books & writing

literature, genre, fan-fic, blogging, graphic novels, web-comics etc etc

Ladies Handbook: ” The terrible results which follow the unlawful exercise of the reproductive function may be quite plainly pointed out…”

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Another instalment in the Ladies’ Handbook series. The initial post is here. This instalment continues Chapter IV, “Sex Physiology and Hygiene“. Here you can see masturbation-aversion, awful advice on interfering with childrens’ genitals, the magical thinking of today’s abstinence-only education… Read More ›

SF Sunday: must read novels

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I’ve only managed 5 on this list: The Twenty Science Fiction Novels that Will Change Your Life. I’ve particularly missed most of the ones less than 10 years old, except for Cryptonomicon. How about you lot? Plus: what would you… Read More ›

Raped by elves

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We’ve identified before that passive voice agent-deletion is a particular problem in reports of sexual violence. The victim is centred, just as she is in most narratives of sexual violence (and its prevention), and the perpetrator is disappeared altogether or… Read More ›

SF Sunday: reproduction

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I’ve been thinking of various books I’ve read where a pivotal part of the Strange Land aspect of the narrative has been a style of reproduction that varies from the human norm – either technologically transformed human reproduction, or else… Read More ›

Friday Hoyden: Germaine Greer

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I found this image on this media release page at the Southern Cross University website, which uses it to illustrate promotional information for “An Evening With Germaine Greer” that took place in early 2008. I chose it because it is… Read More ›

SF Sunday: machines and freedom from slavery

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From my Quotes File (which you can see serving up random quotes at the bottom of the sidebar):

The fact is, that civilization requires slaves. The Greeks were quite right there. Unless there are slaves to do the ugly, horrible, uninteresting work, culture, and contemplation become almost impossible. Human slavery is wrong, insecure, and demoralizing. On mechanical slavery, on the slavery of the machine, the future of the world depends.
Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)

I find the search for the perfect robot society a continuing feature of SF novels,

From the reading pile: Barrayar (contains spoilers)

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I’m enjoying “Barrayar” right now, from Lois McMaster Bujold, and I thought I’d share an excerpt. Bujold is a keen observer of human interactions, and readers with complicated medical problems might relate to some of this.

Commander Cordelia Naismith (also known as Lady Vorkosigan), a former Betan military commander, is in a doctor’s office on Barrayar. She is being checked out after a series of traumatic experiences.