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Grid of 15 science fiction movie posters, including Children of Men, Cloud Atlas, District 9, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Divergent, E.T., Ex Machina, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.

This spring, I took one of my favorite classes yet: Gender in Science Fiction (WGGS 7.01.01). It was one of the First-Year Seminar options, which, combined with my Writing 5 course in the winter term, completes my track for the first-year writing requirement. While this class fell under the Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department, which is right up my alley, I wasn't sure what to expect at first, as most of my experience with science fiction was limited to the popular dystopian novels I devoured in middle school; you guessed it! The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Maze Runner. Getting the chance to dive into a range of science fiction texts that explore complex themes, such as gender, sexuality, identity, and power, was eye-opening. Each week, we examined how science fiction can push boundaries, ask difficult questions, and imagine entirely new possibilities for what it means to be human.

We read a fascinating range of books, including Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness, Martha Wells's Murderbot Diaries, and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Each work challenged us to think critically about constructed norms and the fluidity of identity. We also read powerful short stories like Octavia Butler's Bloodchild and Joanna Russ's When It Changed, which led to some of the most intense and engaging class discussions.

In addition to written texts, we watched a mix of science fiction films and television episodes, from Ex Machina and Terminator 2 to Her, Children of Men, and episodes from Black Mirror and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Watching Star Trek in particular was a highlight for me. It was so interesting to see how the show tackled issues of race, gender, and sexuality decades ago, many of which still resonate today. The way those conversations played out in a futuristic setting sparked a lot of debate in class, especially when we connected them to real-world social issues.

Grid of 15 science fiction movie posters, including Children of Men, Cloud Atlas, District 9, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Divergent, E.T., Ex Machina, and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
A few of the films we watched for the class!

One of the best parts of this class was how discussion-based it was. Every session felt like a collaborative deep dive into a new world, where we were encouraged to bring our craziest theories and biggest questions to the table. We weren't just analyzing stories—we were using them to imagine the future of gender, sexuality, and identity. We talked about what it means to create AI with consciousness, how alien societies reflect our own, and what authors might really be trying to say through their most imaginative thought experiments.

Title slide for a group presentation titled "Cyborgs in Dystopia," with group members Harlan, Layla, Garrett, Symeon, Cooper, and Rika listed. The slide has a dark purple background with abstract purple and blue 3D shapes.
A presentation I made with my classmates about the book "Murderbot"

This course helped me see science fiction not just as entertainment, but as a powerful tool for social critique and exploitation. It was fun, fascinating, and completely different from anything I'd studied before. I left the class with a newfound appreciation for the genre and a great deal of curiosity about where these conversations might lead in the future.

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