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From: ariels@orca.UUCP (Ariel Shattan)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: C.J.Cherryh, Tanith Lee, and other assorted female SF authors...
Message-ID: <1367@orca.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Feb-85 13:38:41 EST
Article-I.D.: orca.1367
Posted: Mon Feb 25 13:38:41 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Mar-85 06:32:48 EST
References: <72@cvl.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: sixes and sevens
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> How many people out there have read and liked any/all of Cherryh's stuff
> or Tanith Lee's works?  I liked Cherryh's Downbelow Station a lot and much
> of Tanith Lee's wierder stories.  A friend of mine however won't read any
> of that stuff on first principles.  To paraphrase him, "after all, how many
> really good female SF authors do you know?"  I personally think that the
> number is certainly substantial.  I guess a lot of female SF writers though
> are still suffering from prejudices such as this and find that they must hide
> behind names which are patently male or gender non-specific.  Cases in point
> are C.J.Cherryh and Andre Norton.
> 
> -eli

Tell your friend to come out of the dark ages!  What a dumb thing to
say!  

"I'm not going to read anything by Chip Delaney or Steve Barnes.
 After all, How many really good black SF authors are there"

"I'm not going to read anything by Issac Asimov, Harlan Ellison, or
 Avram Davidson.  After all, how many really good Jewish SF authors
 are there?"


ETC

Your friend is missing out on Vonda McIntyre, Ursula LeGuin, Joan
Vinge, James Tiptree, Jr., Kate Wilhelm, and many other lesser known
but still good authors.  

Your friend is hiding behind prejudices formed when there were no
female SF authors.  Personally, I think he's missing a great deal.
I also think he deserves to miss out, if he can't get beyond
his backward, stupid, blind outlook on new things.

Give him some James Tiptree, and don't tell him 'til later that
she's a woman...

Ariel Shattan

..!tektronix!orca!ariels