World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Joanna Russ

ジョアンナ・ラッス

Joanna Russ

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1937-02-22 （The Bronx, New York City, U.S.）
Died
2011-04-29 （Tucson, Arizona, U.S.） age 74
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
The Bronx, New York → Ithaca, New York (Cornell University) → New Haven, Connecticut (Yale University) → Queens, New York (Queensborough Community College) → Binghamton, New York (SUNY Binghamton) → Boulder, Colorado (University of Colorado Boulder) → Seattle, Washington (University of Washington) → Tucson, Arizona (later life)

Career

Occupations
academic, university professor, fiction writer, critic, feminist
Active Years
1959-2011
Affiliations
Queensborough Community College, Cornell University, SUNY Binghamton (Binghamton University), University of Colorado Boulder, University of Washington (Seattle)
Memberships
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), Science Fiction Research Association
Influenced By
Vladimir Nabokov, Clara Fraser (socialist feminist activist)
Influenced
Farah Mendlesohn (scholar on Joanna Russ), Gwyneth Jones (novelist; author on Joanna Russ), Contemporary generations of feminist science fiction writers and scholars
Nominations
Nebula Award nominations (9), Hugo Award nominations (3)

Education

Cornell University
College of Arts and Sciences / English
Degree: BA
Period: 1953–1957
Year of Graduation: 1957
Country: United States
Studied with Vladimir Nabokov
Yale School of Drama (Yale University)
School of Drama / Drama
Degree: MFA
Period: 1958–1960
Year of Graduation: 1960
Country: United States
Received MFA (Master of Fine Arts)

Awards

Hugo Award
1983
Work: Souls
Category: 短編
Organization: World Science Fiction Society
Result: 受賞
Nebula Award
1972
Work: When It Changed
Category: 短編
Organization: Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA)
Result: 受賞
Pilgrim Award
1988
Organization: Science Fiction Research Association
Result: 受賞
O. Henry Award
1977
Work: The Autobiography of My Mother
Organization: O. Henry Prize Stories
Result: 受賞
NEH Fellowship
1974
Organization: National Endowment for the Humanities
Result: 受賞
Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame (induction)
2013
Organization: EMP Museum (now Museum of Pop Culture) / Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame
Result: 殿堂入り
Florence Howe Award (Women's Caucus of the MLA)
Organization: Modern Language Association Women's Caucus
Result: 受賞
James Tiptree, Jr. Award
Organization: James Tiptree, Jr. Award (Otherwise Award)
Result: 受賞（複数回の受賞が言及される）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Female Man

1975 Feminist science fiction / utopian novel 256 pages

Follows women from parallel worlds to interrogate gender and identity; combines utopian elements with satire and is a cornerstone of feminist science fiction.

genderidentityfeminismutopia/dystopiasocial satire

When It Changed

1972 Short science fiction 20 pages

A short story set on a planet without men that questions whether gender is necessary for society; later incorporated into The Female Man.

necessity of gendersocial structuresfemale agency

Souls

1982 Short science fiction 24 pages

A short, incisive story exploring existence and moral questions, marked by Russ's characteristic anger and wit.

existencemoralitysocial critique

How to Suppress Women's Writing

1983 Literary criticism / feminist criticism 160 pages

A critical study analyzing the historical mechanisms by which women's writing has been ignored or marginalized.

literary marginalizationfeminist criticismpower and erasure

Picnic on Paradise

1968 Science fiction novel 160 pages

An early novel combining science fiction elements with satirical takes on society and politics.

social satirecolonies/settlementpower structures

On Strike Against God

1980 Novella / contemporary novel (a lesbian love story) 96 pages

A novella focused on a lesbian relationship that engages with themes of religion and personal freedom.

sexualityfaith and freedomindividual desire

Kittatinny: A Tale of Magic

1978 Children's fantasy 48 pages

A children's tale of magic; one of Russ's works aimed at younger readers.

magicchildhood imagination

The Adventures of Alyx

1976 Short story collection / feminist adventure stories 320 pages

A collection of stories about the female adventurer Alyx, putting feminist perspectives into adventure fiction.

female adventure talesfeminismrevisionist history

Bibliography

  • Picnic on Paradise (1968)
  • And Chaos Died (1970)
  • The Female Man (1975)
  • We Who Are About To... (1977)
  • The Two of Them (1978)
  • Kittatinny: A Tale of Magic (1978)
  • On Strike Against God (1980)
  • The Zanzibar Cat (1983)
  • How to Suppress Women's Writing (1983)
  • Extra(ordinary) People (1985)
  • To Write Like a Woman (1995)
  • The Country You Have Never Seen (2007)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
acerbic and ironic tonetheoretical and critical prosemixture of anger and humorexperimental narration
Recurring Motifs
gender deconstructionfemale subjectivitydoubleness and fragmented identityutopia/dystopia contrasts

Health

  • chronic pain / myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS)
    晩年（主に1990年代以降）
    Reduced productivity and publishing output; long-term health issues limited professional activity.
  • stroke (multiple)
    2011年4月（末期）
    Hospitalization, transfer to hospice, and subsequent death.

Legacy

Joanna Russ was a central figure in feminist science fiction and literary criticism, leaving a profound influence on gender studies and SF scholarship. Her academic career and numerous honors have cemented her legacy.

Museums

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame Seattle, Washington, U.S. (EMP Museum / Museum of Pop Culture) Opened in 2013

Academic Societies

  • Modern Language Association Women's Caucus
  • Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA)

Archives

  • University of Oregon Special Collections and University Archives (Joanna Russ papers)
  • Browne Popular Culture Library (Bowling Green State University) holdings

In Popular Culture

  • Scholarly books and essays about Russ by Farah Mendlesohn, Gwyneth Jones, and others
  • Mentioned in media such as BBC Radio 4 programme 'Cat Women of the Moon'
  • Featured in outlets like The New Yorker and Wired (e.g., The New Yorker profile in 2020)

Quotes

  • Do you imagine that anyone with half a functional neuron can read your work and not have his fingers smoked by the bitter, multi-layered anger in it? It smells and smoulders like a volcano buried so long and deadly it is just beginning to wonder if it can explode.
    Source: James Tiptree Jr. (letter to Joanna Russ)
  • I think from now on, I will not trust anyone who isn't angry.
    Source: Joanna Russ (letter to Susan Koppelman)
  • The reviewer's hardest task is to define standards.
    Source: Joanna Russ (interview/essay)

Trivia

  • She filled handmade notebooks with stories, poems and comics from an early age.
  • As a high school senior she was selected among the top ten in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search.
  • Studied with Vladimir Nabokov at Cornell University.
  • Came out as a lesbian around the mid-1970s.
  • Suffered chronic pain and ME/CFS in later life and died after strokes in 2011.
  • Her papers are archived at the University of Oregon Special Collections.