A review by christytidwell
A Woman's Liberation: A Choice of Futures by and About Women by Octavia E. Butler, Nancy Kress, Connie Willis, Katherine MacLean, Ursula K. Le Guin, S.N. Dyer, Vonda N. McIntyre, Sarah Zettel, Sheila Williams, Anne McCaffrey, Pat Murphy
3.0
This anthology is a bit of a mixed bag.
There are a few classic stories that perhaps didn't need to be anthologized here in addition to all the other places I've come across them (e.g., Pat Murphy's "Rachel in Love," Vonda McIntyre's "Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand," and Octavia Butler's "Speech Sounds"). I actually like those three stories, but I was hoping for more new (to me) women's science fiction.
Of the rest of the stories, there are four that were just okay (if that) and three that ranged from really quite good to wonderful. The latter three were Nancy Kress's "Inertia," Connie Willis's "Even the Queen" (which is a really interesting and funny story about menstruation of all things), and Ursula K. LeGuin's "A Woman's Liberation."
The story by LeGuin was itself worth the time spent reading the whole book. It is the longest story collected here and it really pays off. It's about slavery, love, and freedom. It drew me in instantly, and it made me cry. No matter what you think about the other stories in the book, I would highly recommend seeking out this story.
There are a few classic stories that perhaps didn't need to be anthologized here in addition to all the other places I've come across them (e.g., Pat Murphy's "Rachel in Love," Vonda McIntyre's "Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand," and Octavia Butler's "Speech Sounds"). I actually like those three stories, but I was hoping for more new (to me) women's science fiction.
Of the rest of the stories, there are four that were just okay (if that) and three that ranged from really quite good to wonderful. The latter three were Nancy Kress's "Inertia," Connie Willis's "Even the Queen" (which is a really interesting and funny story about menstruation of all things), and Ursula K. LeGuin's "A Woman's Liberation."
The story by LeGuin was itself worth the time spent reading the whole book. It is the longest story collected here and it really pays off. It's about slavery, love, and freedom. It drew me in instantly, and it made me cry. No matter what you think about the other stories in the book, I would highly recommend seeking out this story.