Friend Island

By Francis Stevens

Using the ambiguous pseudonym Francis Stevens, Gertrude Barrows Bennett emerged as the first major female writer to make a mark in the genre of science fiction and fantasy. The fascinating tale "Friend Island" imagines a time in the not-so-distant future when women have achieved dominance in every realm of society, from political power to family life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sheba Blake Publishing
• Release date: Sep 18, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329537705

Francis Stevens

Francis Stevens was the pseudonym of Gertrude Barrows Bennett (1884-1948), an American writer of science fiction and fantasy novels. Born in Minneapolis, Stevens wrote her first story at 17, finding publication in popular pulp magazine Argosy. Believed to be one of the first American women to publish a work of science fiction, Bennett gained a nationwide reputation as a leading short story writer with such tales as “The Nightmare” (1917), “Friend Island” (1918), and “Serapion” (1920). Additionally, Bennett published several novels throughout her career, including The Citadel of Fear (1918), The Heads of Cerberus (1919), and Claimed! (1920). To supplement her writing, Stevens—who was widowed in 1910 when her husband Stewart Bennett died at sea—worked as a stenographer to support herself, her daughter, and her invalid mother. Credited with influencing H. P. Lovecraft and A. Merritt, Bennett is recognized as a pioneering figure in the history of science fiction.

Reviews for Friend Island

[shimmin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Actually a short story, not a book. It's hard to genre-pigeonhole this one - it's got a setting that's some kind of sci-fi, but barely comes into it, with fantastical elements too. I liked how it flips gender roles just in passing while setting up the story. The actual story is just a bit of fun really. It's a far cry from The Citadel of Fear, though.