Red Mars (also, Dreamwidth)

[ailbhe]

This is partially a test of crossposting from my hitherto unused, brand-new, shiny Dreamwidth account.

But also I wanted to mention Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars which I have been reading for the first time. I kind of wish I'd read it before all the recent discoveries about Mars, but it's pretty good anyway, because I don't pay as much attention as I ought to things like that and Mars sounds exciting and scary and bleak and even more futuristic than a personal jetpack and a shiny silver catsuit.

What happens with SFF I read is this: I ask Rob to recommend a book, and he looks hard at his shelves, and tries to choose one in which nothing appalling happens to children, some major characters are female, not all female characters are mothers or skivvies or intrinsically nurturing or ball-breakers, female characters drive the plot, and male characters are not all hideously sexist.

It's a limiting set of criteria, but at least it's not the Bechdel test.

The last one he offered was great except for the "female characters all being maternal reeeeeally" thing - it was A Fire Upon The Deep by Vernon Vinge. This one even avoids that, though with a cast of thousands it does draw on a lot of sexist stereotypes. It mostly manages to rise above them, though.

I think it's basically Lord of the Flies in space with grownups. I'll probably reread it some day, after I finish it this time. Don't tell me how it ends.

Comments

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

coincidentally, two of my favourite "recommend to people because they're really, really good and too few people have read them" both have strong female protagonists. 'windhaven' and 'the interior life' - give them a look if you get the chance.