Situating Starbuck: Combative Femininity, Figurative Masculinity, and the Snap

Ewan Kirkland’s “Situating Starbuck: Combative Femininity, Figurative Masculinity, and the Snap” studies the action heroine in the reimagined Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) television series. He argues that Starbuck exemplifies a transformation of the 1970s male action hero in post-Alien action adventure science fiction and fantasy, where women warriors increasingly feature as a generic staple. Situating Starbuck in relation to action heroines from film, television, and digital games as well as the academic arguments that circulate them affords an understanding of the gender politics of the character, and the extent to which she challenges dominant representations in popular culture.