First, the imagined societies described in the texts that Naomi Mercer examines here exhibit characteristics of kyriarchy, which she defines as "the interlocking axes of domination and privilege that determine the nature of relationships and the power differentials that affect them." While gender is the primary focus of her analysis, she argues that "an individual's positioning in power structures depends on multiple aspects of identity that fluctuate depending on the individual's interactions with others, who are also multiply positioned."