steven@qubix.UUCP (Steven Maurer) (02/17/84)
I am sure that there are people out there who hate Heinlien,
because of his "right wing" (and sometimes libertarian) slants.
However, I might note that Heinlein is hardly atypical in this
respect. I have noticed that almost all authors try to fit their
own particular brand of politics into their stories, from The
Martian Way, up to 1984.
What is really terrible is to see a once excellent author, like
Heinlein, go bad. A little politics is fine, especially if it
is incorporated well into the plot line. But when the author
starts to harrangue, that is where is becomes not worth reading.
There are some authors that I buy just because they have written
the story, and I feel really ripped off when I start reading a real
politicized dog.
The latest author who has fallen into this pit is Marion Zimmer
Bradley. Her Darkover novels have always been written with a bit
of "feminine slant" (i.e. the plots center around: women forced
to have children, women rebelling against the sexist society they
live in, the creulty of men, protagonists who are helpless in their
fate, woman/woman relationships, etc.), HOWEVER her latest novel
Thendara House really tears it.
God what a suck novel.
Instead of having the heroine try to choose between her husband,
and her honor -- or choose between the Terran or the Darkover culture
-- instead, she makes the husband become an absolute caracicature
of MCPig'ism. He is set up like a piece of cardboard. He greedily
lusts after her womb, and is generally so obnoxious it is hard to
believe that she would stay with him for more than 1 chapter. The
rest of the book is drooling self-anylisis, streching a 2 chapter
plot over 300 pages.
I certainly hope that Ms. Bradley gets over her extremism. I know
it can be done, even Heinlein has gotten a lot better with his new
book Friday.
Steven Maurerjmike@uokvax.UUCP (03/01/84)
#R:qubix:-84900:uokvax:5400043:000:900
uokvax!jmike Feb 22 11:55:00 1984
[]
Well I'm a male and I enjoyed Thendara House. As I read the
book I took no offense, but then maybe that was because the author
wasn't talking about me. Were you like one of the characters in
the book? Is that why you took offense? I though that Zimmer wrote
an excellent book portraying a clash of cultures. Keep in mind that
she isn't necessarily writing about our culture (although I'm not
so sure it doesn't fit in many cases). The plot was very well
written and really made me think about culture clashes and looking
beyond what most of us take for granted. (and i'm not just refering
to male-female relationships... i'm refering to thousands of
pseudo behaviors that society has created). But I suppose that
if you were preoccupied with worrying about your male ego, you
might have missed that.
mike
...ctvax!uokvax!jmikesteven@qubix.UUCP (Steven Maurer) (03/06/84)
>> Well I'm a male and I enjoyed Thendara House. As I read the > book I took no offense, but then maybe that was because the author > wasn't talking about me. Were you like one of the characters in > the book? Is that why you took offense? No, I guess I just take offense easily. In the same vein, I am unlike any character in any GOR book I have ever looked at, but also take offense at the plastic portrayals of people. The major difference between GOR and Thendra House simply seems to be the thrust of the novels: One creates an absolutely sexist society to revel in sado-mashochism, one creates an absolutely sexist society, to attempt to show that it is no different than our own. Both are such bad writing, they made me barf. > I though that Zimmer wrote > an excellent book portraying a clash of cultures. Keep in mind that > she isn't necessarily writing about our culture (although I'm not > so sure it doesn't fit in many cases). The plot was very well > written and really made me think about culture clashes and looking > beyond what most of us take for granted. (and i'm not just refering > to male-female relationships... i'm refering to thousands of > pseudo behaviors that society has created). It would help Marion Zimmer Bradely, if she ever read any NON-FICTION books on the same subject. Perhaps she might wake up from her fantasy long enough to realise that there are quite a few present day culture clashes, considerably more interesting than her own. More interesting because they are not totally centered around male-female relationships, and because they are REAL. (In Thendara House, not a man from either culture is presented as a loving, caring person; in NONE of her books, does any "good" male protagonist like the society he are living in. -- Perhaps if she (or you) read anything by Fernia about Islamic culture for instance, you might actually loosen up that feminist cultural bigotry that you have. > But I suppose that > if you were preoccupied with worrying about your male ego, you > might have missed that. This is an example of "feminist cultural bigotry". I dislike that preachy book, therefore I am "preoccupied with worrying about" my MALE ego..... Steven Maurer