Leslie F. Stone

Biography

Daughter of Lillian Spellman; described as '"the leading female light" of Hugo Gernsback's inner circle".

Names

Sadly, pioneer SF&F writer Leslie F. Stone (pseudonym of Leslie F. Silberberg, nee Leslie Francis Rubenstein) didn’t make the cut, so here’s a nice biographical sketch of "Miss Stone" from Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965 (2005), by Eric Leif Davin:

• Leslie Frances Stone
• Leslie F. Stone (pseudonym)
• Leslie F. Silberberg (married name)
• Mrs. William Silverberg (married name)
• Leslie Francis Rubenstein (birth name)

Works

• "The Conquest of Gola" (1931)
• "Letter of the Twenty-Fourth Century" (1929)
• "Out of the Void" (1929)
• "When the Sun Went Out" (1929)
• "Through the Veil" (1930)
• "Women With Wings" (1930)
• "The Conquest of Gola" (1931)

References to Stone & Stone's work

• Batya Weinbaum, "Sex-Role Reversal in the Thirties: Leslie F. Stone's 'The Conquest of Gola'", Science-Fiction Studies, Vol. 24, No. 3 (Nov., 1997), pp. 471-482.

Abstract: Leslie F. Stone is a little-known woman writer from the early days of science fiction. In the story examined here, "The Conquest of Gola," she posits a matriarchal planet in which men are kept by women as houseboys and playthings. This planet is invaded by men from another planet who want to colonize it for their own purposes. The women of Gola don't take these invaders seriously. A war is fought, in which the women use superior technology and thought-forms to defend themselves and to battle the men. In this reversal, Stone spoofs not only sex roles, but also imperialism and colonialism. Her story predicts certain inventions such as laser beams, and demonstrates the strong influence of H.G. Wells. Her work seems to reflect intellectual currents of the times, including the popularity of psychoanalysis and the call for more egalitarian inclusion of women in the cultural arena.

• "Pioneer SF&F writer Leslie F. Stone", Marooned - Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror books on Mars (blog), June 6, 2010
• Partners in Wonder: Women and the Birth of Science Fiction, 1926-1965 (2005), by Eric Leif Davin.
• "The Conquest of Gernsback: Leslie F. Stone and the Subversion of Science Fiction Troupes” by Brian Attebery, in Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century, ed. Justine Larbalestier, Wesleyan University Press 2006
• ISFDB

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