I read this when it came out and it became one of those books I urged everyone one to read because the ideas in it were so challenging.
Questions like "What is the value of a dead warrior?* and the concept of a "Women's Country" that only some men had access to were fascinating.
I can see that it's polarising in its men-bad, women-good stance. Yet almost all violence in the world is still committed by men. especially men between15 and 25.
As you say, this book is of it's time, and, as with books like "The Word For World Is Forrest" it is a kind of science fiction that set out to challenge conventional views of the world. "The Gate To The Women's Country" is more a challenge to Reagan's America than it is about a post-apocalyptic future
I don't really disagree with any of that. It is very much responding to a time and sentiment. There are just certain aspects I believe have aged poorly. For example: it's absolutely true that men remain the primary offenders when it comes to violence, but I believe that is very much a product of toxic masculinity not some innate genetic predisposition. I think most folks now agree that eugenics is rarely a good solution to solving social issues.
There are a lot of interesting thought experiments in here, without question, I just couldn't get past the way it seemed comfortable with things like a loss of bodily autonomy (artificial insemination without consent), breeding programs, and erasure of queer people. Lots of folks would be able to read around that and still derive enjoyment, but alas I could not. I think if I had read it when it came out I could have, and would have also been keen to recommend it to people. Alas. At least it still sparks good conversation. :)
You make very good points. I agree, it’s contentious stuff, it’s not a society I’d like to live in but I enjoyed the rocks it rolled over even when I didn’t always like what crawled out from beneath them.
Questions like "What is the value of a dead warrior?* and the concept of a "Women's Country" that only some men had access to were fascinating.
I can see that it's polarising in its men-bad, women-good stance. Yet almost all violence in the world is still committed by men. especially men between15 and 25.
As you say, this book is of it's time, and, as with books like "The Word For World Is Forrest" it is a kind of science fiction that set out to challenge conventional views of the world. "The Gate To The Women's Country" is more a challenge to Reagan's America than it is about a post-apocalyptic future
There are a lot of interesting thought experiments in here, without question, I just couldn't get past the way it seemed comfortable with things like a loss of bodily autonomy (artificial insemination without consent), breeding programs, and erasure of queer people. Lots of folks would be able to read around that and still derive enjoyment, but alas I could not. I think if I had read it when it came out I could have, and would have also been keen to recommend it to people. Alas. At least it still sparks good conversation. :)