Patrick B. Sharp

Sisters of Tomorrow provides a much-needed and fascinating contextualization of women in the field of science fiction, including closer examinations of the work of authors, illustrators and editors working in pulp magazines of the early 20th century. As a poet myself, I was most drawn to the section to the section featuring early speculative poets, particularly those writing poems in future contexts. Though there is, in the field of speculative poetry, a wider knowledge of women who wrote fantasy poetry (think Christina Rossetti's "Goblin Market, for example), there seems to be fewer well known early examples of women's science fictional poems. So I especially appreciated the included examples by Julia Boynton Green and Lilith Lorraine. Highly recommended for readers interested in the history of speculative fiction.… (more)

Sisters of Tomorrow is a well-done anthology honoring the women who were members of the first wave of science fiction publishing in the 20th century. The book covers fiction authors, poets, editors, artists and journalists and it's fascinating reading. Did you know that the editor of Weird Tales was a woman? I didn't. And there were a lot more women like her. It was also cool to discover that Hugo Gernsback encouraged women writers and editors. It was only after he left the scene that SF took the decided male turn that it did, but even then, women were (and are) still involved.

I especially enjoyed reading the stories and learning about the authors, most of whom I hadn't known before. Favorites included Clare Winger Harris's "The Evolutionary Monstrosity," L. Taylor Hansen's "The Man From Space," C.L. Moore's "Shambleau," and Dorothy Gertrude Quick's "Strange Orchids."… (more)