What do you think?
Rate this book
Women of Futures Past: Classic Stories
A collection of wonderful SF carefully selected by ground‑breaking editor and author, Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Stories by Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, Lois McMaster Bujold, CJ Cherryh and more. Meet the Women of Futures from Grand Master Andre Norton and the beloved Anne McCaffrey to some of the most popular SF writers today, such as Lois McMaster Bujold and CJ Cherryh. The most influential writers of multiple generations are found in these pages, delivering lost classics and foundational touchstones that shaped the field.
Invisible Women by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson
(The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 1968)
The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey
(Science Fiction Tales, 1973)
Out of All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress
(The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March, 1985)
Angel by Pat Cadigan
(Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, June 1987)
Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh
(The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1978)
Shambleau by C.L. Moore
(Weird Tales, November, 1933)
The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett
(Startling Stories, April 1952)
All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton
(Fantastic Universe, August/September 1953)
Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold
(Far The Paperback Magazine of Science Fiction and Speculative Fact, Volume V, Spring 1986)
The Last Flight of Doctor Ain by James Tiptree, Jr.
(Galaxy, March 1969)
Sur / by Ursula K. Le Guin
(The New Yorker, February 1, 1982)
Fire Watch by Connie Willis
(Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, February 15, 1982)
Invisible Women by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson
(The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 1968)
The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey
(Science Fiction Tales, 1973)
Out of All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress
(The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March, 1985)
Angel by Pat Cadigan
(Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, June 1987)
Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh
(The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1978)
Shambleau by C.L. Moore
(Weird Tales, November, 1933)
The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett
(Startling Stories, April 1952)
All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton
(Fantastic Universe, August/September 1953)
Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold
(Far The Paperback Magazine of Science Fiction and Speculative Fact, Volume V, Spring 1986)
The Last Flight of Doctor Ain by James Tiptree, Jr.
(Galaxy, March 1969)
Sur / by Ursula K. Le Guin
(The New Yorker, February 1, 1982)
Fire Watch by Connie Willis
(Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, February 15, 1982)
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2016
16 people are currently reading
377 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
1,369 books722 followersKristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists –even in London– and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Her awards range from the Ellery Queen Readers Choice Award to the John W. Campbell Award. In the past year, she has been nominated for the Hugo, the Shamus, and the Anthony Award. She is the only person in the history of the science fiction field to have won a Hugo award for editing and a Hugo award for fiction.
In addition, she's written a number of nonfiction articles over the years, with her latest being the book "A Freelancer's Survival Guide".
She has also published as:
Sandy Schofield (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kristine Grayson - romances
Kathryn Wesley (collaborations with husband Dean Wesley Smith)
Kris Nelscott - mysteries
Kris Rusch - historical fiction
Kris DeLake - romances
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 27, 2017
I heard about this one when it came out and thought it looked interesting, but I had read a number of the stories and, to be honest, it was a bit more expensive than I wanted to pay.
It came to mind again in the last couple of weeks and when I check the price had dropped, so I bought it. In the end, I only skipped one - Lois McMaster Bujold's "Aftermaths", which is a great story, but one I have read several times before. The others, I'd only read once.
I enjoyed all the stories, both the rereads and the new ones. Kristine Katherine Rusch's introductions, both to the anthology and to the individual stories, were very interesting and well worth reading. I feel I understand some of the early women writers of SF a little better now and it's good to have read work from some of the more modern authors who I know all about, but hadn't necessarily read.
My favourite new read from the book was C J Cherryh's "Cassandra" and my favourite reread was probably "Fire Watch" by Connie Willis (I want to go and reread To Say Nothing of the Dog now, with Zenna Henderson's "The Indelible Kind" a close second.
I highly recommend this anthology as a good taster of some of the women who have been writing SF since the 1930s, and if, like I did, you think to miss it because you've read a number of the stories, I found the rereads to be just as lovely as the new reads.
It came to mind again in the last couple of weeks and when I check the price had dropped, so I bought it. In the end, I only skipped one - Lois McMaster Bujold's "Aftermaths", which is a great story, but one I have read several times before. The others, I'd only read once.
I enjoyed all the stories, both the rereads and the new ones. Kristine Katherine Rusch's introductions, both to the anthology and to the individual stories, were very interesting and well worth reading. I feel I understand some of the early women writers of SF a little better now and it's good to have read work from some of the more modern authors who I know all about, but hadn't necessarily read.
My favourite new read from the book was C J Cherryh's "Cassandra" and my favourite reread was probably "Fire Watch" by Connie Willis (I want to go and reread To Say Nothing of the Dog now, with Zenna Henderson's "The Indelible Kind" a close second.
I highly recommend this anthology as a good taster of some of the women who have been writing SF since the 1930s, and if, like I did, you think to miss it because you've read a number of the stories, I found the rereads to be just as lovely as the new reads.
September 1, 2016
An essay in Cirsova issue #2 convinced me to pick up Women of Futures Past. And, oh, how I am glad I did. I hadn’t read any of the twelve authors she features. I hadn’t even heard of several.
Six of the twelve stories are Vintage SF by my own arbitrary measure, and two more published in 1982 skirt the edge. All three of the Big 3 female pulp masters are featured. It’s hard to imagine who belongs here instead. Octavia Butler? She is the one Rusch wanted, and couldn’t get, about which she is quite open. Francis Stevens? Jo Walton? Joanna Russ (good riddance)? Margaret Atwood?
