Book chapters by Linda Wight
Lois McMaster Bujold: Essays on a Modern Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy, 2013
Miles Vorkosigan, the disabled protagonist of Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Warrior’s Apprentice (19... more Miles Vorkosigan, the disabled protagonist of Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Warrior’s Apprentice (1986), has spent his life trying to act like a man. Aware that he will always be judged lacking on his home planet of Barrayar where the able-bodied warrior is valorised and those with physical deformities are either killed at birth or the victims of extreme hostility and prejudice, Miles attempts to live up to his elite patriarchal heritage by closely observing the men around him and performing masculinity as best he can. Judith Butler argues that awareness of masculinity as a performance can open up the space for alternative performances: the reformulation or even rejection of seemingly natural gender roles. Miles remains resolutely committed to his society’s hegemonic masculine ideal, but his dependence on others to help him achieve a convincing performance reformulates the warrior ideal, transforming hierarchical and competitive relationships between men into queerly-inflected bonds based on vulnerability, deep affection, trust, and mutual reliance. Although Miles never fully grasps that all gender is performance and therefore feels like an impostor, he empathises with other men and women who have been deemed lacking by society and inspires them to exceed through performance the roles imposed upon them by rigid social structures. Furthermore, his success as a liminal disabled figure in the role of Admiral Naismith of the Dendarii Mercenaries forces his own society to reassess its narrow definition of masculinity and also refigures a stock masculine icon of the science fiction (SF) genre: the heroic space opera warrior.
Peer review journal articles by Linda Wight
Australasian Journal of Popular Culture, 2015
The James Bond film franchise has attracted much criticism for its depiction of women. The castin... more The James Bond film franchise has attracted much criticism for its depiction of women. The casting of Judi Dench in Goldeneye (Campbell, 1995), however, signalled the series’ potential to interrogate its own sexism. This article argues that Casino Royale (Campbell, 2006) and Quantum of Solace (Forster, 2008) – the fifth and sixth films starring Dench as M and the first two starring Daniel Craig as Bond – effect the most significant revision of gender roles in the franchise to date. Taking us back to the beginning of his career, Casino Royale reconfigures Bond as fallible, vulnerable, and psychologically unstable, a man struggling to secure his identity as 007. Playing a much more significant role than she did in the Pierce Brosnan films, M criticises Bond’s weaknesses and mistakes, but she also contributes in important ways to shaping his identity-in-process in her complex role as boss/mentor/mother. Nevertheless, M’s power over Bond is ultimately too threatening to his mythic masculine identity. This article contends that in Skyfall (Mendes, 2012) the series reverts to its tradition of undermining and erasing powerful women by killing off the female usurper and restoring MI6 to a male-dominated space.
Thesis by Linda Wight
Science fiction is often called the literature/genre of ideas, while SF writers and readers are a... more Science fiction is often called the literature/genre of ideas, while SF writers and readers are also seen to function as a highly engaged and conversant community. Within this community, ideas can generate an ongoing conversation between science fiction texts and authors, as well as among readers, convention attendees, academics and, of late, web communities. Often the conversation concerns gender or, more specifically, how science fiction texts represent gender, including masculinities. Yet critical discussion of fictional constructions of masculinities in science fiction has been limited. This thesis addresses this gap through in-depth literary analysis of ten science fiction short stories and novels which participate in an ongoing conversation about ideas of masculinity. The selected texts have either won or been shortlisted for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award. One primary reason for choosing these texts is that, since 1991, the Tiptree Award has been presented annually to a science fiction or fantasy short story or novel that, “expands or explores our understanding of gender” (Tiptree). This thesis applies both feminist and masculinities theory to the chosen texts, as well as some postcolonial and queer perspectives, to show that although science fiction has been at the cutting edge of fictional explorations of gender as concerning women, it currently lags behind contemporary theorists in its exploration of masculinities.
On the one hand, the majority of the selected Tiptree Award texts offer convincing and thoughtful critiques of certain hegemonic masculine identities, including the warrior and the scientist. Hegemonic masculinity is likewise a central concern for leading masculinities theorists, such as R.W. Connell, Lynne Segal and Michael S. Kimmel, but along with Carole Pateman, Ellen Jordan and Angela Cowan, these theorists identify the civil narrative of masculinity as the currently dominant construction in most Western societies. The majority of the selected Tiptree Award science fiction texts avoid close engagement with this narrative, in favour of critiquing older versions of masculinity.
Another key concern for contemporary masculinities theorists is the notion of “multiple masculinities.” Although the male characters portrayed in the chosen science fiction texts are mostly white, straight and middle-to-upper class, some of the writers do add to the conversation about masculinities by also exploring masculinities that vary from the hegemonic norm in terms of class, race and sexual orientation/performance. Thus, despite some limitations, the Tiptree Award texts indicate an ongoing attempt to engage with and build on earlier science fiction that used the same tropes, and to question, modify and expand upon their depictions of men and masculinities.
Non-peer review journal articles by Linda Wight
Bright Lights Film Journal, Apr 14, 2014
This article examines how Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012) responds to the feared obsolescence of the a... more This article examines how Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012) responds to the feared obsolescence of the aging muscular male in the twenty-first century by staging the spectacular resurrection of James Bond. As a cipher for the British nation, Bond’s resurrection also refutes anxiety about contemporary threats to Britain’s security and power.
