Comments on: Mindblowing Science Fiction by Women http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233 Feminists blog about science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy. Books, movies, comics, games, reason, & ranting. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:30:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Män-sklighetens fall « Wastelandz Bloggen http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-271526 Män-sklighetens fall « Wastelandz Bloggen Sat, 29 May 2010 20:38:33 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-271526 [...] Feminist SF – The Blog! – Mindblowing Science Fiction by Women [...] [...] Feminist SF – The Blog! – Mindblowing Science Fiction by Women [...]

]]> By: Science fiction and fantasy (not that sort) women « Godard’s Letterboxes http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-253633 Science fiction and fantasy (not that sort) women « Godard’s Letterboxes Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:40:39 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-253633 [...] The fabulous work on the alternative Hottest 100 and the work on the Feminist SF site on Mindblowing Science Fiction by Women. Also I have seen some wonderful lists of science fiction related areas recently, including Den of [...] [...] The fabulous work on the alternative Hottest 100 and the work on the Feminist SF site on Mindblowing Science Fiction by Women. Also I have seen some wonderful lists of science fiction related areas recently, including Den of [...]

]]> By: Cecilia Tan http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-252675 Cecilia Tan Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:41:23 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-252675 Oooh, and another shout out for Rosemary Kirstein's "Steerswoman" books. I love love love those books. They are smart and deep and Big Concept and feature deeply engaging characters, too. They remind me of how much I loved reading Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley as a kid, except this is for me as a grown-up. Read them, read them, read them. Oooh, and another shout out for Rosemary Kirstein’s “Steerswoman” books. I love love love those books. They are smart and deep and Big Concept and feature deeply engaging characters, too. They remind me of how much I loved reading Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley as a kid, except this is for me as a grown-up. Read them, read them, read them.

]]> By: Cecilia Tan http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-252674 Cecilia Tan Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:37:36 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-252674 Actually -- and note this is not to defend the editor's weak defense of himself -- the majority of the names and titles I see on this list are what I'd consider 'mind-blowing' sf in that they are great, thought-provoking, big-concept books by women but they don't mostly fit the concept he claims he was centered his choices around, of a narrow range of breakthrough science concepts. What we needed clearly was a Mammoth Book of Big-Concept Science Fiction that would include social sciences, psychology, and such, and then Margaret Atwood, Mary Doria Russell, Ursula K. LeGuin, et. al. would be shoe-ins. But that is all intellectualizing after the fact. I think the plain truth is probably just that the damn guy included the stuff he read, liked, & knew himself already. And/or that in his wee mind, all these books written by women were categorized in his head as "women's sf" and therefore simply didn't count in his considerations. I'm not surprised the guys are getting so defensive, though. They know we're taking over the industry and that when book publishing as we know it is dead, it's women who will control what's left. Why? Because women still read more books than men, and because the worse an industry does (and the lower its pay scale gets) the more women will be employed by it. Book publishing is already female-dominated at most levels and has been for 20 years. For big-concept books by women, how about The Snow Queen by Joan Vinge? Actually — and note this is not to defend the editor’s weak defense of himself — the majority of the names and titles I see on this list are what I’d consider ‘mind-blowing’ sf in that they are great, thought-provoking, big-concept books by women but they don’t mostly fit the concept he claims he was centered his choices around, of a narrow range of breakthrough science concepts. What we needed clearly was a Mammoth Book of Big-Concept Science Fiction that would include social sciences, psychology, and such, and then Margaret Atwood, Mary Doria Russell, Ursula K. LeGuin, et. al. would be shoe-ins.

But that is all intellectualizing after the fact. I think the plain truth is probably just that the damn guy included the stuff he read, liked, & knew himself already. And/or that in his wee mind, all these books written by women were categorized in his head as “women’s sf” and therefore simply didn’t count in his considerations.

I’m not surprised the guys are getting so defensive, though. They know we’re taking over the industry and that when book publishing as we know it is dead, it’s women who will control what’s left. Why? Because women still read more books than men, and because the worse an industry does (and the lower its pay scale gets) the more women will be employed by it. Book publishing is already female-dominated at most levels and has been for 20 years.

For big-concept books by women, how about The Snow Queen by Joan Vinge?

]]> By: links for 2009-08-29 « The Mushkush Digest http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-252407 links for 2009-08-29 « The Mushkush Digest Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:02:35 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-252407 [...] Mindblowing Science Fiction by Women (tags: unfiled page) [...] [...] Mindblowing Science Fiction by Women (tags: unfiled page) [...]

]]> By: Geeks Love Lists: Awesome Science Fiction By Women | Geek Feminism Blog http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-252343 Geeks Love Lists: Awesome Science Fiction By Women | Geek Feminism Blog Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:32:29 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-252343 [...] are still adding to the original posts and to the one at Tor.com, which makes me happy. It shows that even when you’ve named [...] [...] are still adding to the original posts and to the one at Tor.com, which makes me happy. It shows that even when you’ve named [...]

]]> By: Lake Desire http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-252135 Lake Desire Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:50:31 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-252135 I love Larissa Lai's work! I think her short story "Rachel," based on <i>Bladerunner</i>, is a great example of a woman of color reclaiming a white male narrative. I love Larissa Lai’s work! I think her short story “Rachel,” based on Bladerunner, is a great example of a woman of color reclaiming a white male narrative.

]]> By: the angry black woman http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-252121 the angry black woman Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:05:18 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-252121 well thank you SO MUCH, flenflan, for your stimulating response to the topic at hand. Next time you stop by to comment, it would really help if you were: A - on topic B - not stupid C - not an ass D - intelligent If you can manage to nail all four of those, you'll be well on your way to being a productive member of the human race. Cheers! well thank you SO MUCH, flenflan, for your stimulating response to the topic at hand. Next time you stop by to comment, it would really help if you were:

A – on topic
B – not stupid
C – not an ass
D – intelligent

If you can manage to nail all four of those, you’ll be well on your way to being a productive member of the human race. Cheers!

]]> By: flenflan http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-251986 flenflan Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:44:46 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-251986 Feminist science-fiction? How much science fiction can you really squeeze out of gender-issues? I mean, it's such a damn boring subject. Now black holes and time-travel I can see, but the whole put-upon-woman thing. Yawn! Feminist science-fiction? How much science fiction can you really squeeze out of gender-issues? I mean, it’s such a damn boring subject. Now black holes and time-travel I can see, but the whole put-upon-woman thing. Yawn!

]]> By: Mindblowing SF Lists at Feminist SF – The Blog! http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233&cpage=1#comment-251891 Mindblowing SF Lists at Feminist SF – The Blog! Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:40:13 +0000 http://blogs.feministsf.net/?p=1233#comment-251891 [...] other day I asked folks to name me some mindblowing sf stories, novels and authors in response to this silliness here. As I expected, you came through, as did a bunch of other people [...] [...] other day I asked folks to name me some mindblowing sf stories, novels and authors in response to this silliness here. As I expected, you came through, as did a bunch of other people [...]

]]>