Universe makers: Mythology and the creative work of women writers of speculative fiction

Speculative fiction, a consolidation of the genres of science fiction and fantasy, is a literature bursting with possibilities. We ride our imaginations to galaxies far, far away with resident aliens that fascinate and terrify us. When we open the pages of a fantasy novel, our noses almost twitch with the smell of magic. Here we find worlds with different rules than our own, where the impossible is made possible. Both genres are fertile ground for an imagination that is open to the unknown---open to mythic awareness.; This dissertation presented me with an opportunity to discuss myth with universe makers: those women writers who bring new worlds to life for us in their books. After sending an initial survey letter to sixteen writers to see if there was interest in such a project, I received eleven positive, and no negative, responses. Clearly, these women were interested in the topic of myth as it related to their work. The eight women I chose to interview spanned fifty-one years from youngest to eldest. They include: Jane Lindskold, Nalo Hopkinson, Robin McKinley, Joan Vinge, C. J. Cherryh, Ursula Le Guin, Sheri Tepper, and Andre Norton.; My study has been open-ended, with no hypothesis to prove or disprove. Interviews with each writer took the form of conversations in which we both participated, rather than a simple question-answer format. The first few conversations generated themes that I continued to discuss with the rest of the writers in order to create a basis for comparison. Defining myth and mythic thinking was a priority. From there we branched out into the landscape and history of their lives, the use of language, ethics, the creative process and dreaming, feminism, voice, magic, the need for personal or psychic space, and emergent myth.; After summarizing the results, I concluded the dissertation with a reflection on what I learned. Myth---used both consciously or unconsciously---such an integral part of the genre that it is almost taken for granted, as living myth often is.