Gendered Theory

By now I'm sure that everyone who cares has read Emma Bull's response to the BSG miniseries, which for those who haven't is here (and thanks to coffeeandink for pointing us in that direction). Now this is a reaction the miniseries as a stand alone thing, as well as an explanation of her own path to scifi/fantasy as a participant, a reader. It is not a response to the series as a whole.

ETA: This is not a defense of Bull's reactions, because she couches reactions to the series as a whole ( which she hasn't watched ) within her reaction to the miniseries and the type of "Scifi" and scifi representations of women and men and gender. And that's problematic to say the least.

To a certain extent, I'm inclined to agree with her about the mini series, which I still think is sort of bogged down by a variety of things, including the "gender" issues. I don't feel like these same issues continue to plague the series in the same way, but I admit to having issues with some of the ways that women are represented.

( Rambly thoughts on gender, BSG and Science Fiction )

It's interesting to apply gender theory, a feminist lens to science fiction because so far, except for a few exceptions, I find that the visual medium is more successful at transcending the stereotypes than the written media and I wonder why that is. It should be easier to present a textual character than a physical one, but so far, I haven't found that to be overwhelmingly the case.

More gender/scifi thoughts

loligo raised a really interesting question here which lead me to more thoughts about feminism and gender and identity and science fiction. And storytelling, I guess. Because ultimately, it all comes down to storytelling, whether we are telling our own histories, or spinning out our imaginative wanderings, or following the path of someone else's characters.

( Gender and scifi and feminism and babies - rambling thoughts ahoy )

Queen of Snot is only slightly better than Queen of the Damned

I am slowly recovering from the space plague - and have passed it on to several of my co-workers. They're understandably thrilled. But gah, I've felt like I've been underwater this whole week. I finally taught belly dance tonight, which was good, but then I could barely walk out of the studio and now I'm hazy and dazed and wondering what prompted me to spout off about scifi and gender politics. Shrug.
Actually, I'm mostly surprised at how easy it was for me to go from my experience to assuming a collective experience. And I know better.


There was a meme going around (I think started by troyswann) about the fic you want to write, or wanted write, and won't.

And I have a couple FS fics that fall into that category, but I have a recent SG-1 fic that I know I'm not going to write. I have the beginning, but it would involve plotting out the middle part and I don't think I'm committed enough to telling a long story in this fandom or this universe in order to make the plot really resonante. However, I am pleased with the beginning.

( Rentrer, Retourner, Retrouver,  )

I'll never write it because in addition to the plotting, and the actual having to pay attention to the Orii and what 's going on there, I'd have to write it before canon made it obsolete.

Other stories that I know I'll never write are stories that also have a beginning and an ending but no middle. It's a flaw. Sue me.

Talking to cofax7 about a potential short story contest, I definitely have a short story idea of a group of people all jammed into the Beverly Hills Hotel, unwilling to come out and deal with a radically altered society. They flit around, half washed, half starved, drinking champagne and Drambuie because there's no water, convinced that they've been barricaded in, but the truth is that the barricade came down days ago, but no one in the hotel wants to hear, wants to face a society where they have nothing.