Currently Reading #40

[littlerdog.livejournal.com]

Am now reading Carmen Dog by Carol Emshwiller. I feel grateful that I've read her work before, otherwise I suspect I'd be entirely lost. At sea. Drowning. It's not an easy story. Although Joanna Russ is harder.

Seems funny that the day after starting Carmen Dog I should be reading about the idea of 'anti-sf', ie, presumably, sf that is entirely opposed to the way someone thinks sf must be done if it's to qualify for the name. I suspect Carmen Dog epitomises anti-sf, insofar as I understand what that's meant to be anyway.

It's not "rationally knowable" for women to turn into animals, and animals into women. No two ways about that.

It's sf as critique, sf as a way of making you think, sf that may not have an idea for a hero, but sf that is littered with ideas all the same. It's also plain weird.