Sunday, March 11, 2007

Women's History Month

I got my copy of Analog in the mail Friday. You know I love the SF. But yikes, this publication.

I subscribed to it and to Asimov's a few years ago, having decided they were the best of the print mags out there, and I think maybe they even were at the time. Or maybe I was delusional? Who knows. Asimov's is still not bad, but Analog?

I read it cover to cover on Saturday, because I was trying desperately to get through my midterms, and that is the only way I can do that, by reading something else between each exam, and Analog was handy, but shit, can I just say?

(1) No women writers published. This does not surprise me. Women hardly ever make it into Analog. Cause girls can't write, I guess.

(2) Beyond that, though, no women in any of the stories -- well, wait. Here was a woman. One. The astronaut's wife. Waiting, prettily, at home, doing nothing at all while she waited at home, in Texas, for him to return from Mars, and being an Heroic Sex object for our 15 year old POV character (male) to yearn for in the meantime and to lead him on to be a Brave Astronaut Himself (so he can have an Astronaut's Wife himself one day, of course). Otherwise? No women anywhere. Not even among the aliens. Even the aliens are all male. Even the future ambassadors and techs and etc on voyages into the future etc -- all male. Women don't exist in the Analog world.

Now what century are we living in again? Because I am confused.

And worn out, can I just add.

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