ops@ncsc (08/26/85)
From: ------ Operator <ops@ncsc> A word of enthusiasm for Jessica Amanda Salmonson, her excellent anthologies, and the Tomoe Gozen saga. First, Tomoe Gozen is not just an invention of the author, she is a figure from Japanese legend and mythology finely drawn and interpreted by Ms. Salmonson. The saga of Tomoe Gozen is classic tragic heroic fantasy, in the tradition of the Odessey. It is not a grandmother's tale, though my boys enjoyed parts of it as bedtime stories. There are at present three Tomoe Gozen books, though I can recall only the title of the first and second books. They are _Tomoe_Gozen_ and _The_Golden_Naginata_ respectively. Ms. Salmonson has written another novel, _The_Swordswoman_, which begins with the mental breakdown of a martial artist after she kills an opponent during a match. She finds herself transported to another dimension/world with a feudal Japanese culture. Although I do not feel this book is as well written as the Tomoe Gozen saga, it is worth reading. Ms. Salmonson is the editor of, among others, _Amazons_ and _Amazons_II_, two excellent anthologies of heroic fiction about women. One of my favorite pieces (in _Amazons_, I believe) is "Sister Light, Sister Dark" by Jane Yolan, who recently published the hauntingly lovely novel _The_Cards_of_Grief_ and who is known mainly for her children's books. Ms. Salmonson has also published work by a Canadian author based on African legend and mythology about women warriors who ride rhinos into battle. Frostflower and Thorn stories have also appeared in her anthologies. I highly recommend Jessica Amanda Salmonson's work, both as editor and author, especially for those tired of stereotypical portrayals of women in science fiction and fantasy. jesse (ops@ncsc) -------
brust@hyper.UUCP (Steven Brust) (08/28/85)
> > ........................................................ One of my > favorite pieces (in _Amazons_, I believe) is "Sister Light, Sister Dark" > by Jane Yolan, who recently published the hauntingly lovely novel > _The_Cards_of_Grief_ and who is known mainly for her children's books. > > > jesse (ops@ncsc) > > ------- Just an enthusiastic endorsement of Jane Yolan in general, and CARD OF GRIEF and "Sister Light, Sister Dark" in particular. -- SKZB