Cranny-Francis shows how feminist authors have used fictional genres to explore new possibilities about society and about the roles and conceptions of women. Freed from the restrictions imposed by conventions of realism some fictional genres enable the imagination to range widely, but at the same time these genres are often linked to conservative assumptions and beliefs. Cranny-Francis analyses these and other issues through a discussion of the work of Ursula Le Guin, Angela Carter, Tanith Lee, Joanna Russ, Amanda Cross and many others. This wide-ranging and original work will be of particular interest to students and academics in media and cultural studies, women's studies and literature and literary theory. It will also be of interest to anyone who reads modern popular fiction.