Comments on The Galaxy Express: A Call For Gender Equality in Science Fiction, Onc...

Thanks for the link to your piece, Athena! Very in...

2009-11-02T22:09:55.090-05:00

Thanks for the link to your piece, Athena! Very insightful.

As a scientist and a writer, I encountered such na...

2009-10-28T22:51:04.866-04:00

As a scientist and a writer, I encountered such naked knuckle-dragging in several self-labeled "progressive" groups. Here's my take on it:

Is It Something in the Water? Or: Me Tarzan, You Ape
http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=712

I write many genres, but among my favorites is pul...

2009-10-24T16:27:49.188-04:00

I write many genres, but among my favorites is pulp sci-fi. I am female, I am an avid sci-fi fan, and I write fun, exciting, and imaginative sci-fi. I invite anyone who wants to challenge my female sci-fi writing abilities to read my RR/HSN collaborative release, LOVE IN SPACE.

http://www.cerebralwriter.com/new-releases.html

Ditto on Heather's total blog awesomeness and SFR ...

2009-10-23T07:19:58.191-04:00

Ditto on Heather's total blog awesomeness and SFR promoter extraordinaire.

And I agree. As SFR writers/fans, I think we sometimes shoot ourselves in the foot with public slamming of SFR books. I only write reviews on books I enjoy. Books I love I tell everyone about (how many times have I mentioned Sandra McDonald's THE OUTBACK STARS in the last year?) *smirk*

I also have a "May I recommend..." side bar on my blog where I list SFR books that I recommend. (I hope to add a lot more books to the list, hopefully even some currently in my Leaning Tower of TBR.)

I must admit I haven't been doing my part in writing reviews on Amazon, so that's going to change. Thanks for the reminder, Jess.

Amen, Jess! That's it in a nutshell. The more peop...

2009-10-22T18:53:46.375-04:00

Amen, Jess! That's it in a nutshell. The more people are talking about SFR, the more readers we'll have, the more publishers will buy, and thus, the more choices we'll have.

And Heather is fantastic. She's done more for the genre than anyone else I know.

{thoughtful look} My father is a retired biologis...

2009-10-22T17:34:51.395-04:00

{thoughtful look}

My father is a retired biologist. I believe his interest in the sciences was inspired more by his mother, a naturalist, than by his father, a high school librarian. {Smile}

Anne Elizabewth Baldwin

The reverse of that is also true, Katherine. If y...

2009-10-22T16:06:04.259-04:00

The reverse of that is also true, Katherine. If you find SFR you do like, get on the web in any forum you can and shout about it. Put the name of that book over and over anywhere you can online. There are too many readers that go, "Hey, that book was great," then sit on their fingers with that knowledge.

Heather is proof of what one person can do to create buzz. Now not everyone has to start a totally awesome blog, but Amazon reviews, and posts in readers forums that say, "Hey, I just read this book and it was fantastic!" do more for the genre than anything else can.

That's called buzz, and buzz sells books.

Nathalie said: If someone doesn't buy a book becau...

2009-10-22T15:46:50.967-04:00

Nathalie said: If someone doesn't buy a book because someone else said not to (because it stinks, because XYZ reason), then I'm not sure it's a big loss, eh.

Nathalie, your right. I don't lose sleep if someone doesn't buy my book because of a review. The point I was trying to make is that publishing houses use low sales and readers comments as excuses not to publish more science fiction romance. We really need to support ANYONE who manages to sell if we want to keep the genre growing. Lets not give them more excuses to stop finding new authors than they can come up with on their own.

Forgot to say how I LOVED Scalzi's reply and his c...

2009-10-22T14:48:55.695-04:00

Forgot to say how I LOVED Scalzi's reply and his call for a female roller derby team armed with spears to go after these idiots at Idiot Central (or whatever it is called). Now THAT'S an image!

If someone doesn't buy a book because someone else...

2009-10-22T14:47:13.047-04:00

If someone doesn't buy a book because someone else said not to (because it stinks, because XYZ reason), then I'm not sure it's a big loss, eh.

