The Female Man (Bluestreak, #11) (S.F. Masterworks)

by Joanna Russ

Living in an altered past that never saw the end of the Great Depression, Jeannine, a librarian, is waiting to be married. Joanna lives in a different version of reality: she's a 1970s feminist trying to succeed in a man's world. Janet is from Whileaway, a utopian earth where only women exist. And Jael is a warrior with steel teeth and catlike retractable claws, from an earth with separate-and warring-female and male societies. When these four women meet, the results are startling, outrageous, and subversive.

• ISBN10: 0807063134
• ISBN13: 9780807063132
• Publish Date: 15 February 1987 (first published 8 December 1977)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 30 November 2011
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Beacon Press
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 213
• Language: English

Reviews

[HekArtemis]

Another one I don't quite know how to rate. On the one hand I did like the story itself, the concept, the worlds. On the other hand I hated the writing style, like hated it. HATED IT. It's a writing style that reminds me of cyberpunk, disjointed, crazy, senseless, hyperactive, drug induced, there should probably be some neon lights around here somewhere. Hate it. So much.

If it was written more normally, with proper world building, better timelines (I am fine with switching among several timelines, but not like this book does it), better perspective shifts, etc, then I think this could be a fantastic book. Because I really did like the idea of the story and the worlds, and even the characters. Also this is a very quotable book, I have so many highlights.

Essentially I want to give the story 5 stars. But I want to give the writing style, and thus the execution, 1 star. I am not sure meeting in the middle at 2.5 or 3 would really be accurate though.
So... Maybe I will just leave this one unrated.

[celinenyx]

This book is written in blood.
Is it written entirely in blood?
No, some of it is written in tears.
Are the blood and tears all mine?
Yes, they have been in the past.