In my review of Rusch’s essay, I mentioned young female writers erasing or ignoring their forebears’ contributions. There is a danger to that. Rusch puts stories by Leigh Brackett, Andre Norton, and Lois McMaster Bujold in that order because Norton cited Brackett as a major influence, and Bujold Norton. Any young female writers—hell, any writers—who ignore the writers in this anthology do their craft a disservice.
Rusch takes pains to point out women have always been writing science fiction, and doing so with enormous success. That includes awards, which Rusch returns to with each story introduction. But women haven’t found the same success in anthologies. Rusch fingers bias, if only unconscious. Sure, but why is that bias stronger in pulling together anthologies than in accepting stories in the first place or in giving awards? Rusch hints at a couple other possibilities. One may be a bias toward hard science fiction, which skews heavily toward men in writer and reader for the same reasons the STEM fields do. The other is the tendency to ghettoize speculative fiction by women into feminist anthologies. The rather enormous problem being that women don’t just write feminist fiction. They write every sort of fiction. And Rusch does her best to squeeze every sort into this anthology. Almost all of it wonderful, some of it sublime.
The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson. Rusch laments denigration of “home and hearth” stories, rightly pointing out the Twilight Zone frequently told stories that would be described as home and hearth if told by a woman. It’s hard not to see Henderson’s lovely tale of a teacher and a peculiar student as a rejoinder.
The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey. McCaffrey’s story is set in the Dragonriders of Pern world. Rusch says this is a science fiction-only anthology, but this is one of several stories that push that envelope. Telepathy or no, dragons be fantasy. The story itself is too conventional for my tastes, but I’m sold on the setting.
Out of All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress. This story could perhaps be described as home and hearth as well, and shares a lot in common with The Indelible Kind, but is more X-Files than Twilight Zone.
Angel by Pat Cadigan. This story featuring a, wait for it, angel is fine enough, but not anything you couldn't find in any given issue of F&SF today.
Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh. Cassandra is one of three stories in the collection that are genuinely terrifying. This Cassandra is a precog who sees the bombed out rubble of the city everywhere she looks.
Shambleau by C.L. Moore. There are three female pulp writers in particular I've been interested in reading. Lucky me that Rusch lines up C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, and Andre Norton right in a row for me. After one short story by C.L. Moore, I’m sold. And, as it turns out, it might be that I’ve also been sold on the sort of Lovecraftian horror I thought wouldn’t appeal as much to me. Shambleau has a little bit of everything. It has Northwest Smith, an inspiration for George Lucas and for Kanye and Kim alike. As a quintessential weird tale, it has science fiction, fantasy, and horror, rich with delicious creeping terror. It’s even got a mention of Atlantis. And it’s by a wide margin my favorite story from the collection.
The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett. Brackett is the second of three, and The Last Days of Shandakor is my second-favorite story. Pure Sword and Planet, the main character learns of a lost city in a Mars tavern and hares off for the adventure. It’s one of those short stories bulging with an epic fantasy underneath. This story probably had a heavy influence on the citadel from Elven Star by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
All Cats Are Grey by Andre Norton. A derelict starship, a cat, and an invisible horror feature in this raygun romance. It’s good, but not to the level of the Moore and Brackett stories.
Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold. Space opera, military SF, and stories heavy on philosophical musings rarely grab me. But there is a humanity to this one in Tersa’s quiet dignity and Falco’s youthful bravado. Another derelict, but this time the starship in question was just maimed in a short war and the protagonists are collecting the dead to return to their loved ones.
The Last Flight of Doctor Ain by James Tiptree, Jr. It’s genuinely terrifying (that makes three horror stories I very much enjoyed, me who spurns the genre). And it’s confident enough in its storytelling to leave so much vague and unexplained.
Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin. You wouldn’t think a story about an expedition to the South Pole could be boring, but Le Guin has done it. This is the sort of nasty, dull story the literati love. It isn’t science fiction at all. It’s technically alternative history, albeit not featuring any kind of interesting or thought-provoking alternate history. At least lady Ghostbusters had ghosts!
Fire Watch by Connie Willis. Fire Watch is a time travel story in a world where apparently most of the time travelers are history students (I never would have switched my major from history given that opportunity). What I like most about it is Willis, like Tiptree a couple stories back, having enough confidence in her storytelling to leave things tantalizingly vague.
Disclosure: I requested and received an advance copy of Women of Futures Past from Baen.
Six of the twelve stories are Vintage SF by my own arbitrary measure, and two more published in 1982 skirt the edge. All three of the Big 3 female pulp masters are featured. It’s hard to imagine who belongs here instead. Octavia Butler? She is the one Rusch wanted, and couldn’t get, about which she is quite open. Francis Stevens? Jo Walton? Joanna Russ (good riddance)? Margaret Atwood?
In my review of Rusch’s essay, I mentioned young female writers erasing or ignoring their forebears’ contributions. There is a danger to that. Rusch puts stories by Leigh Brackett, Andre Norton, and Lois McMaster Bujold in that order because Norton cited Brackett as a major influence, and Bujold Norton. Any young female writers—hell, any writers—who ignore the writers in this anthology do their craft a disservice.
Rusch takes pains to point out women have always been writing science fiction, and doing so with enormous success. That includes awards, which Rusch returns to with each story introduction. But women haven’t found the same success in anthologies. Rusch fingers bias, if only unconscious. Sure, but why is that bias stronger in pulling together anthologies than in accepting stories in the first place or in giving awards? Rusch hints at a couple other possibilities. One may be a bias toward hard science fiction, which skews heavily toward men in writer and reader for the same reasons the STEM fields do. The other is the tendency to ghettoize speculative fiction by women into feminist anthologies. The rather enormous problem being that women don’t just write feminist fiction. They write every sort of fiction. And Rusch does her best to squeeze every sort into this anthology. Almost all of it wonderful, some of it sublime.
