Herland: A Feminist Utopia

Van Jennings, a sociology student, and his two friends, Terry Nicholson and Jeff Margrave, set out one day to explore an uncharted area said to be home to a colony consisting entirely of women. Their biplane suitably hidden in the surrounding forest, the men begin their search for civilisation. But it is not long before they are discovered, and they are captured and taken in by the society they set out to study. As boundaries are broken down and the web of mystery is brushed aside, the men soon begin to realise that there is much to be envied about this society, and perhaps it is they that have some reckoning to do. Dealing with the powerful themes of consent, consumerism and colonialism, Herland is a thought-provoking tale that trains a lens on our own concepts of society. 'So radical that more than fifty years passed before society began to catch up with its feminism.' (Radio Times) 'Prepare for a feminist lecture, but one that does not lose sight of the need to entertain.' (Guardian) 'An important feminist work, long forgotten.' (David Pringle)