Referreed conference proceedings by Linda Wight
Enhancing Learning Experiences in Higher Education: International Conference. , 2010
The Wiscon Chronicles: Volume 1. , 2007
Marge Piercy’s "He She and It" (1991) explores how cyborg potentialities may be constrained by ge... more Marge Piercy’s "He She and It" (1991) explores how cyborg potentialities may be constrained by gender, yet simultaneously blur and transgress gender boundaries. Yod, a male “cyborg” created by a male scientist, demonstrates the gender constraints that may be imposed upon the cyborg identity, highlighting the threat of the militaristic cyborg created within a particular masculinist paradigm. Yod is unfaithful to his origins, however, successfully subverting the understanding of what it means to be a man. Although ultimately unable to escape his constructed warrior masculinity, Yod’s self-annihilation symbolises his final resistance, his assertion that a constrained masculinist cyborg subjectivity has no place in the hopeful cyborgian future.
When Genres Collide: Selected Essays from the 37th Annual Meeting of the Science Fiction Research Association. , 2007
Marge Piercy’s "He, She and It" (1991) reveals the limitations and costs of a narrow masculinist ... more Marge Piercy’s "He, She and It" (1991) reveals the limitations and costs of a narrow masculinist definition of science that emphasises objectivity, autonomy, control and domination. Piercy suggests that an alternative feminist conception of science based on love, connection and community, and celebrating permeable boundaries and multiple sources of meaning, is more relevant to our cyborgian future.
While the definition of SF has been heavily debated, it has generally been recognised as having some connection to the concept of science. Piercy’s vision of an alternative feminist science therefore forces us to question how we define SF. This question is highlighted with the parallel drawn between the 21st century scientific creation of the robot, Yod, and the 16th century spiritual/magical creation of the golem, Joseph, blurring the boundaries between myth, religion, magic, art and science.
"He, She and It" implies the importance of blurring these boundaries by suggesting that a closed definition of SF based on masculinist conceptions of science leaves no room for women’s stories. By blurring the boundaries of SF, Piercy challenges the belief in a singular, objective truth, and allows women to construct their own stories, drawing from whichever multiple sources are relevant to make sense of their lives."
Papers by Linda Wight
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Book chapters by Linda Wight
Peer review journal articles by Linda Wight
Thesis by Linda Wight
On the one hand, the majority of the selected Tiptree Award texts offer convincing and thoughtful critiques of certain hegemonic masculine identities, including the warrior and the scientist. Hegemonic masculinity is likewise a central concern for leading masculinities theorists, such as R.W. Connell, Lynne Segal and Michael S. Kimmel, but along with Carole Pateman, Ellen Jordan and Angela Cowan, these theorists identify the civil narrative of masculinity as the currently dominant construction in most Western societies. The majority of the selected Tiptree Award science fiction texts avoid close engagement with this narrative, in favour of critiquing older versions of masculinity.
Another key concern for contemporary masculinities theorists is the notion of “multiple masculinities.” Although the male characters portrayed in the chosen science fiction texts are mostly white, straight and middle-to-upper class, some of the writers do add to the conversation about masculinities by also exploring masculinities that vary from the hegemonic norm in terms of class, race and sexual orientation/performance. Thus, despite some limitations, the Tiptree Award texts indicate an ongoing attempt to engage with and build on earlier science fiction that used the same tropes, and to question, modify and expand upon their depictions of men and masculinities.
Non-peer review journal articles by Linda Wight
Referreed conference proceedings by Linda Wight
While the definition of SF has been heavily debated, it has generally been recognised as having some connection to the concept of science. Piercy’s vision of an alternative feminist science therefore forces us to question how we define SF. This question is highlighted with the parallel drawn between the 21st century scientific creation of the robot, Yod, and the 16th century spiritual/magical creation of the golem, Joseph, blurring the boundaries between myth, religion, magic, art and science.
"He, She and It" implies the importance of blurring these boundaries by suggesting that a closed definition of SF based on masculinist conceptions of science leaves no room for women’s stories. By blurring the boundaries of SF, Piercy challenges the belief in a singular, objective truth, and allows women to construct their own stories, drawing from whichever multiple sources are relevant to make sense of their lives."
Papers by Linda Wight
On the one hand, the majority of the selected Tiptree Award texts offer convincing and thoughtful critiques of certain hegemonic masculine identities, including the warrior and the scientist. Hegemonic masculinity is likewise a central concern for leading masculinities theorists, such as R.W. Connell, Lynne Segal and Michael S. Kimmel, but along with Carole Pateman, Ellen Jordan and Angela Cowan, these theorists identify the civil narrative of masculinity as the currently dominant construction in most Western societies. The majority of the selected Tiptree Award science fiction texts avoid close engagement with this narrative, in favour of critiquing older versions of masculinity.
Another key concern for contemporary masculinities theorists is the notion of “multiple masculinities.” Although the male characters portrayed in the chosen science fiction texts are mostly white, straight and middle-to-upper class, some of the writers do add to the conversation about masculinities by also exploring masculinities that vary from the hegemonic norm in terms of class, race and sexual orientation/performance. Thus, despite some limitations, the Tiptree Award texts indicate an ongoing attempt to engage with and build on earlier science fiction that used the same tropes, and to question, modify and expand upon their depictions of men and masculinities.
While the definition of SF has been heavily debated, it has generally been recognised as having some connection to the concept of science. Piercy’s vision of an alternative feminist science therefore forces us to question how we define SF. This question is highlighted with the parallel drawn between the 21st century scientific creation of the robot, Yod, and the 16th century spiritual/magical creation of the golem, Joseph, blurring the boundaries between myth, religion, magic, art and science.
"He, She and It" implies the importance of blurring these boundaries by suggesting that a closed definition of SF based on masculinist conceptions of science leaves no room for women’s stories. By blurring the boundaries of SF, Piercy challenges the belief in a singular, objective truth, and allows women to construct their own stories, drawing from whichever multiple sources are relevant to make sense of their lives."