FIRTH@TL-20B.ARPA (10/16/85)
From: FIRTH@TL-20B.ARPA On the subject of feminist SF After two false starts, I've decided that I'm not competent to offer advice about this matter. Hence, let me suggest that a possible starting point might be Bradley: Sword & Sorceress I, II, &c a series of collections of "heroic fantasy" stories. These are fairly diverse, and give some introduction to many respected authors in this vein. On a slightly different tack, here are some works that make one think deeply about sexuality and its necessary (or unnecessary) consequences Sturgeon: Venus Plus X Wyndham: Consider Her Ways LeGuin: The Left Hand of Darkness Finally, may I recommend the best feminist work of fiction in my library (even though it isn't SF) Wells: Ann Veronica Robert Firth -------
jcr@mitre-bedford (10/22/85)
From: jcr@mitre-bedford.ARPA > From: Caro.PA@Xerox.ARPA > > Here are my favorites: > > * The Screwfly Solution, James Tiptree Jr. > For a man, Tiptree sure writes strong female characters well. I > also enjoy the upbeat endings that his novels always have. > > * Witch World, etc., by Andre Norton > Another male writer who espouses feminist views. His female > characters are also very well written. Perhaps these two write about women so well because they ARE women! Writing under pseudomyms, y'know? (I'm probably only the millionth person to point this out.) > Others have suggested that John Norman's Gor series treat women in a > radically different way than most other authors, but I haven't had a > chance to read any of those books. Yeah, I'd say that "radically different" is proabably an appropriate description, but Norman's approach is NOT likely to be appreciated by most feminists! Hardcore chauvinists, maybe.... > From: rti-sel!wfi@topaz.rutgers.edu (William Ingogly) > > You might check out a couple of collections of SF by women that came > out a few years back: "Women Of Wonder" and "More Women Of Wonder." > I'm not sure about the name of the second collection. Both were > available in paperback a few years ago. I believe both titles are correct, and I think they were both edited by Pamela Sargent (thought this might help you find them). Another collection along the same lines was "Millennial Women" edited, I think, by Virginia Kidd. (Confirmation, anyone?) Regards, --- Jeff Rogers jcr@Mitre-Bedford.ARPA
scott@hou2g.UUCP (Colonel'K) (10/24/85)
>> Here are my favorites: >> >> * The Screwfly Solution, James Tiptree Jr. >> For a man, Tiptree sure writes strong female characters well. I >> also enjoy the upbeat endings that his novels always have. >> >> * Witch World, etc., by Andre Norton >> Another male writer who espouses feminist views. His female >> characters are also very well written. >Perhaps these two write about women so well because they ARE women! >Writing under pseudomyms, y'know? (I'm probably only the millionth >person to point this out.) No, you're probably the millionth bozo to not notice the guy was KIDDING. Hasn't anyone found it strange that all the authors mentioned were female with male pseudonyms? And that the Gor novels are so sexist even a five- year-old could tell? I'd be willing to bet (though I haven't read anything by Tiptree) "The Screwfly Solution" has a real *downbeat* ending. Sheesh! "You! What PLANET is this?" Scott J. Berry ihnp4!hou2g!scott
brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (10/25/85)
It's not hard to explain why Piers Anthony and John Norman both write such excellent feminist SF. They are in fact, women. Anthony is the pen-name for Toni Pearce, who lives in Boise, Idaho. She started writing under a male name because she felt she was having trouble getting rejections because she was a woman. John Norman, alias Norma Johnson has been writing Gor books for years. I'm a bit surprised to see postings claiming "John Norman" as a good male feminist writer since I thought everybody knew this. I'm probably the millionth person to point this out. -- Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473
chabot@miles.DEC (10/29/85)
> No, you're probably the millionth bozo to not notice the guy was KIDDING. > Hasn't anyone found it strange that all the authors mentioned were female > with male pseudonyms? And that the Gor novels are so sexist even a five- > year-old could tell? I'd be willing to bet (though I haven't read anything > by Tiptree) "The Screwfly Solution" has a real *downbeat* ending. > > Scott J. Berry > ihnp4!hou2g!scott WHAT!!! Er, Scott, we do believe that Piers Anthony and John Norman are not nor were ever women! (What do you mean "all the authors mentioned"?!) (Maybe males with male pseudonyms, but not "female with male pseudonyms".) And then, I know a woman named "Andre"; so who's to say what's a "male" pseudonym. "Jason?! That's a dog's name." Disclaimer: I speak for myself (at best), not for the evil vaxian empire.
peter@graffiti.UUCP (Peter da Silva) (11/03/85)
Hold on a second? > Anthony is the pen-name for Toni Pearce, who lives in Boise, Idaho. > She started writing under a male name because she felt she was > having trouble getting rejections because she was a woman. Peirs Anthony Dillingham Jacob is really Toni Pearce? Nah... > John Norman, alias Norma Johnson has been writing Gor books for years. > I'm a bit surprised to see postings claiming "John Norman" as a good > male feminist writer since I thought everybody knew this. John Norman, whose Gor books are so offensive that The Other Change of Hobbit, an SF bookstore in Berkeley, refuses to carry them? Feminist? What sort of alternate universe are you from? Hey, April first was months ago. -- Name: Peter da Silva Graphic: `-_-' UUCP: ...!shell!{graffiti,baylor}!peter IAEF: ...!kitty!baylor!peter
franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams) (11/05/85)
[Not food] Based on the postings I have seen in this group recently, I have come to the conclusion that anyone posting a humorous article should put a smiley face on every line. At the end of the article doesn't seem to be good enough. Frank Adams ihpn4!philabs!pwa-b!mmintl!franka Multimate International 52 Oakland Ave North E. Hartford, CT 06108