Lisa Yaszek

Lisa Yaszek is an American academic in the field of science fiction films, particularly the history and cultural implications of the genre and underrepresented groups in science fiction, including women and people of color. She is a professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

In 1991, Yaszek received her bachelor's in English from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and graduated magna cum laude. She went on to receive her master's in 1992 and PhD in 1999, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Yaszek has focused her work on examining the genre of science fiction in film. She has written six published books covering a variety of film-related topics. However, she is especially focused on the role that women and people of color play in the science fiction world. Her books The Future is Female: Early Classics of Women’s Science Fiction from the Pulp Era to the New Wave and Sisters of Tomorrow: The First Women of Science Fiction both discuss the underrepresentation of women in this genre. She is specifically concerned with the lost voices of such women, and unearthing the historical contributions they have provided. As writer Ursula Le Guin stated of The Future is Female, “Lisa Yaszek has selected the best of this tradition, by recognized masters as well as lesser-known names who are overdue for rediscovery.” Yaszek devotes her research to understanding the history of the genre as well as contextualizing its development. In 2017, she was honored for her work in this area with the PCA/ACA Susan Koppelman Award for Best Anthology, Multi-authored, or Edited Book in Feminist Studies.

Yaszek has been featured in numerous publications and media outlets discussing the importance of the science fiction genre in media. She has written articles for such outlets as The Washington Post,Food and Wine Magazine, and USA Today. She was also featured in the miniseries James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction, appearing on AMC, in which she discusses “200 years of science fiction across media and from across the globe”.

Yaszek is the past president of the Science Fiction Research Association, as well as a current editor for Library of America. She has served on numerous boards and organizations, including being a juror for the John W. Campbell and Eugie Foster Science Fiction Awards.

Recognition

• PCA/ACA Susan Koppelman Award for Best Anthology, Multi-authored, or Edited Book in Feminist Studies, 2017
• Science Fiction Research Association Clareson Award for Distinguished Service, 2014
• Science Fiction Research Association Mary Kay Bray Writing Award, 2014
• Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Award for Research, Teaching and Service, 2013
• Science Fiction Research Association Pioneer Writing Award, 2005

• Yaszek, Lisa. The Future Is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin: A Library of America Special Publication. Library of America, 2018.
• Yaszek, Lisa and Patrick Sharp. Sisters of Tomorrow: The First Women of Science Fiction (Early Classics Of Science Fiction). Wesleyan University Press, 2016.
• Yaszek, Lisa. Galactic Suburbia: Recovering Women’s Science Fiction. Ohio State University Press,2008.
• Yaszek, Lisa. The Self Wired: Technology and Subjectivity in Contemporary Narrative (Literary Criticism and Cultural Theory). Routledge, 2002.