[LMB] An article referencing Herself at sequentialtart

[Sylvus Tarn]

On Sat, 2006-08-19 at 21:03 -0700, Tracy MacShane wrote:
> I think it's _World's End_ you're referring to with Joan Vinge. But
> yes, fantastic books. 
> 
Um, yes.  Whoopsie!
>  
> 
> I'm glad I'm not the only one. I thought it's because I'm not
> heterosexual, but plenty of normal romance "works" for me just fine. I
> don't like BDSM subtext, really. I prefer it to be overt, so that I
> can assess if it's the squicky kind and avoid it, if necessary.
> 
Oh, is *that* what it is?  I never could figure it out.  Talk about
clueless!  The weird thing is, I do just fine with the romance in the
Kushiel books, even though those are (I assume) BSDM too.  But from what
I've gathered reading about BSDM on feminsist blogs is that those kinks
don't, or at least need not, have any impact on the rest of your life,
so far as equality is concerned.

> I'd include Melissa Scott's Trouble and Her Friends, and also one of
> the fantasy books she wrote with Lisa A. Barnett (I forgot the name,
> but it's a gay couple). And what about Anne McCaffrey? Most of her
> works, SF and otherwise, have strong romance elements.

Will have to check 'em out.  Well, excepting McCaffrey.  I thought her
earlier stuff---Ship Who Sang, the first six dragon books---her best,
but even so, don't know that I could go back.  I have a suspicion Lessa
and F'lar would not stand up to feminist critiquing very well.  Jaxom
certainly wouldn't.  And I thought Menolly (and the author) should've
gone with her heart, that is the old Harper (Robinton, Robinson,
something like that, I think---it's been *many* years), who was, let's
be honest both her father-figure and twue wuv, however much Menolly &
author tried to transfer her affections to the young guy---even if there
*was* a 50 year age difference.  The one about the telekinetic was
irritating, and the one about her daughter and the third rate telepath
(Afra) was even more so.  Just irritated me something awful, though I
didn't have the tools until recently to understand *why*.

Oh, and speaking of dual authors, there was a *wonderful* frontier world
romance (written in the style of early 1900s farm/prairie romances)
written by, um, (thank you google) Connie Willis & Cynthia Felice,
Promised Land.  Very sweet, very funny, captures the genre beautifully.
Unfortunately, the cover has *nothing* to do with the content but
amazingly enough, it's still available.

sylvus tarn
http://rejiquar.com
>