So I read the post about how women were ruining sci-fi last week. And I got mad. So mad I could hardly see straight. But not so mad that I started posting my rant in the comments. I would not have furthered the discussion in any way.
I grew up on sci fi. I love sci fi. I love speculative fiction in all of its guises, whether it takes place on a spaceship, in a magical realm, or in the most horrific recesses of hell. I love male writers, including Philip Jose Farmer, Isaac Asimov, and Stephen King. But I really love the space operas by Julian May, Elizabeth Moon, and Anne McCaffrey. Stories that take the science for granted and focus on the characters. I loathe sci fi that waxes poetic about the inner workings of space travel at the expense of a story or a cast of characters that hold my interest. If a focus on characters douches up sci fi, well then, I prefer it douchy, I guess.
Here is a collection of some of the more well-reasoned and coherent responses to the “women are ruining sci fi” blog post.
- By Special Request: War on Sci Fi at the Fantasy Cafe
- Women: Villainous Scourge of Hollywood at Cinematical
- Is Science Fiction Feminized, or Is It Sexist? Both at i09
- My Vagina Killed your Jet Pack at Pink Ray Gun
What do you think? Do you think the evolution of sci fi to a more character-driven focus is destroying the genre? Do you believe that the purpose of sci fi is to lure young people into scientific careers? If so, do you think the less science-y sci fi will fail at that goal?
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Pop Culture Curmudgeon » My Rant on Women and Sci Fi // Oct 19, 2009 at 10:49 pm
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Personally I have always loved Asimov. I feel he has set some of the major standards for Sci-Fi and I don’t think I am alone. Judging by the naming of the Honda robot Asimo, which despite what they say the acronym stands for is just to close not to be a contraction of Asimov.
And some of his best work is all character based with the science assisting the story not driving it.
My personal favorites are the short detective stories based on his agoraphobic detective and with those, the ’sci’ is very much in the background.
So if it is good enough for Asimov to write a story where the science and the characters inhabit the same universe, then it’s good enough for me.
andy Shackcloth´s last blog ..Sunday Wash-Up, 18th October
My new mantra: If it’s good enough for Asimov…
I will be honest. I usually skipped over the boring descriptions of why something worked when reading “hard” sci fi. I cared about what happened, not why the spaceship worked. Unless it was something interesting and different, like Anne McCaffrey’s brain ships.
I loved that stories took place in the dark reaches of space or on other worlds. The authors didn’t need to impress me with science word after science word.
Thanks for visiting and sharing your opinion!
Jennifer Roland´s last blog ..Women and Sci Fi
Thanks for the list of articles, I’m going to run through them.
I think women liking sci-fi is excellent. My dad would not have a person to go to sci-fi movies with, without me. And since he hates going to movies alone, he’d wait for their release on TV. Where’s the fun in that? lol
I read Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game just last week. Loved it. Hell, I owe a bunch of boys an apology for not reading it sooner, preferring my romances to their sci-fi books. lol
Keira´s last blog ..Get into Bed with Hellen Hollick (Author Interview #2)
I still haven’t read Ender’s Game. It sounds like I really should.