In the 1950s, science was rapidly advancing, and so were scientific opportunities for women. Modern science fiction films reflected these simultaneous social developments. This book proposes that the social ideology of the 1950s, which was partly concerned with gender issues, saturated the B science fiction films of that era and inspired a new appreciation for the role of women in scientific advancements and other social achievements. Drawing on feminist literary and cultural theory, the author argues that the emergence of the modern American science fiction film in 1950 and the situation of...

Drawing on critical analyses, film reviews and cultural commentaries, this book examines the development of science fiction film and its representation of gender, from the groundbreaking films of 1968 through its often overlooked "Middle Period".