The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson. Rusch laments denigration of “home and hearth” stories, rightly pointing out the Twilight Zone frequently told stories that would be described as home and hearth if told by a woman. It’s hard not to see Henderson’s lovely tale of a teacher and a peculiar student as a rejoinder.
The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey. McCaffrey’s story is set in the Dragonriders of Pern world. Rusch says this is a science fiction-only anthology, but this is one of several stories that push that envelope. Telepathy or no, dragons be fantasy. The story itself is too conventional for my tastes, but I’m sold on the setting.
Out of All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress. This story could perhaps be described as home and hearth as well, and shares a lot in common with The Indelible Kind, but is more X-Files than Twilight Zone.
Angel by Pat Cadigan. This story featuring a, wait for it, angel is fine enough, but not anything you couldn't find in any given issue of F&SF today.
Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh. Cassandra is one of three stories in the collection that are genuinely terrifying. This Cassandra is a precog who sees the bombed out rubble of the city everywhere she looks.
Shambleau by C.L. Moore. There are three female pulp writers in particular I've been interested in reading. Lucky me that Rusch lines up C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, and Andre Norton right in a row for me. After one short story by C.L. Moore, I’m sold. And, as it turns out, it might be that I’ve also been sold on the sort of Lovecraftian horror I thought wouldn’t appeal as much to me. Shambleau has a little bit of everything. It has Northwest Smith, an inspiration for George Lucas and for Kanye and Kim alike. As a quintessential weird tale, it has science fiction, fantasy, and horror, rich with delicious creeping terror. It’s even got a mention of Atlantis. And it’s by a wide margin my favorite story from the collection.
The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett. Brackett is the second of three, and The Last Days of Shandakor is my second-favorite story. Pure Sword and Planet, the main character learns of a lost city in a Mars tavern and hares off for the adventure. It’s one of those short stories bulging with an epic fantasy underneath. This story probably had a heavy influence on the citadel from Elven Star by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.
All Cats Are Grey by Andre Norton. A derelict starship, a cat, and an invisible horror feature in this raygun romance. It’s good, but not to the level of the Moore and Brackett stories.
Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold. Space opera, military SF, and stories heavy on philosophical musings rarely grab me. But there is a humanity to this one in Tersa’s quiet dignity and Falco’s youthful bravado. Another derelict, but this time the starship in question was just maimed in a short war and the protagonists are collecting the dead to return to their loved ones.
The Last Flight of Doctor Ain by James Tiptree, Jr. It’s genuinely terrifying (that makes three horror stories I very much enjoyed, me who spurns the genre). And it’s confident enough in its storytelling to leave so much vague and unexplained.
Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin. You wouldn’t think a story about an expedition to the South Pole could be boring, but Le Guin has done it. This is the sort of nasty, dull story the literati love. It isn’t science fiction at all. It’s technically alternative history, albeit not featuring any kind of interesting or thought-provoking alternate history. At least lady Ghostbusters had ghosts!
Fire Watch by Connie Willis. Fire Watch is a time travel story in a world where apparently most of the time travelers are history students (I never would have switched my major from history given that opportunity). What I like most about it is Willis, like Tiptree a couple stories back, having enough confidence in her storytelling to leave things tantalizingly vague.
Disclosure: I requested and received an advance copy of Women of Futures Past from Baen.
April 1, 2017
Overall Impressions
An extremely strong anthology with an admirable goal at which it succeeds phenomenally. Rusch did a fabulous job of choosing authors and stories (though of course many more who are worthy of inclusion are necessarily left out). I greatly appreciated the little introductions to each author before the stories; the one thing that I would have loved to see and didn't was a recommended "further reading" list, either of other works by these authors, other authors, or both.
Introduction:Invisible Women, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Rusch's essay essentially makes the claim that women writers of SF have long been present and influential, but that they've been forgotten by history as a result of not being anthologized. It's a clear and compelling argument, and basically the reason I picked up the book - I read lots of great new female SFF writers, but the farther back in time one goes the fewer people I'm aware of. Reading this is a first step toward addressing that very issue.
The Indelible Kind, Zenna Henderson 3.5 stars
This was pleasant. The SFnal element snuck in quite subtly at first, but the climax was suitably fantastical.
The Smallest Dragonboy, Anne McCaffrey 3.5 stars
There are a lot of things I like about Pern and a lot of things I don't like about Pern. Sigh.
This is a nice enough story, if not particularly groundbreaking, and provides a good introduction to the setting for those who are unfamiliar with McCaffrey's work.
Out of All Them Bright Stars, Nancy Kress 4 stars
Well that was a bit of a sucker punch. Packs a lot into not a lot of word count. Objectively, I should probably rate it higher, but while this story is insightful it's the opposite of optimistic, and that always makes me twitchy.
Angel, Pat Cadigan 4 stars
Took me a bit to get into the odd style, but a good story. Unusual concept, well-written.
Cassandra, C.J. Cherryh 4 stars
I very quickly saw where this story was going, but it was well done. Perhaps the ending felt just a tad too abrupt?
Shambleau, C.L. Moore 4 stars
Creepy! Like horror in an SF setting. I admit that I was expecting a bit more rogueish action from Northwest Smith, but the story was good and the writing drew me in. Definitely interested in seeing more of Moore's work.
The Last Days of Shandakor, Leigh Brackett 4.5 stars
Brackett paints a beautiful, cinematic Martian backdrop for this bittersweet tale. Very well done, and makes me want to read more from her.
All Cats are Gray, Andre Norton 4 stars
Cute! Short and sweet, with a slightly abrupt development at the end but overall a very enjoyable story.
Aftermaths, Lois McMaster Bujold 5 stars
This is one of my favorite short stories EVER. Incredibly powerful. Deftly characterized and developed even in a relatively constrained wordcount. Basically what I would aspire to write were I to attempt short fiction (as if I could).
The Last Flight of Dr. Ain, James Tiptree Jr. 5 stars
This story is a masterclass in suspense-building. Sparsely written but haunting nonetheless, and holds up remarkably well -- it could have been written yesterday.
Sur, Ursula K. LeGuin 4.5 stars
Delightful! A lovely alt-history romp with some brilliant lines. Incredibly thematically appropriate to the collection.
Fire Watch, Connie Willis 5 stars
I LOVE the Oxford Time Travel stories. I love them. This is gorgeous and emotional and I have a powerful desire to read/reread all of Willis' oevre now. Damn.
An extremely strong anthology with an admirable goal at which it succeeds phenomenally. Rusch did a fabulous job of choosing authors and stories (though of course many more who are worthy of inclusion are necessarily left out). I greatly appreciated the little introductions to each author before the stories; the one thing that I would have loved to see and didn't was a recommended "further reading" list, either of other works by these authors, other authors, or both.
Introduction:Invisible Women, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Rusch's essay essentially makes the claim that women writers of SF have long been present and influential, but that they've been forgotten by history as a result of not being anthologized. It's a clear and compelling argument, and basically the reason I picked up the book - I read lots of great new female SFF writers, but the farther back in time one goes the fewer people I'm aware of. Reading this is a first step toward addressing that very issue.
The Indelible Kind, Zenna Henderson 3.5 stars
This was pleasant. The SFnal element snuck in quite subtly at first, but the climax was suitably fantastical.
The Smallest Dragonboy, Anne McCaffrey 3.5 stars
There are a lot of things I like about Pern and a lot of things I don't like about Pern. Sigh.
This is a nice enough story, if not particularly groundbreaking, and provides a good introduction to the setting for those who are unfamiliar with McCaffrey's work.
Out of All Them Bright Stars, Nancy Kress 4 stars
Well that was a bit of a sucker punch. Packs a lot into not a lot of word count. Objectively, I should probably rate it higher, but while this story is insightful it's the opposite of optimistic, and that always makes me twitchy.
Angel, Pat Cadigan 4 stars
Took me a bit to get into the odd style, but a good story. Unusual concept, well-written.
Cassandra, C.J. Cherryh 4 stars
I very quickly saw where this story was going, but it was well done. Perhaps the ending felt just a tad too abrupt?
Shambleau, C.L. Moore 4 stars
Creepy! Like horror in an SF setting. I admit that I was expecting a bit more rogueish action from Northwest Smith, but the story was good and the writing drew me in. Definitely interested in seeing more of Moore's work.
The Last Days of Shandakor, Leigh Brackett 4.5 stars
Brackett paints a beautiful, cinematic Martian backdrop for this bittersweet tale. Very well done, and makes me want to read more from her.
All Cats are Gray, Andre Norton 4 stars
Cute! Short and sweet, with a slightly abrupt development at the end but overall a very enjoyable story.
Aftermaths, Lois McMaster Bujold 5 stars
This is one of my favorite short stories EVER. Incredibly powerful. Deftly characterized and developed even in a relatively constrained wordcount. Basically what I would aspire to write were I to attempt short fiction (as if I could).
The Last Flight of Dr. Ain, James Tiptree Jr. 5 stars
This story is a masterclass in suspense-building. Sparsely written but haunting nonetheless, and holds up remarkably well -- it could have been written yesterday.
Sur, Ursula K. LeGuin 4.5 stars
Delightful! A lovely alt-history romp with some brilliant lines. Incredibly thematically appropriate to the collection.
Fire Watch, Connie Willis 5 stars
I LOVE the Oxford Time Travel stories. I love them. This is gorgeous and emotional and I have a powerful desire to read/reread all of Willis' oevre now. Damn.
April 22, 2017
I read this collection slowly, savoring each short story. It's worth picking up for the introduction alone. Kristine Kathryn Rusch relates how women have always been a part of science fiction--writing, editing, and establishing conventions.
I also appreciated the introduction to each author, although most of them were old reading friends. I fell in love with Zenna Henderson's People fifty years ago, and it was delightful to read another one of their tales--one I hadn't read before. I hadn't encountered C. L. Moore's extremely creepy "Shambleau" and I'm glad to have that gap in my sci-fi history filled. I've read Connie Willis' time travel novels, but I hadn't run across this short story involving another trip to St. Paul's; it was lovely to revisit the historians and familiar places in war-torn London from the novels. Although familiar with Leigh Brackett, "The Last Days of Shandakor" was a new read to me; it was a fantastic and poignant story of a grand civilization--I'd say more, but I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone. Lois McMaster Bujold's "Aftermaths" is told without emotion, but it breaks the heart.
As in any anthology, there are stories one favors over others, but I'd say there were no real clunkers in the group. My least favorite was by Ursula Le Guin. I suppose I've come to expect more from her, and I found her expedition story unbelievable (warm weather people who don't complain about the cold!) and pedestrian, though still very readable.
