""In addition to drawing attention to these overlooked female sci-fi authors, The Feminine Future is valuable for the perspective it provides on a period of transition for the genre."" - Los Angeles Review of BooksFeaturing hard-to-find short stories published between 1873 and 1930, this original anthology spotlights a variety of important sci-fi pioneers, including Ethel Watts Mumford, Edith Nesbit, and Clare Winger Harris. Imaginative scenarios include a feminist society in another dimension, the east/west division of the United States with men and women on opposite sides, a man who converts himself into a cyborg, a drug that confers superhuman qualities, and many other curious situations.Editor Mike Ashley provides an informative introduction to the stories. Highlights include ""When Time Turned"" (1901), which centers on a grieving widower who contrives to relive his life backwards; ""The Painter of Dead Women"" (1910), the tale of a woman in thrall to a Svengali-like character who promises to preserve her beauty forever; ""The Automaton Ear"" (1876), in which an inventor struggles to create a machine to detect sounds from the distant past; ""Ely's Automatic Housemaid"" (1899), a lighthearted fable concerning a robot housemaid; and ten other captivating tales.""Glad that Mike Ashley and Dover Publications have put together early science fiction by women authors. Great resource for classes!"" - University of Maine at Machias