Comments on: four entirely unrelated items

By: Pam I

Pam I — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:21:26 +0000

I use “partners” as a non-specific catch-all. If we all use that all the time the whole discrimination thing is reduced (albeit only conceptually, not pension-wise). It also allows for eg non-cohabiting couples, or 4-way things a la Fisherman on Inland Sea.

By: Duncan

Duncan — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 01:28:48 +0000

I third (or fourth or fifth) the recommendation of Delany, though if that image of feces bothers you, don’t read Delany’s The Mad Man. (And Delany and Hacker were married, not “partners.” They have a daughter, Iva, who’s an adult by now — they were very young when they married, in their late teens.)

The reason I don’t like Lessing’s “space fiction” is that I love science fiction, and they’re a blot on the genre. “The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five” was the only one I found halfway readable; the others were mainly cant and preaching.

Thanks for the link to LeGuin’s review of Winterson, Pam!

By: Pam I

Pam I — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:19:36 +0000

One last link – Ursula Le Guin reviewing Jeanette Winterson’s Stone Gods in the Guardian this month: http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,,2174341,00.html
Critically enthusiastic (or is that an oxymoron?).

By: Lizzie from London

Lizzie from London — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 07:51:48 +0000

Ah – lots of writers I haven’t heard of for those moments in between ….. Thanks.

By: April

April — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:18:32 +0000

Maggie,
Yes, Firefly is the most fantastic femslash entertainment ever. Plus that coastguard thing sounds great!

By: dc

dc — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 04:29:25 +0000

Browsed through this thread, loved Lessing’s early work.

Has anyone mentioned the Man Booker Prize?
http://www.themanbookerprize.com/

The winner was announced last night.It was won by Anne Enright, an Irish writer. She’s quite an amazing writer – quirky, incisive, caustic, funny, insightful and quite challenging to the male-centric viewpoint.

I look forward to reading the prize-winning novel, The Gathering.

Here’s a link to an interview with her, before she won:
http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2007/10/16/anne-enright-interview-and-booker-betting/

By: Maggie Jochild

Maggie Jochild — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:44:29 +0000

One more recommend — Island in the Sea of Time, by S.M. Stirling. A cosmic disturbance sends Nantucket Island back in time 3000 years. Fairly standard time-travel/utopia rag, except the chief protagonist is an African-American Lesbian Coast Guard captain, who finds her true love in a pre-Celtic woman who lives in what will become the British Isles. They wind up with two daughters. And their relationship rings true. Way fun.

By: Maggie Jochild

Maggie Jochild — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:33:51 +0000

Delaney and MARILYN HACKER?!! Wow. Now that’s something to think over.

By: Maggie Jochild

Maggie Jochild — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:23:26 +0000

Oh, Dark Angel! How I miss that show. Especially her kick-ass dyke roommate.

I’m betting there’s a world of Firefly fans here as well.

By: Silvio Soprani

Silvio Soprani — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:30:19 +0000

Dr. Empirical,

I will have to read some John Varley.

This business of modifying the body reminds me of William Gibson’s post-apocalyptic settings where the punks have their faces or their heads or their limbs modified; part functional; part cosmetic.

A couple of episodes of the late great DARK ANGEL stole this concept but did it very well.