ENGL 200 D: Feminist Dystopias

This course will examine feminist dystopian fiction of the 20th and 21st centuries, looking at how these texts grapple with questions of gender, sexuality, and contemporary social, political, and cultural issues. Throughout, we will focus on how different kinds of dystopian narratives critique the societies they present as well as contemporary culture; we will also explore the larger question of why authors write dystopian and speculative fiction. Texts will include: Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale, Octavia Butler, Bloodchild and Other Stories, Monica Byrne, The Girl in the Road, Hillary Jordan, When She Woke, Louise O’Neill, Only Ever Yours, and two Janelle Monae albums; we will also watch one film.