Joanna Russ states in the afterward of When It Changed that the story was written to challenge ideas in science fiction that had not, at the time of writing, been addressed. These ideas were related to the way women - and societies consisting solely of women - were handled by writers who are male.
I have read SF stories about manless worlds before; they are either full of busty girls in wisps of chiffon who slink about writhing with lust (Keith Laumer wrote a charming, funny one called "The War with the Yukks"), or the women have set up a static, beelike society in imitation of some presumed primitive matriarchy. These stories are written by men. Why women who have been alone for generations should "instinctively" turn their sexual desires toward persons of whom they have only intellectual knowledge, or why female people are presumed to have an innate preference for Byzantine rigidity, I don't know.Russ also mentions Ursula K. Leguin's novel The Left Hand of Darkness as an influence on the story.
If you think of any supplementary readings that are relevant let us know so we can discuss them in class.
Hope to see you all Friday, Sycamore, 6pm.
No comments:
Post a Comment