Forgotten Women of Genre: Leigh Brackett

March is Women's History Month. And while here on SYFY FANGRRLS we celebrate women's achievements throughout the year, we're going above and beyond for the upcoming month with a limited podcast series called Forgotten Women of Genre.

One of the most common threads in our aptly titled series has been the unacknowledged and, more often than not, unknown contributions of women to some of the most iconic genre franchises in history. One of them played a role in contributing to the legacy of that galaxy far, far away, and it’s past time we recognize her efforts. Today, we’re shining the spotlight on none other than the late Leigh Brackett, who wrote the very first script draft of The Empire Strikes Back.

But long before she lent her talents toward shaping what would eventually become the second ever Star Wars movie, Brackett was a young girl with a love of science fiction and romance who knew early on what she wanted to do for a living — even if it meant facing down opposition and, in many cases, sexism at every turn.

Science fiction, fantasy, and all associated genres have finally evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream staple. But the women who have been instrumental in creating and shaping the nerdverse have largely gone unrecognized. Until today. Forgotten Women of Genre tells the stories of the women who helped some of the most famous fantasy worlds become a reality.

New episodes of this series will be released each day in the month of March, in addition to regularly scheduled episodes of STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS.

Subscribe to STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS and get these amazing stories in your feed all month.