Comments on: Quick hit: how are you ruining a perfectly good men-only geek interest today?

By: Katran

Katran — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:18:16 +0000

Just came across this today.

As a woman who was inspired by science fiction to go into science as a career, I wonder what he would have to say about people like me. Arguably, the science fiction I was inspired by was reasonably feminist (Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy–wow, half the original colonists were women and they did stuff too…IN SPACE!) and also “hard” SF but I don’t know if I count as a scientist because, you know, I have ovaries.

By: “How many heterosexual Doctor Who fans does it take to change a lightbulb? Both” « Crimitism

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 17:49:22 +0000

[...] poofs got involved. Yeah, again. I’m not going to address every point it makes; it’s already been done, it’s so ridiculous that commentary is essentially redundant anyway, and [...]

By: Caytin

Caytin — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:51:02 +0000

I find it amusing that the author of the article actually believes that! (LMAO, actually.) I take it that this person never went to a SciFi con in his life worth going to. All the ones I go to have an equal population of both genders. Just because SciFi is thinking outside of their box of normal tricks doesn’t mean that they are being geared towards women or being feminized. Also, SciFi channel changed the logo and spelling to get the copyright, because you can’t copyright a genre. Wow, that was a much need laugh.

Been “ruining” the genre since 1987, and will continue to do so long after death once my SciFi novel is finished and published.

Women are from fantasy? Please, don’t make me gag, give me a laser over a magic wand anyday.

By: Pierce

Pierce — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:40:31 +0000

Sounds like real life. :)

By: Leigh Honeywell

Leigh Honeywell — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:18:17 +0000

Your comment reminded me that it was actually my mum who introduced me to SF. She’s been ruining it for at least thirty years :)

By: Li

Li — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:37:36 +0000

RE: LeGuin film adaptations Studio Ghibli did an animated version also, but she was still disappointed, but it seems like it may have been less of a travasty. I don't know, really, I haven't seen the Ghibli one. I did watch the American miniseries adaptation and was kind of horrified.

By: Cheile

Cheile — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:52:59 +0000

yea my dad introduced me to sci-fi too. OH NOES…A MAN introduced his DAUGHTER to the boys’ club!! :gasp: well i’m just gonna have to call him up tomorrow and tell him of the heinous crime he’s committed, LOL.

By: pir

pir — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:03:43 +0000

you’re obviously gay, don’t you know?

By: Scott Marlowe

Scott Marlowe — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:52:39 +0000

Wow I like how in this guy’s mind it’s an either-or proposition. Either boys can be inspired to become great scientists by male role models, or they’re doomed to a lifetime of cultural enslavement where women are dominant in all roles.

Maybe he didn’t notice, but in most modern science fiction the only thing really happening vis-a-vis role changes is that the roles are broadening for both men and women. Admiral Cain in BSG reimagining being a women worked and it worked really well. Not because or in spite of her being a women, but because she was played ruthlessly by a fantastically talented actor by the name of Michelle Forbes. The lack of adherence to sexual stereotypes makes the new BSG better, not worse.

Starbuck doesn’t work because the role is played by a man or a woman, Starbuck works because that role was played a an actor who played the part of a cocky, confident asshole. It’s part and parcel of the role. To believe that thousands of years in the future, with women having been set free of the confining role of mother and nursemaid there might be more than a small number of them in the military flying fighters should surprise no one.

Real life fighter pilots are around today, like Kim Campbell exist today,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Campbell_(pilot)
Wouldn’t you just expect the trend to continue?

By: Jennifer Jacobs

Jennifer Jacobs — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:22:41 +0000

http://www.newsweek.com/id/196011

These retro Star Trek convention photos posted recently by Newsweek directly contradict the idea of sci-fi being an exclusively male domain that is only recently being infiltrated by women. In fact, they have been a sustaining force of the genre. (the second pic in particular reinforces this)

And in the interest of full disclosure, when I was 10, i dressed up as ensign R0 from TNG