Last post, then I sleep.

[conuly]

Basically, my day was boring. So boring that I want to tell youse about it and infect you with the boredom!

I got up. I rejoiced, for lo, the internet was working again. I went online. I contemplated my addiction. I went to class. I got all my late-adds. I played super mario world - and killed several castle bosses. I'm now stuck on the Chocolate Island ghost house.

Oh, and I am doing a project of some sort for my women's studies class. I managed to cadge myself a cushy assignment of "women in sci-fi" by using the completely reasonable argument that, due to my very good hearing, I'd be completely and totally unable to participate in a group project. Sheesh, forget about being able to understand everybody else in that setting, I was ready to run screaming from the room it was so LOUD.

And now I'm not sure what to focus on. Women sci-fi authors? Women in sci-fi through the ages, from classic sci-fi to today? Women in fanfic (much of which seems to be sci-fi or fantasy based, and anyway the prof wouldn't know otherwise)? Maybe I can expand slightly. Feminist themes (including gay themes, etc.) in sci-fi? Or fanfic? All that slash has got to indicate something!

Help!

Um, help later. Now I sleep.

Comments

[hopefulnebula]

Oh, I know that feeling. Just today we split into groups in history. We didn't even separate, just kind of gravitated toward one another within the larger mass. I could hear everyone talking, but damned if I understood a word of it.

Why is it so hard for others to understand that often they can come up to me and say something, and I'll hear them and know they're talking to me, but I still can't understand a word they're saying?

[rantinan.livejournal.com]

Anne maccaffery and her methodlogy of creating women authors by co authroring books with them and making their sales spike like a mofo.

[cumaeansibyl.livejournal.com]

Whatever you do, don't do female scientists in science fiction, because that's MY TOPIC. :)

Actually, here's a topic for you: Take a look at how female scientists in '50s and '60s sci-fi were often androgynized (if that's a word) -- you know, they're pretty women, but they wear pants and talk like men and have gender-ambiguous names like Pat and T.J. and Andy. If you want, I can ask around and find some films with characters like this (none are coming to mind at the moment, but it's common as anything).

My guess is that this androgynization happens because men are uncomfortable with a fully feminine woman exhibiting scientific prowess -- smart people are masculine, right? -- but halfway through the film the woman inevitably loses her toughness (and her scientific knowledge) and turns into a wilting flower. So... yeah.

[readerravenclaw.livejournal.com]

Maybe a cross-section of how vastly different the portrayal of women is across the sci-fi genre? (Not a chronological view, but a present-day cross-section.) You can still find the old sterotypes of women in sci-fic novels, the scientist's daughter stereotype, the love interest who doesn't seem to have a mind of her own, and so on and so forth, but nowadays you also get the very opposite extreme, with futuristic societies where women rule, for example... and of course everything in between. I think that sci-fi, more than any other genre, encompasses most completely the widely varying attitudes that exist today regarding women.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

oo oo do something on how women characters in all sci-fi are...the same.

I like Sci-Fi women authors thru the ages, though.

don't forget to point out that Crusher is a total sue.

[rho]

I tend to think that it's because many sci-fi writers are at least somewhat geeky, and not the most socially adept of people, and they just don't understand women very well. As a result, any attempt to write a decent, realistic female character would be doomed to failure right from the start. People like, say, Asimov, were completely apauling at writing female characters, so it sort of makes sense for them to try to avoid having to do it by androgynising the character.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

For something easier to research, take a look at women sci-fi authors. For something more academic, look at actual themes or characters within sci-fi. :)

Fanfic would be harder to use in my opinion, due to spelling/grammar/sexual content.

[hopefulnebula]

Oh, I know that feeling. Just today we split into groups in history. We didn't even separate, just kind of gravitated toward one another within the larger mass. I could hear everyone talking, but damned if I understood a word of it.

Why is it so hard for others to understand that often they can come up to me and say something, and I'll hear them and know they're talking to me, but I still can't understand a word they're saying?

[rantinan.livejournal.com]

Anne maccaffery and her methodlogy of creating women authors by co authroring books with them and making their sales spike like a mofo.

[cumaeansibyl.livejournal.com]

Whatever you do, don't do female scientists in science fiction, because that's MY TOPIC. :)

Actually, here's a topic for you: Take a look at how female scientists in '50s and '60s sci-fi were often androgynized (if that's a word) -- you know, they're pretty women, but they wear pants and talk like men and have gender-ambiguous names like Pat and T.J. and Andy. If you want, I can ask around and find some films with characters like this (none are coming to mind at the moment, but it's common as anything).

My guess is that this androgynization happens because men are uncomfortable with a fully feminine woman exhibiting scientific prowess -- smart people are masculine, right? -- but halfway through the film the woman inevitably loses her toughness (and her scientific knowledge) and turns into a wilting flower. So... yeah.

[readerravenclaw.livejournal.com]

Maybe a cross-section of how vastly different the portrayal of women is across the sci-fi genre? (Not a chronological view, but a present-day cross-section.) You can still find the old sterotypes of women in sci-fic novels, the scientist's daughter stereotype, the love interest who doesn't seem to have a mind of her own, and so on and so forth, but nowadays you also get the very opposite extreme, with futuristic societies where women rule, for example... and of course everything in between. I think that sci-fi, more than any other genre, encompasses most completely the widely varying attitudes that exist today regarding women.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

oo oo do something on how women characters in all sci-fi are...the same.

I like Sci-Fi women authors thru the ages, though.

don't forget to point out that Crusher is a total sue.

[rho]

I tend to think that it's because many sci-fi writers are at least somewhat geeky, and not the most socially adept of people, and they just don't understand women very well. As a result, any attempt to write a decent, realistic female character would be doomed to failure right from the start. People like, say, Asimov, were completely apauling at writing female characters, so it sort of makes sense for them to try to avoid having to do it by androgynising the character.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

For something easier to research, take a look at women sci-fi authors. For something more academic, look at actual themes or characters within sci-fi. :)

Fanfic would be harder to use in my opinion, due to spelling/grammar/sexual content.