Lisa Yaszek is an American academic in the field of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

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

Regents professor Distinguished Professor is an academic title given to some top tenured professors in a university, school, or department. Some distinguished professors may have endowed chairs. In the United States Often specific to one institution, titles such ...

in the

School of Literature, Media, and Communication The School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) is one of six units of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The School focuses primarily on interdisciplinary approaches to the humanities, social sc ...

at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Education

In 1991, Yaszek received her bachelor's in English from the

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and graduated magna cum laude. She went on to receive her

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in 1992 and PhD in 1999, both from the

University of Wisconsin-Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

Career

Yaszek has focused her work on examining the genre of science fiction in film. She has had several books published 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 Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...

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 ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

Food and Wine Magazine ''Food & Wine'' is an American monthly magazine published by Dotdash Meredith. It was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and se ...

, and

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

. She was also featured in the 2018

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...

miniseries ''James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction'' that explores the genre "from its cult beginnings in pulp to the engine for blockbuster film" it has become in modern times. During 2009-2010 Yaszek was president of the

Science Fiction Research Association The Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA), founded in 1970, is the oldest, non-profit professional organization committed to encouraging, facilitating, and rewarding the study of science fiction and fantasy literature, film, and other media. ...

. Since 2016, Yaszek is a juror for the

John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel The John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel, or Campbell Memorial Award, is an annual award presented by the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas to the author of the best science fiction no ...

. Also since 2016 - the award's inception - she's been on the three-person jury for the Eugie Foster Memorial Award for Short Fiction. She has served on numerous boards and organizations.

Recognition

*PCA/ACA Susan Koppelman Award for Best Anthology, Multi-authored, or Edited Book in Feminist Studies, 2017 *

Clareson Award for Distinguished Service, 2014 *

Mary Kay Bray Writing Award, 2014 * Ivan Allen Jr. Legacy Award for Research, Teaching and Service, 2013 *

Pioneer Writing Award, 2005

Selected works

*Yaszek, Lisa. ''Literary Afrofuturism in the Twenty-First Century.'' Ohio State University Press, 2020. *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.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yaszek, Lisa Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Georgia Tech faculty University of Michigan alumni