[conspire] OT: Science Fiction, places to start

[Deirdre Saoirse Moen]

On Aug 5, 2011, at 12:12 PM, Rick Moen wrote:

> _Friday_ had many superb things about it, but central extreme
> psychological ugliness that goes right to the core of many people's
> Heinlein-hatred, and especially one early and critical scene that
> impelled yr. humble servant, among many others, to throw the book
> against the wall in fury, and then _briefly consider_ posting to
> Internet forumsthe suggestion that Heinlein's body be dug up so we can
> kill him some more, before thinking better of it.

If you want a novel with a brutal rape scene but a far more sane attitude by the raped about the nature of both the rape and the rapist, I will recommend Paolo Bacigalupi's Hugo-and-Nebula-winning novel _The Windup Girl_.

But I will never, ever recommend Heinlein on that topic. He was, in many ways, a total creep, and Friday is so full of rape apologia it could practically be canon for same.

I will give Heinlein points for trying to write female characters at a time when other men weren't, though.

Deirdre