Fanfiction and Bloodchild: How Female Desire Challenges Homophobia and the Patriarchy

Author: Advika Gakhare

Field of Study: Psychology; Linguistics

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Will Glovinsky

Easel: 74

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: Octavia Butler’s 1984 short story “Bloodchild” is about a centipede-like alien species, interplanetary politics, and youth-giving embryos. But it is the story’s “pregnant man” plotline that has captivated so many readers––and particularly fanfiction writers. What is behind this fascination? Drawing on the work of queer futurist José Esteban Muñoz, this paper analyzes the uptake of the male pregnancy trope often seen in gay fanfiction, including works based on “Bloodchild.” Muñoz’s linkage of patriarchy and homophobia can help illuminate why the male pregnancy genre is primarily produced by women. Careful analysis of these stories shows that the trope is not just fetishization or lurid interest: to see men get pregnant and face the same struggles as women deconstructs the patriarchal gender binary and challenges the patriarchy itself.