A Door into Ocean as a Model for Feminist Science

Abstract

Christy Tidwell notes that feminist science fiction often explores the possibility of a specifically feminist science. As a major example of feminist science fiction, A Door into Ocean neither rejects scientific ways of understanding the world nor condones prior scientific practices. This novel suggests that a feminist science would be defined by recognition of women’s scientific contributions, challenges to hierarchical and dichotomous modes of thought, and consideration of the political and ethical ramifications of its choices, narratives, and definitions. A Door into Ocean endorses elements of traditional science that are compatible with feminist goals while simultaneously exploring the possibility of a feminist science that does not yet fully exist.