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From: chai@utflis.UUCP (Henry Chai)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: feminist sf/fantasy(re: McCaffery)
Message-ID: <544@utflis.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Oct-85 15:04:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: utflis.544
Posted: Fri Oct 25 15:04:40 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Oct-85 01:35:55 EDT
References: <1009@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: chai@utflis.UUCP (Henry Chai)
Organization: FLIS, University of Toronto
Lines: 22
Summary: 

In article <1009@decwrl.UUCP> @amd.UUCP writes:
>Now, if anyone wants a flame session, just for fun, we can cite examples of
>female authors who write lousy female characters:
>
>  o Anne McCaffrey--okay, I have to admit to a fondness for Lessa, but 
>    _Restoree_ was dreadful!  I'm being a little mean to pick on one book 
>    out of many.
>
Hear! Hear! I've often thought of said book as a Harlequin Romance
in an sf setting.  _Decision on Doona_ is equally horrible: women are seen as
the belong-in-the-kitchen-and-overly-sensitive type.  There was one passage
about a little boy describing in detail how the "native" aliens kill
a local beast for food, and his sister started crying and said something
like "Horrible! Horrible!" and ran to her room.  The mother gave the boy
an angry look, rushed after the girl to comfort her, while father and son
looked at each other in understanding and smiled. Yuck!
But I must point out that comtemporary McCaffery, e.g. "Crystal Singer",
treats the two sexes equally. (the two "bad" books are very early McCaffery)
-- 
Henry Chai, just a humble student at the 
Faculty of Library and Information Science, U of Toronto
{watmath,ihnp4,allegra}!utzoo!utflis!chai