Comments on: MIND MELD: Strong Women in SF/F

By: Brantley

Brantley — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:15:36 +0000

Among the pioneers of kick-ass heroine in sf and fantasy were a couple of men, Stanley G. Weinbaum in the 1930′s and James H. Schmitz in the 1950s and 60s. Weinbaum’s protagonists in “Parasite Planet” and its sequels were Ham and Pat, who braved the dangers of other worlds with equal competence. His “The Red Peri” featured a sexy space pirate fighting for justice against a corrupt cprporation. And there was Margot of Urbs, co-ruler of a post-holocaust world empire in THE BLACK FLAME. Schmitz’ protagonists in AGENT OF VEGA, THE WITCHES OF KARRES, LEGACY, THE DEMON BREED and the Telsey series were all heroic women. This was at a time when relatively few women wrote sf, although those who did included major figures like Leigh Brackett, C.L. Moore, Ursula K. Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey and Marion Zimmer Bradley. In Weinbaum came before most of them, and long before the modern feminist movement. Nobody was going to pin a medal on him for his portrayals of heroic women; they simply APPEALED to him. Same with Schmitz.

By: Willa Blair

Willa Blair — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:31:19 +0000

I grew up with male-dominated SFF. Then I found McCaffrey, Bradley, MacIntyre, Vinge, Cherryh, and others and found a type of SFF that spoke to me as a female reader. Their books tended to be more character-driven than the male authors, who were often (and I am generalizing here) more focused on technology or ‘cowboys and indians’ in space.

Then I found romance and eventually SFR. Linnea’s books are some of my all-time favorites.

I don’t see us turning back, do you? We’ve developed strong, capable characters and taken that hill from – or at least we’re sharing it with – the men, in SFF, and in SFR and other romance genres. Even historical romance heroines, for the most part, have grown a backbone in the last decade or more.

I can’t abide a wimpy, whiney, helpless female. I don’t miss them in the books I read.

By: Athena Andreadis

Athena Andreadis — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:12:31 +0000

“This one’s for the ladies” defeats the purpose of the exercise right there.

By: Mona Karel

Mona Karel — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:05:03 +0000

Since I cut my reading teeth on Andre Norton, the idea of a girl who couldn’t save the day never occurred to me. At least until I started reading books where the heroine had to run (long hair flowing behind her, bosoms heaving, immediately adored by all who saw her) to the hero so he could save the day.
I’m LOVING the return to strong heroines.

By: Amy @ bookgoonie

Amy @ bookgoonie — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 03:22:24 +0000

Woohoo! Jaye Wells!!

Loving the strong kickass women of UF.

By: Paul (@princejvstin)

Paul (@princejvstin) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:43:18 +0000

I’m the first one to comment. How did THAT happen?

Morgaine is one of my favorites, too, Pip. You don’t mess with her, with or without Changeling.