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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
This is a collection of Hurley's (whose science fiction I've enjoyed) non-fiction pieces on the publishing industry, internet trolls, Gamergate, James Tiptree, attempts to hijack the Hugo Awards, 80s action movies, falling into tired tropes even while knowing they're traps, dissecting True Detective and why representation matters.
So relevant and interesting. I got this from the library but intend to buy a copy for frequent rereads.
This book was rough to get through. First off I feel like the marketing is inaccurate, it’s not really so much a “collection of essays on feminism, geek culture, and a writer’s journey” as it is primarily about the author and her struggles to become an author and advice on how to become an author. This is all fine and well, but if I’d known that I probably wouldn’t have bothered with it.
There is one chapter that is particularly good especially with the current attempts to repeal the ACA, where she talks about living with a chronic illness before the ACA. It’s moving and really draws into sharp relief how much this repeal/replace BS is going to hurt people.
But overall, I was frustrated by this book. I didn’t feel like it added anything to my knowledge of geek culture or feminism, it didn’t offer me any new perspectives or challenge my existing views. I think ultimately the writing wasn’t very strong because even though I’ve read similar memoir style essay collections from other writers that I found extremely relatable, I found it really difficult to relate to most of these. I don’t need to relate to an author to enjoy their work, but I need to find something about their work relatable, or thought provoking or something and I just didn’t get that here. There would be moments that engaged me, but on thinking about them later I realized it was just because they were pretty general arguments that I was already aware of and already agreed with.
Overall it’s not an awful book, but there are better books on both feminism and geek culture.
This is from another reviewer and I have to say I agree completely:
“I didn't love this collection, however. And maybe it`s because I read it on the back of the phenomenal Bad Feminist, but the essays in here just didn't move or educate me. I actually feel like 2/3 of the book is falsely advertised - this isn't a collection with feminism at the core, it is more a collection of autobiographical tidbits with feminism as a strong undertone. If I had gone in expecting to mainly be reading about Hurley's life, and her process as a writer, maybe I wouldn't be so disappointed. If you are a young female writer penning SF stories, then this is for you. Hurley gives a lot of advice on how to write (although I often felt that the essays came across as an infomercial for her own books) and she shows how she has failed in the past, and how she persevered until she succeeded. This is all great, but when a book is sold as being about feminism, but is actually a how-to autobiography on becoming a successful SF writer in a male dominated world, it is a bit frustrating.”
There is one chapter that is particularly good especially with the current attempts to repeal the ACA, where she talks about living with a chronic illness before the ACA. It’s moving and really draws into sharp relief how much this repeal/replace BS is going to hurt people.
But overall, I was frustrated by this book. I didn’t feel like it added anything to my knowledge of geek culture or feminism, it didn’t offer me any new perspectives or challenge my existing views. I think ultimately the writing wasn’t very strong because even though I’ve read similar memoir style essay collections from other writers that I found extremely relatable, I found it really difficult to relate to most of these. I don’t need to relate to an author to enjoy their work, but I need to find something about their work relatable, or thought provoking or something and I just didn’t get that here. There would be moments that engaged me, but on thinking about them later I realized it was just because they were pretty general arguments that I was already aware of and already agreed with.
Overall it’s not an awful book, but there are better books on both feminism and geek culture.
This is from another reviewer and I have to say I agree completely:
“I didn't love this collection, however. And maybe it`s because I read it on the back of the phenomenal Bad Feminist, but the essays in here just didn't move or educate me. I actually feel like 2/3 of the book is falsely advertised - this isn't a collection with feminism at the core, it is more a collection of autobiographical tidbits with feminism as a strong undertone. If I had gone in expecting to mainly be reading about Hurley's life, and her process as a writer, maybe I wouldn't be so disappointed. If you are a young female writer penning SF stories, then this is for you. Hurley gives a lot of advice on how to write (although I often felt that the essays came across as an infomercial for her own books) and she shows how she has failed in the past, and how she persevered until she succeeded. This is all great, but when a book is sold as being about feminism, but is actually a how-to autobiography on becoming a successful SF writer in a male dominated world, it is a bit frustrating.”
A collection of short essays, most harvested from blog posts, about intersectional feminism within literature, media, and other geek spheres. This intersectionality is intentional, valuable, and imperfect--I wish it stretched to include mental illness, which is instead equated to bigotry in problematic ways. But on the whole, this is a step above white feminism or feminism 101, although it fails to say anything truly revolutionary. I'm not sold on the tone: anger is a valid and valuable tool, but the swearing combined with the repetitive style and content smacks of what it is: blog posts, edited but still informal and unrefined. I appreciate the intent of this collection, but as a published work I don't think it's particularly successful.
