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sunscour's review against another edition
3.0
I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had read them as individual essays. Multiple chapters were about the same subject, just different examples. I found myself just skipping large chunks.
I did enjoy the chapters about her struggle with health care (very depressing, yet inspiring) and how she writes.
I did enjoy the chapters about her struggle with health care (very depressing, yet inspiring) and how she writes.
tangodiva's review against another edition
1.0
Sometimes, you can agree with what someone says but absolutely want to avoid them because they are hectoring and self-aggrandizing. Such was this book. I have not even finished it yet, but I will even though I hate it because I am a completist. I can't help myself. And I only have about 50 pages left.
PLEASE BEWARE: When I bought this a few years back, I knew it was a series of essays and was fine with that. HOWEVER, I thought the essays were all by different people. Nope, just Hurley. And spending time in her company is tiresome at best and loathsome at worst.
I will save you the time: This whole book is a cash grab of blog entries for the most part and boils down to "buy my books."
Check. Please.
PLEASE BEWARE: When I bought this a few years back, I knew it was a series of essays and was fine with that. HOWEVER, I thought the essays were all by different people. Nope, just Hurley. And spending time in her company is tiresome at best and loathsome at worst.
I will save you the time: This whole book is a cash grab of blog entries for the most part and boils down to "buy my books."
Check. Please.
odin45mp's review against another edition
5.0
I'll provide a more fully annotated review when I am at a computer and can quote passages more effectively. But the short of it is this is a very timely collection of essays that are worth reading. The two that deal with her experiences with the US health care system pre-ACA are chilling for me as I watch the Senate BCRA bill attempt to stay alive until it is passed.
Her essays regarding Gamergate and representation resonate with me as I see women becoming more visible, and angry men on the Internet and in Congress try to put them back in "their place", which in their mind is quiet in the bedroom and/or kitchen, not out in the world making a name for themselves.
Choice quotes to be inserted later, but until then just go read this collection of essays with an open and inquisitive mind. Please, and thank you.
Her essays regarding Gamergate and representation resonate with me as I see women becoming more visible, and angry men on the Internet and in Congress try to put them back in "their place", which in their mind is quiet in the bedroom and/or kitchen, not out in the world making a name for themselves.
Choice quotes to be inserted later, but until then just go read this collection of essays with an open and inquisitive mind. Please, and thank you.
jenmangler's review against another edition
3.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this essay collection. I appreciated Hurley's writing about failure, her focus on the power of storytelling, and the importance of recognizing how much we need each other. Most of all, though, I loved her cultural criticism and her insistence on speaking out loud.
trin's review against another edition
3.0
I am both the best and worst audience for this book.
Best, because the issues that concern Hurley -- the intersection of feminist and geek culture, women's place in the SFF community and in the world, the importance of representation -- are all major concerns for me.
And worst, for the exact same reason: I know all of this already. This is what I already think and believe. I have heard all these arguments made before, both more and less effectively. There is nothing new for me here.
I think for someone else, younger or newer to these ideas, this collection could be eye-opening and wonderful. But to me it seemed like stuff I might find posted on Tumblr every day of my life.
Again, I'm glad Hurley's voice is out there -- more strong voices are always good! -- but for me, at least, this wasn't as stirring as it could have been.
Best, because the issues that concern Hurley -- the intersection of feminist and geek culture, women's place in the SFF community and in the world, the importance of representation -- are all major concerns for me.
And worst, for the exact same reason: I know all of this already. This is what I already think and believe. I have heard all these arguments made before, both more and less effectively. There is nothing new for me here.
I think for someone else, younger or newer to these ideas, this collection could be eye-opening and wonderful. But to me it seemed like stuff I might find posted on Tumblr every day of my life.
Again, I'm glad Hurley's voice is out there -- more strong voices are always good! -- but for me, at least, this wasn't as stirring as it could have been.
bsolarz's review against another edition
3.0
While I think Hurley did a really good job of not alienating non-geek culture readers, I generally felt that the individual essays were a bit all over the place. She would start with one point but then go on two to three tangents before coming back to her point with one concluding sentence, leaving me a bit confused. Fair warning though, this book is not wholly about feminism in geek culture, as it was advertised as, but has feminism as a central theme that stems from her own personal problems with it - that is to say it is more of a personal recollection of events that have happened to her, with a feminist viewpoint.
However, as mentioned, she did a good job of introducing sexist and racist problems within geek-culture without making it boring for someone not interested in geek culture, and even linking it to programs/movies that I knew!
However, as mentioned, she did a good job of introducing sexist and racist problems within geek-culture without making it boring for someone not interested in geek culture, and even linking it to programs/movies that I knew!
noranne's review
4.0
This was sort of in between 3 and 4 stars for me. I went with 4 because, ultimately, she is a good writer and made me think. I certainly don't agree with everything she wrote, and I find her tendency to state her opinions as Self Evident Truths grating, but reading things I don't agree with is not a bad thing. It give me a chance to think about my own opinions, perhaps re-calibrate, perhaps re-confirm. I am a fan of Ms. Hurley's, and I follow her on Twitter, so there was nothing too surprising in here. I had already read a couple of the essays.
flintsloveofbooks's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best books I will ever read, destined to become of my constant rereads.
katiedalton's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
This book has taken me an eon to read, something about kindle books - I just don’t reach for very frequently.
I loved the mix of sci-fi, fantasy, nerd with feminism. Seeing how the world is shaped by the stories we tell and the stories we share with each other.
I would recommend the book even if I have no idea to how rate it. So many quotes, good points, and just “ahhh” feminism!” - not sure how else to describe that feeling of I hate that that is the way life is
I loved the mix of sci-fi, fantasy, nerd with feminism. Seeing how the world is shaped by the stories we tell and the stories we share with each other.
I would recommend the book even if I have no idea to how rate it. So many quotes, good points, and just “ahhh” feminism!” - not sure how else to describe that feeling of I hate that that is the way life is