Feminist Fabulations: The Speculative Fiction of Scottish Women Writers 1860 - 1980

This project will chart a history of Scottish feminist speculative fiction, including Science Fiction and Fantasy (SFF), through the work of four writers: Isabella Fyvie Mayo (1843-1914), Lady Florence Dixie (1855-1905), Naomi Mitchison (1897-1999) and Margot Bennett (1912-1980). Rooted in each writer's lived experience, the research will chronicle their SFF across a period of profound social transformation (1860-1980). Each exemplifies a unique connection between a distinct feminist imaginary and a juncture in activist history. The urgency of the project lies in the critical restoration of this literary history, establishing the speculative imagination as a device for navigating feminist struggles.