2.5 stars. This book isn't what I expected. It would be better described as a collection of autobiographical essays, rather than any sort of treatise, discussion, or exploration of feminism and geekdom. The author and I are of a similar age and therefore have similar exposure within geekdom. Frankly, if you've been a part of the internet and fandom in the last decade or so there's nothing new here and most of it has been better written elsewhere. In fact, much of the commentary feels blunted and superficial and the author admits they don't speak out as much now that they have books they want published (in other words, now, when they have a platform, they don't want to lose any readers, which feels sort of anti-feminist in the year 2018).
The book has some basic principles I agree with, like kindness and consideration. It makes superficial attempts to call for care and strength but the book is at it's strongest when it quotes other writers who don't have the author's hang up about being loud against various abuses. If you are looking for a light glance at some of the things women have dealt with in society and fandom in the last decade or so, this book will do it. If you know the author or are looking for an autobiography or very basic opinions on writing, this book will do it. Overall it's just far to soft hitting for me and the one essay with any punch, We Have Always Fought, is widely circulated enough that this book feels repetitive in every way.
Quick read, covers a lot but in no real detail, lacks the guts and fire to spark anything in me.
The book has some basic principles I agree with, like kindness and consideration. It makes superficial attempts to call for care and strength but the book is at it's strongest when it quotes other writers who don't have the author's hang up about being loud against various abuses. If you are looking for a light glance at some of the things women have dealt with in society and fandom in the last decade or so, this book will do it. If you know the author or are looking for an autobiography or very basic opinions on writing, this book will do it. Overall it's just far to soft hitting for me and the one essay with any punch, We Have Always Fought, is widely circulated enough that this book feels repetitive in every way.
Quick read, covers a lot but in no real detail, lacks the guts and fire to spark anything in me.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I found myself disappointed in this book, I suppose mostly due to what I thought it would be about, and what it was actually about. I thought this book would be more about women in geek culture, but it ended up being about quite a mix of things. I did really enjoy reading about those topics in geek culture, including being a female writer, Gamergate and the ballot stuffing for the Hugo Awards, and I just wish there was more of that. Even though the book is divided into sections about certain topics, the essays contained within those topics seem even a little disjointed and repetitive in other sections. I found it hard to keep reading sometimes because there was so much jumping around, it just didn't seem to flow well for me. I did think the author has a very strong voice and her mentions of her own fiction and her process of trying to portray women in her novels in new ways sounds like something I would like to read. Even though this book wasn't quite for me, I have high hopes for her fiction.
This collection of essays are top notch. I found myself fist pumping more than a couple times (internally, I was in public reading it a lot of the time and that would make me look crazy if I actually did that externally) by the points she was making. I read a few excerpts out loud to my boyfriend and he is now interested in reading the book. Spreading the good word!
There was a lot to like, and there was a lot to dislike here.
Kameron Hurley guides readers behind the scenes of the sci-fi fantasy writing world. The Geek Feminist Revolution is less a review of all things nerdy from a feminist perspective and more insights on the responsibility Hurley has as a writer to herself, her fans, and her detractors.
To that end: I adore her grit and sheer determination to make it in a difficult industry. To make it in a difficult industry as a female writer. To make it in a difficult industry as a female writer and as an intersectional feminist following the likes of le Guin or Attwood. I love her attitudes on dealing with harassment, her staunch support of other writers in the field, and her capability to mentally juggle her life as a stable provocateur.
But the repetition of her ancedotes to her books, her job outside of novels, or her life in South Africa/Alaska was a circuitous persuit of tutology. Her quick reference to an important caveat in her essay without fully exploring it or connecting it back to the novice reader was off-putting. It made me feel less like a paid audience member and more like a gate crasher fumbling around to be inconspicuous.
There is no doubt Hurley is a good writer. But I think she can still hone her essay craft.
Kameron Hurley guides readers behind the scenes of the sci-fi fantasy writing world. The Geek Feminist Revolution is less a review of all things nerdy from a feminist perspective and more insights on the responsibility Hurley has as a writer to herself, her fans, and her detractors.
To that end: I adore her grit and sheer determination to make it in a difficult industry. To make it in a difficult industry as a female writer. To make it in a difficult industry as a female writer and as an intersectional feminist following the likes of le Guin or Attwood. I love her attitudes on dealing with harassment, her staunch support of other writers in the field, and her capability to mentally juggle her life as a stable provocateur.
But the repetition of her ancedotes to her books, her job outside of novels, or her life in South Africa/Alaska was a circuitous persuit of tutology. Her quick reference to an important caveat in her essay without fully exploring it or connecting it back to the novice reader was off-putting. It made me feel less like a paid audience member and more like a gate crasher fumbling around to be inconspicuous.
There is no doubt Hurley is a good writer. But I think she can still hone her essay craft.
reflective
medium-paced