Gender in science fiction refers to how male and female characters are portrayed in stories about the future, aliens, robots, and other futuristic elements. In general, science fiction has been dominated by male writers and male characters, but this is slowly changing.
When we talk about gender, we mean the cultural and social expectations about what it means to be a man or a woman. Science fiction writers often use these stereotypes to create their characters. For example, boys might be portrayed as brave and strong, while girls might be portrayed as delicate and emotional.
However, this is not always the case. Some science fiction writers create complex and layered characters that break away from the stereotypes. For example, there might be a female character who is tough and fearless, or a male character who is sensitive and emotional.
One important trend in science fiction is the exploration of gender identity. This means that some writers are exploring how people might define themselves outside of the binary categories of male and female. In some science fiction stories, characters might use different pronouns or identify as non-binary.
Overall, gender plays a big role in how science fiction is written and received. However, as more and more diverse voices enter the science fiction world, we might see more complex and interesting representations of gender.