Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Herland: A Feminist Utopian Novel by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A visionary tale that reimagines society through the lens of gender, harmony, and radical possibility. In Herland, pioneering feminist Charlotte Perkins Gilman crafts a provocative and satirical utopia, first published in 1915, that continues to challenge and inspire readers more than a century later.

About the Book

Three American explorers—Van, Jeff, and Terry—venture into an uncharted region rumored to be inhabited solely by women. What they discover is Herland: a peaceful, self-sustaining society where women reproduce asexually, live cooperatively, and have built a civilization free from war, domination, and inequality. As the men struggle to reconcile their assumptions with the reality before them, Gilman uses their journey to critique patriarchal norms and explore the transformative power of community, education, and maternal values.

Key Themes

• Gender roles and social conditioning
• Utopian ideals vs. patriarchal expectations
• Feminist critique of early 20th-century society
• Satire, sociology, and speculative fiction

Perfect For

Readers of feminist literature, utopian fiction, and social commentary. A foundational text for those interested in gender studies, speculative fiction, and the evolution of feminist thought.

Publisher

Originally serialized in The Forerunner (1915) | First book edition: Pantheon Books, 1979 | ISBN: 9781977589901