From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!burton
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Title: More Piers Anthony sexism
Article-I.D.: inuxc.556
Posted: Thu Dec 16 11:01:25 1982
Received: Sun Dec 19 04:16:32 1982

I have just completed Piers Anthony's "Viscous Circle", which is
altogether a fine book. However, I noticed how blatantly sexist
Anthony is in his science fiction; prior to this novel, I had only
read his Xanth novels, and so contributed his sexism to the genre
in which he was writing. Now I can no longer use this excuse. Was
it just my imagination? Was I being overly sensitive? I realize
Anthony's sexism has been discussed on the net before, but has
anyone discussed his attitudes with regards to science fiction
novels? I recall such lines in "Viscous Circle" as:

	It is the nature of the [female] sex to not give love
	away, but to always use it to gain some advantage.

There were many instances (which I can't remember well enough to
quote) where Anthony makes statements (such as the one above)
about various characteristics of the female sex, which I felt
were at least a little, and in some cases greatly, demeaning.
Has anyone else out there read "Viscous Circle" and gotten a
similar impression?

	Doug Burton
	inuxc!burton