Where does “The Atlantic” find these women?
Posted on: June 29, 2008
- In: Books | Fantasy/Science Fiction | WTF
- 9 Comments
Is there some kind of secret underground sanctuary that churns out these dinosaurs?
Those of you who pitch science fiction to wives and girlfriends who do not enjoy it are probably saying something along the following lines: “Space ships! Alien monsters! Men in tights!” Instead, for women who find that sort of thing distasteful, talk about it as a fairy tale–only a fairy tale with science instead of magic. The basic emotional space it taps is the same.
My head hurts. (via The Elegant Variation in case you think I actually read “The Atlantic”.)
I’ve got new posts coming up for you soon, I pwomise.
9 Responses to "Where does “The Atlantic” find these women?"
June 29, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Oh, Imani–you make me laugh even on a bad day!
Fred bless you!
June 29, 2008 at 8:26 pm
Elizabeth I was thinking they went out into the wild digging up fossils and cooking up some dastardly genetic engineering — but your explanation is scarier. (I googled the website. *shudder*)
Jacob Russell I’m glad I could lighten your day in some way. May your day improve! 🙂
July 10, 2008 at 4:14 pm
There’s nothing wrong with reading The Atlantic—but these women! I get a sort of pleasure/pain experience in reading them, so I keep coming back, just as I’ll watch any pbs special about racists or mormons—they’re strangely compelling.
July 13, 2008 at 9:28 am
I always wonder if these people feel guilty about perpetuating stereotypes. And even if not, don’t you think you’d feel too cliche to say anything like that?
July 14, 2008 at 10:50 am
Sara I’m afraid my only exposure to “The Atlantic” has been these sort of horrible, horrible, horribable puff pieces, and old men grumbling about how the internet is ruining their brains. I got the feeling I wasn’t the audience for it.
jennysbooks after the fiasco that surrounded much of the media reportage on Hilary Clinton the cliche has been revitalized IMO. (Same goes for Obama too, in many instances, as far as race goes.)
July 14, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Thanks for stopping by my spot and leaving a comment.
I enjoyed 70% of Mulligan Stew. What I disliked was the actual story that the writer was writing. Much more interesting to me were the scrapbook entries, the weird non sequiturs, and the character’s notebooks (btw, have you read Salvador Plascencia’s The People of Paper? It uses Sorrentino’s idea, following Flann O’Brien and others, of having the characters revolt against the author in a very exciting and innovative way; I highly recommend it). I also appreciated the way Sorrentino’s narrator becomes more and more cynical and paranoid as the book progresses: even though I should have really loathed the guy, I actually felt sorry for him.
July 19, 2008 at 3:52 pm
You’re welcome for the comment. I always read your site, by and by, I forgot how I found it. 🙂
Yes, I think we’re meant to dislike his actual story though. That was part of the whole experience — I was in awe of how well Sorrentino could write so awfully and yet make it clear that it was for the book’s purposes than related to his own writing skills. Sheer torture.
I have read Plascencia’s book actually! I liked it too — and I don’t think I had made the connection to the Sorrentino until now, so thanks very much for that.
August 2, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Ah, the joys of a floating quote. I had to look her up to make sure we weren’t somewhere in the 1930’s. That line smacks of time loops. Or maybe fruit loops!
The Books of My Numberless Dreams 
June 29, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I think it’s the Eagle Forum. But what would I know, I’m just lousy with X chromosomes…