The Feminine Future: Early Science Fiction by Women Writers (Dover Thrift Editions)

the long version

"Featuring hard-to-find short stories published between 1873 and 1930, this original anthology spotlights a variety of important sci-fi pioneers, including Ethel Watts Mumford, Edith Nesbit, and Clare Winger Harris. Imaginative scenarios include a feminist society in another dimension, the east/west division of the United States with men and women on opposite sides, a man who converts himself into a cyborg, a drug that confers superhuman qualities, and many other curious situations. Editor Mike Ashley provides an informative introduction to the stories. Highlights include 'When Time Turned' (1901), which centers on a grieving widower who contrives to relive his life backwards; 'The Painter of Dead Women' (1910), the tale of a woman in thrall to a Svengali-like character who promises to preserve her beauty forever; 'The Automaton Ear' (1876), in which an inventor struggles to create a machine to detect sounds from the distant past; 'Ely's Automatic Housemaid' (1899), a lighthearted fable concerning a robot housemaid; and ten other captivating tales" -- Provided by publisher.