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From: mhirsch@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (Michael Hirsch)
Newsgroups: net.books,net.sf-lovers,net.motss
Subject: Re: Should book ads disclose sexual slant?
Message-ID: <11646@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Sat, 1-Feb-86 00:59:39 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.11646
Posted: Sat Feb  1 00:59:39 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 17:54:51 EST
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Reply-To: mhirsch@brahms.UUCP (Michael Hirsch)
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
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Keywords: gay sex
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In article <424@stcvax.UUCP> dlb@stcvax.UUCP (David Black) writes:
>I'm a little surprised about the complaint about the sexual content
>of the Delaney novel.  I read the book a couple of weeks ago so the
>general impression that it gave is still fresh in my mind.  Sexual
>desire is an important part of the book but sex acts themselves are
>not, so unless the original poster's objection is to the very idea
>or mention of homosexuality, I don't understand what the complaint
>is.  I understand that the original posting was about the general
>idea of labeling but I don't understand how this particular book
>provoked it.
>Are there others who have read the book and can comment on their
>reactions to the sexual action vs. the sexual orientation?


I too was a little thrown by the sexual orientation.  Not the gender
orientation, but the fact that the protagonist was gay, but that
he was only interested in men with acne scars who bit their nails.
However, I don't think the publisher should have to warn readers
"This book is cheifly of interest to Ugly homosexual nailbiters."

What I do object to is that the blurb on the back said the book
was about a love affair that would affect the galaxy.  This in fact 
never happened.  In fact, nothing ever happened.  The whole book
sets the scene for the sequel (which may or may not be out now).
I guess the publishers decided (possibly correctly) that the SF
reading public would not but a novel advertised as a character study.
That's too bad, because as a character study it is interesting.
The writing is pretty good, too.  I especially liked the way Delany
turns sexual imagery on it's head by calling everyone 'she' unless
she/he/it is being thought of sexually, in which case Delaney uses
'he'. 

The sexuality of the book was unusual, but in no way disturbing.
It also was not at all erotic, which is unusual in a modern book
about love.