Mixed Realities

Innovative contributions, systemic challenges, and the imperative for diversity in emerging digital media realms.

Bolstered by the voices and experiences of dozens of women, nonbinary, and genderqueer new media practitioners, Mixed Realities explores the dynamic intersection of gender and emerging digital technologies. From realms of transmedia, multiplatform, virtual reality, augmented reality, and immersive technologies, this work uncovers the universal challenges and systemic gender-based exclusions individuals face. Authors Sarah Atkinson and Vicki Callahan explore how emergent media have inherited traditional media's systemic biases but also offer new opportunities for diverse and equitable storytelling and engagement. Highlighting a surge in gender-diverse participation and innovation, this book counters historical accounts and details essential yet overlooked contributions to the field. Mixed Realities serves as an early archive of diverse contributions, with firsthand accounts that challenge the existing biased narratives of media's history and evolution. Atkinson and Callahan emphasize the necessity of including underrepresented voices, stories, models, and futures, and they underscore the importance of recognizing and valuing a spectrum of perspectives in both emergent media and established media contexts.