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arf88's review
3.0
This collection was very hit or miss, with more misses than hits. Nearly all the stories were utter misery, which probably shouldn't be a surprise considering when it was put together. Bizarrely however there were a couple of stories with no gay or lesbian characters, so I have no idea why they were included.
Vamp by Mike Conner
A relatively strong opening, very weird and creepy.
When It Changed by Joanna Russ
An interesting premise, but the author gives the character views they shouldn't have based on their experiences. She let too much of her reality seep in.
The Night Wind by Edgar Pangborn
One of the stronger stories here, sad but hopeful, not really very sci-fi though, more like non-specific historical fiction.
The Woman Who Loved The Moon by Elizabeth A. Lynn
A nice fairy tale type story, I wasn't really a fan of the writing style.
Going Down by Barry N. Malzberg
I wasn't really sure what this one was trying to say, that men's kinks are so horrific that it leads them to utter apathy?
Black Rose and White Rose by Rachel Pollack
Wasn't a fan of the writing style in this one. Very fairy tale like again.
Flowering Narcissus by Thomas N. Scortia
There was nothing gay or lesbian here, it was all heterosexual self-incest.
Nuclear Fission by Paul Novitski
This was Misandry: The Story, which was probably the point based on the little intro we got at the start. An interesting premise for a story, and the only trans character in the collection.
Passengers by Robert Silverburg
Really liked the premise of this one. However the only thing "gay" about it is right at the end and um... it's not good.
The Prodigal Daughter by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
I liked the premise of this more than the execution. More fantasy than sci-fi and the writing was not to my tastes.
Broken Tool by Theodore L. Thomas
Again, nothing gay or lesbian here. The part that I think was suppose to be gay was an older instructor getting overly attached to his younger student because the student reminded him of his dead son...
How We Saved The Human Race by David Gerrold
And we end on a high note! Probably the best story in this collection. Would you expect less from the man who gave us Tribbles?
Vamp by Mike Conner
A relatively strong opening, very weird and creepy.
When It Changed by Joanna Russ
An interesting premise, but the author gives the character views they shouldn't have based on their experiences. She let too much of her reality seep in.
The Night Wind by Edgar Pangborn
One of the stronger stories here, sad but hopeful, not really very sci-fi though, more like non-specific historical fiction.
The Woman Who Loved The Moon by Elizabeth A. Lynn
A nice fairy tale type story, I wasn't really a fan of the writing style.
Going Down by Barry N. Malzberg
I wasn't really sure what this one was trying to say, that men's kinks are so horrific that it leads them to utter apathy?
Black Rose and White Rose by Rachel Pollack
Wasn't a fan of the writing style in this one. Very fairy tale like again.
Flowering Narcissus by Thomas N. Scortia
There was nothing gay or lesbian here, it was all heterosexual self-incest.
Nuclear Fission by Paul Novitski
This was Misandry: The Story, which was probably the point based on the little intro we got at the start. An interesting premise for a story, and the only trans character in the collection.
Passengers by Robert Silverburg
Really liked the premise of this one. However the only thing "gay" about it is right at the end and um... it's not good.
The Prodigal Daughter by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
I liked the premise of this more than the execution. More fantasy than sci-fi and the writing was not to my tastes.
Broken Tool by Theodore L. Thomas
Again, nothing gay or lesbian here. The part that I think was suppose to be gay was an older instructor getting overly attached to his younger student because the student reminded him of his dead son...
How We Saved The Human Race by David Gerrold
And we end on a high note! Probably the best story in this collection. Would you expect less from the man who gave us Tribbles?
serena_dawn's review
2.0
The more I think of this anthology, the less I like it. I like if not happy endings, a reasonable ending - something that begins and ends and has a little thought to it. There were a lot of thoughts here, but nothing really stood out to say why it was put together the way it was.
It had...a slapped together feel, as if no real thought or care was put into putting this book out in print. If there were any stories I truly liked, I can not recall them now. I sent this book off in swap to somewhere in England where someone wanted it.
Oh, well.
It had...a slapped together feel, as if no real thought or care was put into putting this book out in print. If there were any stories I truly liked, I can not recall them now. I sent this book off in swap to somewhere in England where someone wanted it.
Oh, well.
plexippa's review
2.0
This book is definitely a product of its time. Published in the mid-1980s, which makes reading the stories set in the then-future particularly interesting. A number of the stories are more fantasy than sci-fi; that was a little surprising. A couple of the stories were really engaging, but the tone of the book overall is rather pessimistic.
This book fulfills the Read Harder 2018 task #20: "Read a book with a cover you hate". That cover is something, all right.
This book fulfills the Read Harder 2018 task #20: "Read a book with a cover you hate". That cover is something, all right.
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