I would love to read another anthology of the stories that just missed this book. Please!
I also appreciated the introduction to each author, although most of them were old reading friends. I fell in love with Zenna Henderson's People fifty years ago, and it was delightful to read another one of their tales--one I hadn't read before. I hadn't encountered C. L. Moore's extremely creepy "Shambleau" and I'm glad to have that gap in my sci-fi history filled. I've read Connie Willis' time travel novels, but I hadn't run across this short story involving another trip to St. Paul's; it was lovely to revisit the historians and familiar places in war-torn London from the novels. Although familiar with Leigh Brackett, "The Last Days of Shandakor" was a new read to me; it was a fantastic and poignant story of a grand civilization--I'd say more, but I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone. Lois McMaster Bujold's "Aftermaths" is told without emotion, but it breaks the heart.
As in any anthology, there are stories one favors over others, but I'd say there were no real clunkers in the group. My least favorite was by Ursula Le Guin. I suppose I've come to expect more from her, and I found her expedition story unbelievable (warm weather people who don't complain about the cold!) and pedestrian, though still very readable.
I would love to read another anthology of the stories that just missed this book. Please!
October 12, 2022
Anthology. 2.92 stars is the average rating. Just a couple of good ones.
1. The Indelible Kind / by Zenna Henderson (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 1968). I'm not sure how I feel about this story. I read what the editor said about this author but I didn't really care much for the story. It was just blah to me. 2-1/2 stars
2. The Smallest Dragonboy / by Anne McCaffrey (Science Fiction Tales, 1973) Story about a young man wanting to start the next part of his life. 3 stars
3. Out of All Them Bright Stars / by Nancy Kress (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March, 1985). Even with aliens coming to earth, a waitress still has to go to work day-in and day-out. 3-1/2 stars
4. Angel / by Pat Cadigan. I read this originally as part of the anthology Alien Sex: 19 Tales by the Masters of Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy. With the title of this anthology, you would think I should know what I'm getting. But this was another strange one. I felt sorry for the driver/navigator. 3 stars.
5. Cassandra / by C.J. Cherryh (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1978) A woman who can see the future's end and the ghosts that will remain. Short but good. 4 stars
6. Shambleau / by C.L. Moore (Weird Tales, November, 1933) I guess for the time period it was written if was considered forward thinking but I didn't really care for it. 2 stars
7. The Last Days of Shandakor / by Leigh Brackett (Startling Stories, April 1952) I know this is a classic but it was not my cup of tea. 2 stars
8. All Cats Are Gray / by Andre Norton (Fantastic Universe, August/September 1953) Super short. Kind of confusing. 3 stars
9. Aftermaths / by Lois McMaster Bujold (Far Frontiers: The Paperback Magazine of Science Fiction and Speculative Fact, Volume V, Spring 1986). I have read this short story. Very sad. 4 stars.
10. The Last Flight of Doctor Ain / by James Tiptree, Jr. (Galaxy, March 1969) Was he saving the planet? 3 stars
11. Sur / by Ursula K. Le Guin (The New Yorker, February 1, 1982) I didn't really care for it. A parallel universe story. 2 stars
12. Fire Watch / by Connie Willis, I know this author is considered classic sci-fi, especially this series, but I've read one book and this short story and didn't care much for either. 3 stars.
1. The Indelible Kind / by Zenna Henderson (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 1968). I'm not sure how I feel about this story. I read what the editor said about this author but I didn't really care much for the story. It was just blah to me. 2-1/2 stars
2. The Smallest Dragonboy / by Anne McCaffrey (Science Fiction Tales, 1973) Story about a young man wanting to start the next part of his life. 3 stars
3. Out of All Them Bright Stars / by Nancy Kress (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March, 1985). Even with aliens coming to earth, a waitress still has to go to work day-in and day-out. 3-1/2 stars
4. Angel / by Pat Cadigan. I read this originally as part of the anthology Alien Sex: 19 Tales by the Masters of Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy. With the title of this anthology, you would think I should know what I'm getting. But this was another strange one. I felt sorry for the driver/navigator. 3 stars.
5. Cassandra / by C.J. Cherryh (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1978) A woman who can see the future's end and the ghosts that will remain. Short but good. 4 stars
6. Shambleau / by C.L. Moore (Weird Tales, November, 1933) I guess for the time period it was written if was considered forward thinking but I didn't really care for it. 2 stars
7. The Last Days of Shandakor / by Leigh Brackett (Startling Stories, April 1952) I know this is a classic but it was not my cup of tea. 2 stars
8. All Cats Are Gray / by Andre Norton (Fantastic Universe, August/September 1953) Super short. Kind of confusing. 3 stars
9. Aftermaths / by Lois McMaster Bujold (Far Frontiers: The Paperback Magazine of Science Fiction and Speculative Fact, Volume V, Spring 1986). I have read this short story. Very sad. 4 stars.
10. The Last Flight of Doctor Ain / by James Tiptree, Jr. (Galaxy, March 1969) Was he saving the planet? 3 stars
11. Sur / by Ursula K. Le Guin (The New Yorker, February 1, 1982) I didn't really care for it. A parallel universe story. 2 stars
12. Fire Watch / by Connie Willis, I know this author is considered classic sci-fi, especially this series, but I've read one book and this short story and didn't care much for either. 3 stars.
January 24, 2023
Although I’ve loved science fiction since I was a child, I have always been very picky about the kind of science fiction I actually enjoy. My preference seems to be for anything that involving humans interacting with alien cultures, anything that builds a strong world (where an alien culture is believable and vividly depicted), and most of all, anything that’s character-driven, with less emphasis on action and more on how people interact. Women of Futures Past turned out to serve up several stories that were right up my alley, while introducing me to several fine female writers whose work I was not previously familiar with.
