Far from Tranquility Base
Gender and Russianness in For All Mankind's (Not So) Alt Cold War Universe
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Abstract
The Apple+ television series For All Mankind imagines an alternative history in which the Soviets beat the United States to the moon and the Cold War space race never ends. Gender politics and associated dynamics are central to the action. This article explores plotlines involving two fictional cosmonauts: the first woman on the moon and a male crew member stationed at the Soviet's lunar base. It finds that FAM reinforces Cold War tropes, anxieties, and “us vs them” formulations. FAM's writers miss the opportunity to probe the complexities of gender and personhood in the late Soviet era. Instead of encouraging more nuanced thinking about “the Russians,” FAM's universe perpetuates Cold War sensibilities that promote competition and conflict on Earth and in space.
Contributor Notes
Roshanna P. Sylvester is associate professor of critical media practices and digital humanities at the University of Colorado Boulder. She earned a BA in History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, an MA in Russian Studies at Yale University, and a Yale PhD in History. Sylvester's current project, “Dreams in Orbit: Girls and Space-Age Cultures in Cold War America and the Soviet Union,” focuses on letters from Soviet and American young people to the pioneering spacefarers Yuri Gagarin, John Glenn, and Valentina Tereshkova. Email: roshanna.sylvester@colorado.edu | ORCID: