Of course, if you read it decades ago -- well, you never could tell if you were reading white guys or others using white guy names because only way to get published. Decades ago, you might be thinking that at least it did have women in it as characters rather than just background or eye-batters. Dr. Calvin does make up for some of the gender issues for me in his robot books and for the time the what-if and the science was right on point.
I'm really not happy now reading anything published before 1980 from the standpoint of gender and other issues and prejudices (unless some favorite I'm just re-reading that already has a place in my heart/psyche--I am still very much an Asimov fan).
At the time, it wasn't a choice to stop reading the cis white guys (or what appeared to be cis white guys) unless you didn't want to read much other than how to be a good household drudge slavish wife and the sticky seater romance novels.
I'll ditch books and authors for offending me over all kinds of issues in or out of their books including how they portray female or transgendered characters; but, I really don't usually notice until finishing a print book and seeing photo of author at back what the author apparently is or isn't. I tend to assume that if a commonly female name is used that they are female (it's still more common to choose male or neutral initial pseudonyms than fir guys to choose female pseudonyms although hardly unheard of since even Ben Franklin sometimes used a female pseudonym). Until I read and become a fan, I don't usually visit their blogs, websites, follow posts, etc. to even know who the hell the author I'm reading is.
I would never, ever under any circumstances tell you what to read or not to read. (Okay if you had posted somewhere that you had health issues with certain triggers I would warn you if I knew a book had those triggers).
Before that comment, I was eagerly looking for posts about your readings of women, trans and POC authors. Because that is a tool I use to find those reads, posts from reviewers on my book sites that could tell me more about the read than just an "about the author" or a brief plot synopsis on the product page.
What a shame I've lost another source for finding new authors to read.
Wow, it's your review space so go ahead and call my relating my reading experiences with a Jewish author who was perfectly alive at time I met him on a Finnish cruise as defending the reading of dead CIS white men. (An offensive concept in itself that anyone needs to defend their reading).
I never have and never will let you or anyone tell me to stop reading or start reading anyone. Okay, a few snotty librarians stopped me as a child from checking some books out but even then I just saved up and bought them myself. That's incredibly offensive to tell someone what they should be reading. Less offensive but equally ineffective to tell me how I will or won't use internet tools that frankly work best for me when the authors themselves are active participants.
Do you even know if I have the budget or a library system that would allow me to get those books by living authors once I do find them (I doubt my library system is the only one with more dead author books than living author books).
I have always been very grateful for decades to get cast offs from neighbors, friend and relatives even if not something I normally read. And to the library books I was able to borrow even if those were often just dead CIS white men books (well, often just dead authors and classics period because we didn't exactly have a well-funded library system).
I'm happy for you that you never had to read just what was on a rack or two at your local drugstore or a quarter of an aisle in the PX only half of which on some tours of duty would be in languages you read. More power to you and I sincerely mean I am happy for everyone who has today's tools at their disposal.
I just don't accept that that gives you the right to say I was defending my reading or tell me I am wrong to read anything. but don't worry, this is my last comment or interaction with you so it's not going to be a thing.
Sheesh -- telling someone to start or stop reading anything. What a stomach churning concept.
First of all, cis isn't an insult. It's a descriptor. Just making sure as your use of it makes me wonder.
My comment was—and still is—a cry of frustration. These dead, white, male authors and their books are lauded over everyone and everything else. And the more I read their work, the less appealing and worthy they seem to me. But do go on about how personable the author was when you met him and how that should affect my review. How I should cut him some slack because it's not like everyone else already does and how our current culture still idolises white men over the rest of the population.
I'm sure there are quite a few soft spots in my reading history for (dead) white cis men and their books, but I can't think of any right now as I never met any of the authors in person.
You are aware that I can't actually stop anyone from reading what they want to read, right? If you want to read all the dead white cis or trans men of all religions, go ahead, I can't or won't stop you. Can't because I'm a voice on the internet. Won't, because I don't advocate for banning books.
P.S. If I don't know anything about your circumstances neither do you know about mine. So, keep your insinuations to yourself.
I've never been a particular Asimov fan. I always have a hard time reviewing books I read as a teenager. I always try to put my 50s lenses on... That's the only way to be objective about it, otherwise it would be unfair on the author.
The author doesn't need you to be fair, he's dead. The original publishing date explains why the book originally succeeded, but we don't need to—or even should—judge the book by 1950s standards today, in 2015. That way leads to stagnation. To improve we should focus on what works today and proceed from there.
I'm really not happy now reading anything published before 1980 from the standpoint of gender and other issues and prejudices (unless some favorite I'm just re-reading that already has a place in my heart/psyche--I am still very much an Asimov fan).
At the time, it wasn't a choice to stop reading the cis white guys (or what appeared to be cis white guys) unless you didn't want to read much other than how to be a good household drudge slavish wife and the sticky seater romance novels.
I'll ditch books and authors for offending me over all kinds of issues in or out of their books including how they portray female or transgendered characters; but, I really don't usually notice until finishing a print book and seeing photo of author at back what the author apparently is or isn't. I tend to assume that if a commonly female name is used that they are female (it's still more common to choose male or neutral initial pseudonyms than fir guys to choose female pseudonyms although hardly unheard of since even Ben Franklin sometimes used a female pseudonym). Until I read and become a fan, I don't usually visit their blogs, websites, follow posts, etc. to even know who the hell the author I'm reading is.
Not saying you're wrong, but you're not exactly saying I'm wrong either.
So. Stop reading dead, white cis men and use today's tools to find out the ones that were pseudonyms for women, trans, or POC writers.
Before that comment, I was eagerly looking for posts about your readings of women, trans and POC authors. Because that is a tool I use to find those reads, posts from reviewers on my book sites that could tell me more about the read than just an "about the author" or a brief plot synopsis on the product page.
What a shame I've lost another source for finding new authors to read.
Wow, it's your review space so go ahead and call my relating my reading experiences with a Jewish author who was perfectly alive at time I met him on a Finnish cruise as defending the reading of dead CIS white men. (An offensive concept in itself that anyone needs to defend their reading).
I never have and never will let you or anyone tell me to stop reading or start reading anyone. Okay, a few snotty librarians stopped me as a child from checking some books out but even then I just saved up and bought them myself. That's incredibly offensive to tell someone what they should be reading. Less offensive but equally ineffective to tell me how I will or won't use internet tools that frankly work best for me when the authors themselves are active participants.
Do you even know if I have the budget or a library system that would allow me to get those books by living authors once I do find them (I doubt my library system is the only one with more dead author books than living author books).
I have always been very grateful for decades to get cast offs from neighbors, friend and relatives even if not something I normally read. And to the library books I was able to borrow even if those were often just dead CIS white men books (well, often just dead authors and classics period because we didn't exactly have a well-funded library system).
I'm happy for you that you never had to read just what was on a rack or two at your local drugstore or a quarter of an aisle in the PX only half of which on some tours of duty would be in languages you read. More power to you and I sincerely mean I am happy for everyone who has today's tools at their disposal.
I just don't accept that that gives you the right to say I was defending my reading or tell me I am wrong to read anything. but don't worry, this is my last comment or interaction with you so it's not going to be a thing.
Sheesh -- telling someone to start or stop reading anything. What a stomach churning concept.
My comment was—and still is—a cry of frustration. These dead, white, male authors and their books are lauded over everyone and everything else. And the more I read their work, the less appealing and worthy they seem to me. But do go on about how personable the author was when you met him and how that should affect my review. How I should cut him some slack because it's not like everyone else already does and how our current culture still idolises white men over the rest of the population.
I'm sure there are quite a few soft spots in my reading history for (dead) white cis men and their books, but I can't think of any right now as I never met any of the authors in person.
You are aware that I can't actually stop anyone from reading what they want to read, right? If you want to read all the dead white cis or trans men of all religions, go ahead, I can't or won't stop you. Can't because I'm a voice on the internet. Won't, because I don't advocate for banning books.
P.S. If I don't know anything about your circumstances neither do you know about mine. So, keep your insinuations to yourself.