From supermen and wonderwomen to pregnant kings and housewives in space, characters in science fiction have long defied traditional gender roles. Sexual identity is often exaggerated, obscured, or eliminated altogether. In this pioneering study, Brian Attebery examines how science fiction writers have incorporated, explored, and transformed conventional concepts of gender. While drawing on feminist insights, the book analyzes characters of both genders in works written by men and women that portray the invisible but always powerful presence of sexual difference as a shaping force within science fiction. In doing so, it presents a sexual difference as a shaping force within science fiction. In doing so, it presents a revised history of the genre, from its origins in Gothic works like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein through its development up to - and a little beyond - the present day. Attebery also enriches this history by highlighting critically neglected writers, such as Gwyneth Jones, James Morrow, and Raphael Carter, and by opening fresh perspectives on the field's best-known authors, including Robert A. Heinlein, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Philip K. Dick. Written in lucid prose with engaging style, Decoding Gender in Science Fiction illuminates new ways to uncover meaning in both gender and genre. -- from back cover.