Charlotte Perkins Gilman 
Herland 

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was an American sociologist, author, poet, and lecturer whose influential work and unorthodox lifestyle made her an icon for future generations of feminists. Much of her work criticized common perceptions of the role of women in marriage and society, and advocated educational, financial, and cultural equality for women. “Herland” is Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s utopian novel about a fictitious society of women who reproduce by asexual means resulting in an ideal society that is free of conflict and war. Originally published serially in Gilman’s self-published monthly magazine “Forerunner” from 1909 to 1916, the title nation of “Herland” is symbolic of the argument for social reform in the area of woman’s rights that took place in the early part of the 20th century. By placing women in such an ideal light, Gilman is arguing that women should have as much say in the matters of the world as men and if they did society would be better off for it. This edition includes a biographical afterword.