genre and Women's Writing in the Postmodern World. Ed. Helen Carr. London: Pandora Press, 1989. 78-97.

A broad consideration of feminist SF, focusing particularly on Russ, LeGuin and Tiptree. Only a few pages on Russ, mentioning The Female Man and We Who Are About To...., but they're good pages. Clear and lively overview of the field.

Lefanu, Sarah. Feminism and Science Fiction. Bloomington: Indiana UP. 1989.

See chapter 14, "The Reader as Subject: Joanna Russ." Detailed and insightful analyses of We Who Are About To...., The Female Man, The Two of Them, "When It Changed" and "Sword Blades and Poppy Seed." Entire book is worthwhile for anyone interested in feminist SF.

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Last updated 3/13/96 by Julie Linden