My thoughts on each story are as follows:
The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson: I absolutely loved this story and it turned out to be my favorite of the anthology. A schoolteacher comes into contact with a family of extraterrestrials known as the People, who have migrated to Earth after facing the destruction of their planet. Possessing telepathic, telekinetic, and empathic powers, the family’s child is determined to save an astronaut whom he senses is has been abandoned in orbit around the planet. I would describe “The Indelible Kind” as “feel good” all the way around, and strongly desire now to seek out Henderson’s other stories about the People.
The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey: I’m glad this anthology has taught me that the Dragonriders of Pern series is a science fiction series and not, as I always presumed, fantasy. That being said, without the benefit of editor Kathryn Rusch’s introduction “The Smallest Dragonboy” sure would have read like a fantasy story to me, and therefore, I found the setting less interesting. Another feel-good story about a young boy vying to be chosen by his newborn mount as a future dragonrider, this was all right and definitely heartwarming, but I kind of sensed where it was going pretty quickly and I don’t feel the need to explore more of this universe.
Out Of All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress: Another one of my favorites. Told from a waitress’ first-person POV, this is the story of a wayward alien who comes into a diner and elicits fear and concern from all but the narrator. I felt very deeply for the alien and the narrator, and I wish there was a whole novel set in this universe so I can find out what happened to them after their encounter.
Angel by Pat Cadigan: The first story in the anthology that did little for me. It’s set in a thought-provoking alternate dimension of some sort where people from different worlds are sent after having violated the laws/social constructs of their own dimension. After the narrator finds the titular Angel, a mysterious being with seemingly supernatural powers, the two become partners in crime, but their relationship hits a snag when it turns out the Angel’s former partner is out to get them. The most interesting aspect of this story for me was the queer representation, with the protagonist being intersex and the Angel being considered sexually deviant on his home world (whether he refused to have sex because he was gay or asexual is up for debate, and who knows if his home world’s concept of sexuality corresponds to ours anyway, but I prefer the latter interpretation). Unfortunately, though, this made the ending’s tragedy hit even harder. But it was good to have a story in the anthology that explicitly dealt with queer characters, which the rest of the stories failed to do.
Cassandra by CJ Cherryh: Being the story of a prophet who sees ghosts everywhere she goes, the unlucky victims of an inevitable upcoming disaster. I’ll admit that I didn’t guess where this was going, and it broke my heart at the end. A deeply chilling story- not one of my favorites, because I prefer happy endings, but very well written.
Shambleau by CL Moore: Absolutely loved this story. It was definitely my favorite after “The Indelible Kind.” This space Western introduces the character of Northwest Smith, a bold, spacefaring rogue who ends up the victim of an alluring creature called Shambleau. Though the intro to the story mentioned that “Shambleau” is sometimes dismissed by feminist sf critics because of the male protagonist and female antagonist, I have to say, I LOVED that the antagonist was a female creature. The scenes describing her seduction and devouring of Smith were horribly, evocatively rendered. Smith himself annoyed me, with how he didn’t seem to recognize a red flag if it came up and flapped in his face, but it was fun to see a male character serve as damsel in distress. I also loved the Martian setting, even if it is outdated nowadays. Hey, I’m currently writing science fiction story which has Mars being populated by extraterrestrials, so why let cold hard facts get in the way of creating a fun, fictional narrative?
The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett: I once read a short story by Leigh Brackett (can’t remember the title now), and found it so amazing that I immediately knew I had to read everythig she had written. This was the second story of hers that I read, and perhaps my expectations were too high, because I didn’t find it anywhere near as spellbinding as the first. That being said, wow, what a tale. In this one, an anthropologist on Mars sets off to discover a lost race, and gets more- a LOT more than he bargained for. There’s a lot to be said here about the dangers of flying too close to sun and of asserting yourself as a superior being instead of trying to learn from another culture. Overall, it gave me the same eerie, chilled feeling that the first Brackett story I read did, but I wasn’t as thoroughly invested. I still need ti read more by her…
All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton: A cute story about a colorblind woman and her cat, who ends up saving her life against an invisible creature when she joins a spacer on a salvage mission. I like cats, so that was a plus, and the female character intrigued me, but the story’s short length left me wanting more. Plus, the choice to have the two human characters get married at the end made me roll my eyes. It felt very juvenile.
Aftermath by Lois McMaster Bujold: I wasn’t sure if I would like this story after reading the introduction, which talked about space opera and military settings being Bujold’s preferred genres, but this was a nice introduction to her world- although I doubt I would enjoy a full-length novel. Describing another man and a woman on a salvage mission (though without a cat this time), “Aftermath” took a frank look at the horror and senselessness of war through the eyes of a death-positive mortician (I guess would be the easiest way to describe her character). I loved that character and would love to read more about her, though I doubt she makes any more appearances in Bujold’s writing.
The Last Flight of Dr. Ain by James Tiptree Jr.: Prior to this, the only Tiptree I had read was “The Girl Who Was Plugged In,” and I greatly admired her use of language in that one. This story, however, left me cold. I’m really going to need to re-read it to get a better understanding of what it was trying to say. Dr. Ain seems to have unleashed a deadly virus in order to kill off every human and ultimately reverse the damage that humans have done to the planet, is what I’m getting. But his lover was a human representation of the Earth? Was that all in his mind, or did she really exist as a person?
Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin: Supposedly an alternate history tale, recounting the expedition that nine Latina women undertook to reach the South Pole. I’ve only ever read Le Guin’s Earthsea trilogy, but that alone has made me love her. As it turns out, I loved “Sur” as well, for the character interactions and the whimsical yet brazen nature of their expedition, but I fail to see how this is considered alternate history, seeing as if very well COULD have happened in our universe. If the women had been acknowledged as the first to reach the South Pole and made the history books, that would have been an alternate history, but in keeping their expedition a secret, it didn’t work as what it was claimed to be.
Fire Watch by Connie Willis: Surprised that this was the only time travel story in the anthology, but hey, at least there was one. I loved this story about a historian in training who is sent back in time to the London blitz to defend St. Paul’s Cathedral. I’m so glad to learn that there are more stories set in this universe- I need to seek them out.
Overall, Women of Futures Past was a great read, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more from some of these authors in the future- provided I can get my hands on their books, as many seem to be out of print.
My thoughts on each story are as follows:
The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson: I absolutely loved this story and it turned out to be my favorite of the anthology. A schoolteacher comes into contact with a family of extraterrestrials known as the People, who have migrated to Earth after facing the destruction of their planet. Possessing telepathic, telekinetic, and empathic powers, the family’s child is determined to save an astronaut whom he senses is has been abandoned in orbit around the planet. I would describe “The Indelible Kind” as “feel good” all the way around, and strongly desire now to seek out Henderson’s other stories about the People.
The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey: I’m glad this anthology has taught me that the Dragonriders of Pern series is a science fiction series and not, as I always presumed, fantasy. That being said, without the benefit of editor Kathryn Rusch’s introduction “The Smallest Dragonboy” sure would have read like a fantasy story to me, and therefore, I found the setting less interesting. Another feel-good story about a young boy vying to be chosen by his newborn mount as a future dragonrider, this was all right and definitely heartwarming, but I kind of sensed where it was going pretty quickly and I don’t feel the need to explore more of this universe.
Out Of All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress: Another one of my favorites. Told from a waitress’ first-person POV, this is the story of a wayward alien who comes into a diner and elicits fear and concern from all but the narrator. I felt very deeply for the alien and the narrator, and I wish there was a whole novel set in this universe so I can find out what happened to them after their encounter.
Angel by Pat Cadigan: The first story in the anthology that did little for me. It’s set in a thought-provoking alternate dimension of some sort where people from different worlds are sent after having violated the laws/social constructs of their own dimension. After the narrator finds the titular Angel, a mysterious being with seemingly supernatural powers, the two become partners in crime, but their relationship hits a snag when it turns out the Angel’s former partner is out to get them. The most interesting aspect of this story for me was the queer representation, with the protagonist being intersex and the Angel being considered sexually deviant on his home world (whether he refused to have sex because he was gay or asexual is up for debate, and who knows if his home world’s concept of sexuality corresponds to ours anyway, but I prefer the latter interpretation). Unfortunately, though, this made the ending’s tragedy hit even harder. But it was good to have a story in the anthology that explicitly dealt with queer characters, which the rest of the stories failed to do.
Cassandra by CJ Cherryh: Being the story of a prophet who sees ghosts everywhere she goes, the unlucky victims of an inevitable upcoming disaster. I’ll admit that I didn’t guess where this was going, and it broke my heart at the end. A deeply chilling story- not one of my favorites, because I prefer happy endings, but very well written.
Shambleau by CL Moore: Absolutely loved this story. It was definitely my favorite after “The Indelible Kind.” This space Western introduces the character of Northwest Smith, a bold, spacefaring rogue who ends up the victim of an alluring creature called Shambleau. Though the intro to the story mentioned that “Shambleau” is sometimes dismissed by feminist sf critics because of the male protagonist and female antagonist, I have to say, I LOVED that the antagonist was a female creature. The scenes describing her seduction and devouring of Smith were horribly, evocatively rendered. Smith himself annoyed me, with how he didn’t seem to recognize a red flag if it came up and flapped in his face, but it was fun to see a male character serve as damsel in distress. I also loved the Martian setting, even if it is outdated nowadays. Hey, I’m currently writing science fiction story which has Mars being populated by extraterrestrials, so why let cold hard facts get in the way of creating a fun, fictional narrative?
The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett: I once read a short story by Leigh Brackett (can’t remember the title now), and found it so amazing that I immediately knew I had to read everythig she had written. This was the second story of hers that I read, and perhaps my expectations were too high, because I didn’t find it anywhere near as spellbinding as the first. That being said, wow, what a tale. In this one, an anthropologist on Mars sets off to discover a lost race, and gets more- a LOT more than he bargained for. There’s a lot to be said here about the dangers of flying too close to sun and of asserting yourself as a superior being instead of trying to learn from another culture. Overall, it gave me the same eerie, chilled feeling that the first Brackett story I read did, but I wasn’t as thoroughly invested. I still need ti read more by her…
All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton: A cute story about a colorblind woman and her cat, who ends up saving her life against an invisible creature when she joins a spacer on a salvage mission. I like cats, so that was a plus, and the female character intrigued me, but the story’s short length left me wanting more. Plus, the choice to have the two human characters get married at the end made me roll my eyes. It felt very juvenile.
