To Write Like a Woman: Essays in Feminism and Science Fiction
by Joanna Russ
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To Write Like a Woman is a rare example of a feminist tackling science fictuion using postmodern theory, which makes for a much more sophisticated and nuanced appraisal than the usual fare." --Passion Russ' essays are witty and insightful. An excellent book for any writer or reader." --Feminist Bookstore News In her new book of essays... Russ continues to debunk and demand, edify and entertain.... Appreciative of surface aesthetics, she continually delves deeper than most critics, yet in show more terms so simple and accessible that her essays read like lively, angry, humorous dialogues conducted face-to-face with the author. Russ is the antithesis of the distant critic in her ivory tower." --Paul Di Filippo, The Washington Post Book World ... 20 years of the author's feisty reports from the front lines of literature." --The San Francisco Review of Books This is a book of imaginative and provoking essays, but you should read it for the sheer fun of it." --The Women's Review of Books Collects more than two decades of criticism by Joanna Russ, one of the most perceptive, forthright and eloquent feminist commentators around." --Feminist Bookstore News ... a super book....This is a book that, for once, really will appeal to readers of all kinds." --Utopian Studies If you enjoy science fiction, this is definitely a book that you'll want to talk about. I found myself sneaking a few pages at times when I really didn't have time to read." --Jan Catano, Atlantis Classic essays on science fiction and feminism by Nebula and Hugo award-winning Joanna Russ. Here she ranges from a consideration of the aesthetic of science fiction to a reading of the lesbian identity of Willa Cather. To Write Like a Woman includes essays on horror stories and the supernatural, feminist utopias, popular literature for women (the "modern gothic"), and the feminist education of graduate students in English. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
I'd recommend this book to women writers, and I'd recommend particular essays to particular people, no matter what genre they write. All women should read "What Can a Heroine Do? or Why Women Can’t Write" and women writing mainstream fiction, women's fiction, romance, or women's mystery (you get the picture), should read "Somebody’s Trying to Kill Me and I think it’s My Husband: The Modern Gothic". I don't know if these essays can be found in other sources aside from this book, so check out your local libraries, used bookstores, or check around online. It's amazing what you'll find.
And no, I wouldn't NOT recommend this book to male writers. If you're a guy and want to read this? Especially if you write SF? Do it. It'd be show more interesting, I think, solely for its different point of view. Meaning: you may not agree with everything said, but it'll give you some good food for thought.
For a full review, just click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.com/7086.html show less
And no, I wouldn't NOT recommend this book to male writers. If you're a guy and want to read this? Especially if you write SF? Do it. It'd be show more interesting, I think, solely for its different point of view. Meaning: you may not agree with everything said, but it'll give you some good food for thought.
For a full review, just click here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.com/7086.html show less
One of those books which I felt I needed to read, having seen it referenced so often, and am pleased to have read now, but about which I can say nothing of particular importance.
essays on women in literature, esp. sci fi
This is the one with the idea of science fiction as written in the subjunctive mood.
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Best Feminist Science Fiction
188 works; 35 members
Author Information
94+ Works 7,644 Members
Joanna Russ was born in New York City on February 22, 1937. She received a degree in English from Cornell University in 1957 and a MFA in playwriting from the Yale Drama School in 1960. She taught at various colleges and universities during her lifetime including a long stint at the University of Washington in Seattle. She was a critic and science show more fiction writer best known for books of criticism such as The Female Man (1975) and How to Suppress Women's Writing (1984) as well as the novel And Chaos Died (1970). She died on April 29, 2011 at the age of 74. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Awards and Honors
Awards
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1995
Classifications
- Genres
- Literature Studies and Criticism, Nonfiction, Sexuality and Gender Studies
- DDC/MDS
- 810.99287 — Literature & rhetoric American literature in English American literature in English History and criticism of American literature For and by kinds of persons Of a specific type or class Of a specific age or sex Females
- LCC
- PS147 .R87 — Language and Literature American literature American literature Women authors
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 197
- Popularity
- 165,433
- Reviews
- 4
- Rating
- (4.00)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 2
