Introduction

Science fiction recognizes time as a construct that shapes the way we imagine ourselves to be human on a cosmic scale—past, present, future. The authors collected in “When: Transtemporalities” identify key moments in Earth history when SF artists have contributed to the ongoing development of their chosen genre, especially as those contributions ask audiences to think about gender from strange and estranging perspectives to better understand complex social issues. The section does not aim to be all encompassing but addresses moments and movements in SF and in gender studies where paradigms have shifted, thereby allowing audiences to look towards futurities, alternate temporalities, and all manners of futural and historical thought.