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A review by pezski
Lightspeed Magazine, June 2014: Women Destroy Science Fiction! Special Edition by Christie Yant
5.0
A worthwhile concept - fighting for recognition against the male-centred manocracy* - and, as it turns out, a bloody good book. The stories are of a consistently high standard and a diverse reach. I didn't read the novel extract (I've never really seen the point of novel extracts included in collections) but everything else was great.
As well as sections broken into original fiction, reprinted fiction and flash fiction (most of which was perfectly adequate short story length, so the only point to it I can see is if you wanted to dip in knowing you can burn through a few tales if you're in that mood without hitting something longer) there is a non-fiction section beginning with a superb artists' gallery, a collection of essays which are superb and then a bunch of short 'personal essays', which are individual writers' views on the subject of Women Destroying Science Fiction - their influences and their own experiences or backgrounds - many of which are great, all of which are interesting although some are obviously tossed-off-in-an-hour filler.
All the 'proper' essays are excellent, one of my favourite being a round-table type discussion between Ursula le Guin, Pat Cadigan, Ellen Datlow & Nancy Kress on being a women within SF, being a feminist and on the changes over the recent decades - in the field in general, as well as the particular feminist slant. So it was bound to be brilliant, really.
From le Guin:
"Long ago, my children, in the days of my youth, our tribe was small and poor, skulking in exile on the margins of the rich kingdom of Literaturia. When we attempted to approach we were driven back with execrations and the throwing of fecal matter by the armed Critics with their battle cry of "Genre! Kill!". We found, however, that many readers so loved us that they came into exile to join us, calling their settlement Fandom, and even in Literaturia, many secretly welcomed us into the their hearts and homes. Over the years, we have grown in number and strength, and there is much intercourse of various kinds and exchange of mental goods. Nowadays, blue-blooded Literaturians, believing they understand our simple customs, often imitate them, badly. Some of our tribe have become somewhat respectable in the streets of Literaturia and pass, at times, almost unscathed among the Critics, The heights of the cities, however, and the great prizes to be found there, are still closed to us. I urge you to continue on the way if your tribal Elders, my children; Ignore execrations, seduce critics, infiltrate curricula, and keep on truckin'."
Damn, but I adore Ursula le Guin.
*I probably don't need to invite discourse of the value of feminism but am more than happy to do so. Bring it on.
As well as sections broken into original fiction, reprinted fiction and flash fiction (most of which was perfectly adequate short story length, so the only point to it I can see is if you wanted to dip in knowing you can burn through a few tales if you're in that mood without hitting something longer) there is a non-fiction section beginning with a superb artists' gallery, a collection of essays which are superb and then a bunch of short 'personal essays', which are individual writers' views on the subject of Women Destroying Science Fiction - their influences and their own experiences or backgrounds - many of which are great, all of which are interesting although some are obviously tossed-off-in-an-hour filler.
All the 'proper' essays are excellent, one of my favourite being a round-table type discussion between Ursula le Guin, Pat Cadigan, Ellen Datlow & Nancy Kress on being a women within SF, being a feminist and on the changes over the recent decades - in the field in general, as well as the particular feminist slant. So it was bound to be brilliant, really.
From le Guin:
"Long ago, my children, in the days of my youth, our tribe was small and poor, skulking in exile on the margins of the rich kingdom of Literaturia. When we attempted to approach we were driven back with execrations and the throwing of fecal matter by the armed Critics with their battle cry of "Genre! Kill!". We found, however, that many readers so loved us that they came into exile to join us, calling their settlement Fandom, and even in Literaturia, many secretly welcomed us into the their hearts and homes. Over the years, we have grown in number and strength, and there is much intercourse of various kinds and exchange of mental goods. Nowadays, blue-blooded Literaturians, believing they understand our simple customs, often imitate them, badly. Some of our tribe have become somewhat respectable in the streets of Literaturia and pass, at times, almost unscathed among the Critics, The heights of the cities, however, and the great prizes to be found there, are still closed to us. I urge you to continue on the way if your tribal Elders, my children; Ignore execrations, seduce critics, infiltrate curricula, and keep on truckin'."
Damn, but I adore Ursula le Guin.
*I probably don't need to invite discourse of the value of feminism but am more than happy to do so. Bring it on.