Can you all count how many "because" I can cram in one sentence?

Sometimes we (women) perpetuate that propaganda ou...

2009-10-22T12:26:43.434-04:00

Sometimes we (women) perpetuate that propaganda ourselves. If not by overt behavior, then by inaction or complicity.

This really struck a note with me, Heather. And here's why. I've seen bloggers bemoan the fact that SFR can't catch a break, that publishing companies won't buy more of it, and that they can't find any when they really, really want to read it.

I've also seen those same bloggers trash a book they don't like in reviews and tell others not to bother buying it.

Now, I don't expect everyone to like my books. We all have styles we prefer over others, and that's fine with me. There are books *I* can't stand.

But when you trash a book and tell others not to bother buying it, not only are you denying them the chance to form their own opinion, you lose your right to complain when the publishing company drops yet another SFR author from its stable. You lose the right to wonder why they won't publish more of the genre.

Hate a book if you want. It's your opinion, you've a right to it. But please, if you truly want to support the genre, don't tell others not to bother buying a book. You aren't hurting the author, because we're used to it. What you're doing is encouraging the publishers to chalk the whole the genre up as a money losing endeavor.

Okay, I'll step down off the soapbox now.

Maybe the "new" SF will inspire more women to purs...

2009-10-22T10:06:12.011-04:00

Maybe the "new" SF will inspire more women to pursue science (with less boys to create a glass ceiling) and we can actually get something DONE around here.

Hee.

Okay, I know I know, but he deserved it.

You do realize you can use 'only women can have ba...

2009-10-22T08:14:23.320-04:00

You do realize you can use 'only women can have babies' as a metaphor, right?

I remember reading a post about the author of the YA SF series THE UGLIES. He was asked why he writes YA SF and he quoted, 'The hand who rocks the cradle rules the world.' In effect, besides being fun, he says he gets to help shape the future of SF. This is from a male SF writer.

Anyone can mentor. It takes time, patience, and empathy.

And I still say who cares? Let's build something bigger and better!

Awesome post, Heather. I couldn't agree more with ...

2009-10-22T04:27:14.246-04:00

Awesome post, Heather. I couldn't agree more with what you said. I'd love to see more women writing hard SF which doesn't always have to be cold. Just ask Masamune Shirow (even though he's male ;-)) who did the Appleseed and Ghost in the Machine mangas.

Laurie, you said just what was on my mind. :-) Women have been writing SF long before this generation and will continue to do so. Lots of new voices are coming up in the genre, especially female authors, and I'm looking forward to seeing it grow for the next generation.

Thanks for doing a column on this issue Heather. ...

2009-10-21T21:39:50.223-04:00

Thanks for doing a column on this issue Heather. I recall reading Scalzi's post, but he didn't divulge any direct quotes or links (the spoilsport!). I took at look at the site, and I've never heard of the Spearhead, but man, they are a paranoid bunch! The latest post, "There is no honor in competition with women" had me laughing. Maybe I've found a new place for my daily comedy fix.

I'm really grateful to have found such a great com...

2009-10-21T14:33:20.026-04:00

I'm really grateful to have found such a great community of SF authors and readers as we have here at The Galaxy Express. Great post!

Beautifully stated, Jess.

2009-10-21T14:15:37.577-04:00

Beautifully stated, Jess.

You want boys inspired by Science Fiction? Get th...

2009-10-21T14:13:46.149-04:00

You want boys inspired by Science Fiction? Get them to read. Therein lies the problem. If teen boys rushed to bookstores in hordes the way teen girls do after the newest Twilight book, there'd be plenty of draw for authors to create some good and nasty speculative fiction full of grand scientific ideas and lots of explosions. Yeah, again, good luck with that. Because as we all know, *snort* girls don't like science and boys don't like to read.

Let's fix the what we expect from our youth, and maybe both issues will be solved.

BTW, the very first work of Science Fiction (according to many literary scholars) is Frankenstein.

Guess what? It was written by a woman. *Bows to Shelley.*

Again, I just have to laugh. Let's just say I'm not worried about a dearth of scientists.

