Our Space, Our Place

Book excerpt: In Our Space, Our Place: Women in the Worlds of Science Fiction Television, author Sherry Ginn explores the portrayals of female characters in popular Sci Fi television programs. The programs examined include The X-Files, Babylon 5, Farscape, Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, and all five Star Treks. The major female characters on each program are discussed with respect to their quest to establish a sense of identity within their particular universe, as depicted on their series. By using current psychological and feminist theories, Ginn skillfully evaluates each character in terms that best exemplify the search for meaning and identity in women's lives.