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To: Cicero
I've read over a thousand science fiction novels, but I've never read Russ (for that matter, I've barely heard of her). After reading her Wikipedia entry, I can see why...I'm more of a Heinlein/Niven/Baxter/Turtledove kind of guy. I love alternate history, but the novel she's most famous for, "The Female Man", sounds dreadful!
5 posted on 04/29/2011 5:49:00 PM PDT by Abin Sur
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To: Abin Sur

I haven’t heard of Turtledove before. What is his best Science Fiction book?


6 posted on 04/29/2011 6:00:28 PM PDT by Sawdring
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To: Abin Sur

Well, as I say, my memory is weak on her books, because I haven’t reread them since they came out. She struck me as a talented writer, but I think she probably went over the feminist cliff.

I’m unsure of the exact number, but I’ve probably read several thousand SF novels over the course of the years, actually beginning with Asimov and Heinlein but going back to the pulps as well. For instance, I was an E. E. “Doc” Smith fan.

I wish I had the novels by me to refresh my mind, but I think Joanna Russ had a lot of natural talent, but eventually proceeded to abuse and lose it in the end.

I don’t always agree with writers that I like. For instance, Asimov was a convinced atheist, who simply couldn’t understand the real nature of religion, but I read and enjoyed all his SF books, and just took that part with a grain of salt.

And as another example, Chip Delaney turned toward gay themes in a later SF novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed all his earlier books, up to that point. (He was married to a nice young poet but later divorced, and once spoke to an SF class I taught with a baby strapped in a carrier on his back, so I guess his life as well as his books underwent a change.)


8 posted on 04/29/2011 6:20:17 PM PDT by Cicero
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