|
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This story has been written many times in science fiction. Roger Corman recently (about four years ago) even produced a short film about it for HBO. Perhaps this is why the new reproductive technology frightens some of us so much. Sci-fi has been known to be a predictor of things to come, from HG Wells to George Orwell to Star Trek.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Anonymous User on Tuesday October 30, @01:36PM EST (#2)
|
|
|
|
|
Ok, have a look here to get a lowdown on cloning:
http://www.sciam.com/specialissues/0999bionic/0999 green.html
It'll give a lowdown on what's involved, and it's not as simple as you might think.
Adam H
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Anonymous User on Tuesday October 30, @01:46PM EST (#3)
|
|
|
|
|
Here's a link to the SF story "Consider Her Ways"
by John Wyndham:
http://www.scifi.com/scifiction/classics/classics_ archive/wyndham/wyndham1.html
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nicely entertaining piece - still a tad chauvanistic but with a biting sarcasm toward femininity as well. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets some hate mail from women.
Now, a suggestion - just for fun. Who here could post their fantasy of a world without women? I mean, it's only fair, since there have been many published fantasies about a world without men. Actually, I can't think of ever reading or hearing about a story about a world without women. Yes, the reproductive issue could be the reason for this inequity - but I wonder if it's not something else as well.
Again, this is just for fun - doesn't have to be a full-fledged story, just the facts and details. But I kind of think it's an important challenge to see if you truly believe that men and women are "equal".
I have some ideas. But I won't show you mine until you show me yours. :-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I've written several works of sci-fi and horror fiction. It's a passion of mine. I'd be happy to try to write up a short little story about what such a world could be like, although it'll probably be next week before I can think about it. I'm hosting a Halloween party tomorrow night, and, believe it or not, it's consuming all my free time!
Halloween is one of only two holidays I actually "celebrate." The other is July 4. ;)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hawth said, "the reproductive issue could be the reason for this inequity."
We can already start embryonic growth in vitro and can finish fetal development in an incubator. We may actually not be far from being able to carry out the entire reproductive process outside of a woman's body after starting with cloned cells. I questioned a biologist, who was working on cloning sheep in Great Britain, about this some five years ago. I asked how long it would take for us to develop this technology if we truly put our minds to it. After careful consideration, he said "about 15 years."
While it would be very expensive to implement this on a large scale, the cost to men of not implementing it might prove to be far greater than anything we've ever imagined.
As a side note, the article-author's insinuation that wars are caused by men is one of feminism's great lies. Pretty much every woman in history, who has been in a position to increase her wealth, prestige and power by getting her country into war, has done so. Consider Indira Ghandi, Golda Meir, Catherine the so-called Great, Elizabeth I, Boadicia and Bloody Mary for starts, but realize that the list goes on and on. The only real difference between men and women in this case is that men don't force members of the other sex to fight their wars.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In "The crime and glory of commander Suzdal", 1963, Cordwainer Smith created ( to my knowledge ) the only science-fiction work on the idea of a world without women. It is not a very nice portrait of men. It is true that it is a small story but still the idea is there.
When I read this, I remember comparing it to the s-f stories about a world without men (usually written by female s-f author) I have read.
They portray a world without men as being a perfect one and without problems ( just like feminism ).
Anyway, it might be funny to write s-f stories on that subject.
zerostress
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When I read this, I remember comparing it to the s-f stories about a world without men (usually written by female s-f author) I have read.
Check out some Ray Bradbury and other male sci-fi authors who have written about a world without men. While gender feminist sci-fi authors portray it as a utopia, male authors generally view such a world as a lifeless universe of sameness and thought slavery, a socialistic type of world where everyone is taken care of and protected by Big Sister.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Not only are women morally no better than men, I think that men and women tend to temper each other's bad points more than they exacerbate them. Frankly, I suspect that a world without either men or women would be a hell beyond any that we have known.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
by Anonymous User on Tuesday October 30, @06:22PM EST (#10)
|
|
|
|
|
I think so too. A world with only one gender would be a bleak one, no matter which gender was absent.
On a related note, some of the best "gender themed" science fiction I've read is in the form of transgendered erotica. For anyone who wants to see what I'm talking about, there's an archive on www.nifty.org. Click on "Transgendered/Transsexual," then on "Magic & Science Fiction." This is a free archive with thousands of stories which range from very bad to excellent.
These stories are particularly interesting because many of them are written by TG authors, who write from the unique perspective of having lived their lives as both men *and* women.
Even if you have no interest in transsexuality at all, if you like sci-fi, there are many very good sci-fi stories there. I'm not a TG; I just love these stories. My favorite is "Death Row" by Waldo. If you took the hardcore sex out of this story, it could be an "Outer Limits" script.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I think the Greeks beat everyone to this. According to Greek myth, once upon a time the world was occupied only by men, and they lived together in harmony in a land of milk and honey. Then Prometheus stole the secret of fire from the gods, and as punishment on mankind Zeus directed Hephaistos to create a beautiful woman - the first woman. Her name was Pandora, the all gifted one, and she came with that nasty box of evils you've probably all heard of.
According to Hesiod's 'Theogony', "Women, a great plague, make their abodes with mortal men, being ill-suited to Poverty's curse but suited to Plenty." Hey, it's funny because it's true!
I've simplified the story greatly, but type 'Prometheus' into a search engine and you should be able to find a more detailed version. If it's any consolation, guys, Prometheus was punished by being chained to a rock and having his liver pecked out by an eagle every day.
Anyone for milk and honey?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Frank Herbert's "The White Plague" is about a world where (almost) all women die from a viral disease designed by a madman to befall women only.
Pamela Sargent's "The Shore of Women" and at least on book by M. Zimmer-Bradley (forgot the title) describe worlds where women rule and men are kept as pets or totally excluded from civilization. But both do not portray this as a society one whould wish to live on.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ooh, good point, Uberganger. I'd completely forgotten about that old myth. Most folks only know the part about Pandora opening the box/jar/whatever and loosing evil on the world (Pandora is Greek mythology's "Eve").
Thanks for bringing that up.
|
|
|
|
|
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