All in all, I think this is good for us. There's nothing that will get women to read something faster than proclaiming they "shouldn't" read it. I know I love forbidden fruit.

Cathy, that's great! I love science, but I'm not ...

2009-10-21T09:12:21.422-04:00

Cathy, that's great! I love science, but I'm not too good at it. At least one of my children is a complete science geek though. She was reading my husband's college weather textbook at age four.

It's hard not to read that article without grinnin...

2009-10-21T07:14:32.958-04:00

It's hard not to read that article without grinning. It is funny in a desperation sort of way. To suggest SFR is impeding the next generation of scientific minds rather than having the potential to inspire a much larger audience is just plain silly. The underlying message that only men are suitable to be great scientists--"With women killing science fiction on television, the current generation of boys won't have this opportunity to be inspired to work in these fields."--is equally moronic. The author only managed to expose his sadly flawed logic to the world instead of inciting any sort of male-backed battle cry.

The truth is SFR has expanded the bounds of SF, not inhibited it. Me thinks he doth protesteth too much. :]

Raises a brow. Don't tell me the dudes don't go f...

2009-10-21T06:10:58.313-04:00

Raises a brow. Don't tell me the dudes don't go for the SFR. I know better, boys.
Funny that they'd make such a stink out of women enjoying sci fi. I came home the other day to my 18 year old Marine son, Army Grunt Vet husband both sitting together on the couch watching a movie(a chic flick). Both had tears they were fighting. When they saw me, they got all macho, like sensitivity is a bad thing. Heaven forbid there's love in science fiction. Even in Star Wars there's a love story. Pleaseeeeee. Romance and softer elements in sci fi stories are not a bad thing and they know it. Besides, who says we chicks don't like a little action in our sci fi or a little harder sci fi? It's not exclusive to men only and I'm sure women have been reading these stories for years. Men have been reading romance for years. I read somewhere that around 27% of romance readers are male and that many of those men order books under their other halves names, to remain anon. Why?
I love to blow things up and battle scenes. Why can't men enjoy some of the softer elements in these stories without feeling less manly or feeling threatened we're invading man-land?
I think what both sexes bring to science fiction will only enrich it. No reason to get territorial. Besides, when you do that, we woman see it as a challenge.
Quit trying to figure us out. It will never happen.
Okay, I've wasted enough breath on that fools rant.

LOL, That's a good one Agent Z. Whatever dudes. ...

2009-10-21T00:25:14.799-04:00

LOL, That's a good one Agent Z.

Whatever dudes. That's all I've got to say.

I'm not going anywhere, and I sure as heck ain't changing my tune.

I'm too busy writing girl cootie-infested space op...

2009-10-20T23:40:19.476-04:00

I'm too busy writing girl cootie-infested space opera to waste a minute of time on that twerp and his opinions.

Well...except for that comment.

Back to the ship. My MCs are in a hell of a situation!

I'm a science geek (not working as such, but the g...

2009-10-20T23:34:12.329-04:00

I'm a science geek (not working as such, but the geekness sticks with you), married to a science geek, raising two future science geeks (My girls' favorite reading: The Visual Dictionary of Science). Our house is full of science fiction, with and without romance. Will the books inspire them to make new discoveries or create new technologies? Gosh, I hope so. And if they do that while learning about loving relationships, so much the better.

I'm trying to figure out why that guy thinks there aren't SF books out there that boys would like. Has he been to a bookstore in the past dozen or twenty years? Gobs of Star Wars novels, and authors like David Weber, Harry Harrison, Larry Niven. The problem may not be getting boys to read SF, but getting boys to read period.

I say 'So what?' Why not create something bigger ...

2009-10-20T22:45:13.180-04:00

I say 'So what?' Why not create something bigger and better?

This guy and the kind of SF he's talking about will die out for the very simple reason that

*ONLY WOMEN CAN MAKE BABIES.*

And most babies are raised by women, which means they have most of the influence on the children.

Thanks to societal evolution, women can now insist upon LOVE before they make babies and then raise them.

No Sex, No Love, No Babies, NO FUTURE.