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elizafiedler's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
catsy2022's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
interrowhimper's review against another edition
4.0
These stories are permeated with a sort of haze of violent male sexuality. Some interesting ideas and a lot of disturbing tone.
lindy_b's review against another edition
5.0
In this collection's title story, the protagonist attempts to "conjure love out of extinction to shield him[self] against hell" (p. 400). I think this sums up the anthology.
At the time of Tiptree's writing, the idea of biology being destiny was rapidly gaining traction with little substantial critique. The previously pervasive imperial patriarchal epistemology of religion succumbed to an imperial patriarchal epistemology of science as undeniable truth. Add a general social preoccupation with Freud, and when Tiptree asks herself if there's any hope for women, the answer is a resounding no. In these stories, Tiptree chronicles the resulting betrayal, rage, anguish, and alienation. It's devastatingly depressing and devastatingly beautiful.
Volume highlights: "The Screwfly Solution," "The Girl Who Was Plugged In," Houston, Houston, Do You Read?," "Love Is The Plan The Plan Is Death," "Slow Music"
At the time of Tiptree's writing, the idea of biology being destiny was rapidly gaining traction with little substantial critique. The previously pervasive imperial patriarchal epistemology of religion succumbed to an imperial patriarchal epistemology of science as undeniable truth. Add a general social preoccupation with Freud, and when Tiptree asks herself if there's any hope for women, the answer is a resounding no. In these stories, Tiptree chronicles the resulting betrayal, rage, anguish, and alienation. It's devastatingly depressing and devastatingly beautiful.
Volume highlights: "The Screwfly Solution," "The Girl Who Was Plugged In," Houston, Houston, Do You Read?," "Love Is The Plan The Plan Is Death," "Slow Music"
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
I started reading this on a six hour flight around Christmas. Well, I tried to. I’m seated next to an older couple. The husband first laments the fact that he won’t have the extra space he had hoped for before I showed up, but then magnanimously concedes that I seem like the sort of person one can talk to, because “one cannot talk to one’s wife for an entire flight, you know?” Wink wink. His wife looks relieved. He goes on to tell me about himself (“You see, I’m the kind of person who…”), because something in my silence and strained smile tells him I long to hear this. When I desperately grab Tiptree, he fails to take the hint and asks to see the book. Defeated, I hand it over. He takes a look at the hideous, nostril-heavy cover, reads that it is about “love, sex and death; and humanity’s place in a vast, cold universe”, seems perplexed, says “So, uh, this is..?” I think about telling him everything I learned from the Tiptree biography I just read, but decide it’s tempting fate and instead put on my sleep mask and ear plugs (which do not prevent me from hearing him ask: “So is that mask for sleeping, or are you just resting?”)
Well, this encounter popped up in my mind in the following weeks as I read these excellent stories for the first time. Tiptree’s view on men is awfully pessimistic. Even the seemingly decent ones turn into rapists and violent bullies given the chance, sometimes as a part of their personal development, sometimes simply because they are men. The occasional whiff of gender essentialism felt a little disturbing, but she does describe the male gaze in what seems to me a very believable way. If I only met men who feel entitled to two seats on the plane and expect the ladies to listen rapturously to their narcissistic ramblings, I might share her pessimism. Luckily, the assholes of this world seem to be fairly evenly divided between the genders, so I still have some hope (although a six hour flight among merry holiday-makers will make you despair of humanity). She certainly poses some interesting questions about gender, sexuality and justice. Oh, and her stories have the best titles ever. My favorites: The Screwfly Solution, Your Faces, O My Sisters! Your Faces Filled of Light!, Houston, Houston, Do You Read?, With Delicate Mad Hands and A Momentary Taste of Being. How could you resist reading those?
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Well, this encounter popped up in my mind in the following weeks as I read these excellent stories for the first time. Tiptree’s view on men is awfully pessimistic. Even the seemingly decent ones turn into rapists and violent bullies given the chance, sometimes as a part of their personal development, sometimes simply because they are men. The occasional whiff of gender essentialism felt a little disturbing, but she does describe the male gaze in what seems to me a very believable way. If I only met men who feel entitled to two seats on the plane and expect the ladies to listen rapturously to their narcissistic ramblings, I might share her pessimism. Luckily, the assholes of this world seem to be fairly evenly divided between the genders, so I still have some hope (although a six hour flight among merry holiday-makers will make you despair of humanity). She certainly poses some interesting questions about gender, sexuality and justice. Oh, and her stories have the best titles ever. My favorites: The Screwfly Solution, Your Faces, O My Sisters! Your Faces Filled of Light!, Houston, Houston, Do You Read?, With Delicate Mad Hands and A Momentary Taste of Being. How could you resist reading those?
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jmercury's review against another edition
5.0
"With Delicate Mad Hands" is genius. I haven't cried over a book in a long time, but this one pulled them from me effortlessly. I can't wait to read more of Tiptree's work and explore this mind which had a stunning grasp of the human condition.
ebil's review against another edition
5.0
I rated 5 stars, took a step back to think about the other works I’ve rated 5, and concluded either i need to give them a bit less somehow or bump this one to a damn 6.
audiobook_addict's review against another edition
5.0
This was the most extensive collection of Tiptree's that I've ever read for sure. A geinite classic in the scifi genre and way ahead of his/her time for sure. I never knew she was a pseudonym for the longest time growing up, but Tiptree's stories always seemed to stick with me. There is no exception here. If you want a good classic read and a comprehensive read fron an author such as Tiptree Junior, you might want to dive into it. It will blow your socks off.
poachedeggs's review against another edition
4.0
It only took me 7 years to pick this one up again and finish it.
Last paragraph of the title story: "A joy he cannot bear rises in his fourteen-year-old heart as he peers down at the magic ducks, sees his boat safe by the path he's cut; not understanding why the wind shrieks pain through the peaks above as he starts leaping down the rocks holding his ax and his first own gun, down to the dark lake under the cold stars, forever."
Last paragraph of the title story: "A joy he cannot bear rises in his fourteen-year-old heart as he peers down at the magic ducks, sees his boat safe by the path he's cut; not understanding why the wind shrieks pain through the peaks above as he starts leaping down the rocks holding his ax and his first own gun, down to the dark lake under the cold stars, forever."
lordenglishssbm's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I hadn't listened to this in audiobook form, because the main appeal of the collection is Tiptree's (real name Alice Sheldon) prose. Her stories are generally well-written and intelligent. They're also very thematically repetitive.
The stories are about men and women, and specifically men who are unable to understand women because of social and scientific pressures, who frequently destroy said women or themselves (or both, or sometimes all of humanity) because of that divide. The context changes but the thrust of the stories remains the same, and the collection as a whole begins to feel predictable, and I never quite finished it because of that, even though I have a lot of respect for Tiptree's skill.
The Women Men Don't See is probably the best story of the ones I read, and The Girl Who Was Plugged In is fascinating because it's a cyberpunk story that predates Neuromancer. I don't know if I'd say that the whole collection is worth it, but if you read nothing else, at least read those two stories.
The stories are about men and women, and specifically men who are unable to understand women because of social and scientific pressures, who frequently destroy said women or themselves (or both, or sometimes all of humanity) because of that divide. The context changes but the thrust of the stories remains the same, and the collection as a whole begins to feel predictable, and I never quite finished it because of that, even though I have a lot of respect for Tiptree's skill.
The Women Men Don't See is probably the best story of the ones I read, and The Girl Who Was Plugged In is fascinating because it's a cyberpunk story that predates Neuromancer. I don't know if I'd say that the whole collection is worth it, but if you read nothing else, at least read those two stories.