Aftermath by Lois McMaster Bujold: I wasn’t sure if I would like this story after reading the introduction, which talked about space opera and military settings being Bujold’s preferred genres, but this was a nice introduction to her world- although I doubt I would enjoy a full-length novel. Describing another man and a woman on a salvage mission (though without a cat this time), “Aftermath” took a frank look at the horror and senselessness of war through the eyes of a death-positive mortician (I guess would be the easiest way to describe her character). I loved that character and would love to read more about her, though I doubt she makes any more appearances in Bujold’s writing.
The Last Flight of Dr. Ain by James Tiptree Jr.: Prior to this, the only Tiptree I had read was “The Girl Who Was Plugged In,” and I greatly admired her use of language in that one. This story, however, left me cold. I’m really going to need to re-read it to get a better understanding of what it was trying to say. Dr. Ain seems to have unleashed a deadly virus in order to kill off every human and ultimately reverse the damage that humans have done to the planet, is what I’m getting. But his lover was a human representation of the Earth? Was that all in his mind, or did she really exist as a person?
Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin: Supposedly an alternate history tale, recounting the expedition that nine Latina women undertook to reach the South Pole. I’ve only ever read Le Guin’s Earthsea trilogy, but that alone has made me love her. As it turns out, I loved “Sur” as well, for the character interactions and the whimsical yet brazen nature of their expedition, but I fail to see how this is considered alternate history, seeing as if very well COULD have happened in our universe. If the women had been acknowledged as the first to reach the South Pole and made the history books, that would have been an alternate history, but in keeping their expedition a secret, it didn’t work as what it was claimed to be.
Fire Watch by Connie Willis: Surprised that this was the only time travel story in the anthology, but hey, at least there was one. I loved this story about a historian in training who is sent back in time to the London blitz to defend St. Paul’s Cathedral. I’m so glad to learn that there are more stories set in this universe- I need to seek them out.
Overall, Women of Futures Past was a great read, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more from some of these authors in the future- provided I can get my hands on their books, as many seem to be out of print.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2018
Women of Futures Past starts with an introduction by Kristine Kathryn Rusch in which she gives us a fascinating behind the scenes look into the science fiction publishing industry. (She also introduces each story.) She tells us that many people assume women writing SciFi is a recent phenomenon even though women have been writing SciFi from the beginning. The reason people think women weren't part of science fiction in earlier decades is because female writers are often left out of Best Of anthologies which effectively erases them from history. She says this is partly due to literary SciFi being favored over the type of SciFi women often write such as space opera. This anthology was created to shine a light on past and present female science fiction writers who haven't gotten the attention they deserve.
I hate to say it, but my own personal tastes lean more towards the literary side, so I didn't enjoy most of the stories in this collection. The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson (about a teacher trying to understand a strange new student), The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey (about a boy training to become a dragon rider), and Out of All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress (in which a waitress meets an alien) were all meh for me.
I wanted to like Shambleau by C.L. Moore due to our shared surname, but this Western on Mars was far too wordy. The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett (about a Martian ghost town) and All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton (about a haunted spaceship) were both meh for me as well. I found Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin (a story about an expedition to the South Pole) to be incredibly boring.
It wasn't all bad, though. Angel by Pat Cadigan, a hallucinogenic tale about a mind-controlling alien was pretty good. I also liked Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh, another hallucinogenic tale with a spoiler for the title. The Last Flight of Doctor Ain by James Tiptree, Jr., a story about biological warfare, was also pretty good.
Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold is my favorite in this collection. An excellent story about body retrieval in the aftermath of a space war. When a pilot says an enemy's body should be dumped with the rest of the trash, the medtech replies, "Think of all the work he represents on somebody's part. Nine months of pregnancy, childbirth, two years of diapering, and that's just the beginning. Tens of thousands of meals, thousands of bedtime stories, years of school. Dozens of teachers. And all that military training, too. A lot of people went into making him." Fire Watch by Connie Willis, in which a time traveler goes back to the London Blitz was also excellent. I guess I liked these two stories the best because they're the most literary.
I've found that most multi-author anthologies tend to be a mixed bag, and this is no exception. By my admittedly subjective count, there are seven stories worth skipping, three stories that are pretty good, and two that are excellent. But everybody's tastes are different, you might very well enjoy all or none of these stories yourself.
I hate to say it, but my own personal tastes lean more towards the literary side, so I didn't enjoy most of the stories in this collection. The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson (about a teacher trying to understand a strange new student), The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey (about a boy training to become a dragon rider), and Out of All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress (in which a waitress meets an alien) were all meh for me.
I wanted to like Shambleau by C.L. Moore due to our shared surname, but this Western on Mars was far too wordy. The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett (about a Martian ghost town) and All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton (about a haunted spaceship) were both meh for me as well. I found Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin (a story about an expedition to the South Pole) to be incredibly boring.
It wasn't all bad, though. Angel by Pat Cadigan, a hallucinogenic tale about a mind-controlling alien was pretty good. I also liked Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh, another hallucinogenic tale with a spoiler for the title. The Last Flight of Doctor Ain by James Tiptree, Jr., a story about biological warfare, was also pretty good.
Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold is my favorite in this collection. An excellent story about body retrieval in the aftermath of a space war. When a pilot says an enemy's body should be dumped with the rest of the trash, the medtech replies, "Think of all the work he represents on somebody's part. Nine months of pregnancy, childbirth, two years of diapering, and that's just the beginning. Tens of thousands of meals, thousands of bedtime stories, years of school. Dozens of teachers. And all that military training, too. A lot of people went into making him." Fire Watch by Connie Willis, in which a time traveler goes back to the London Blitz was also excellent. I guess I liked these two stories the best because they're the most literary.
I've found that most multi-author anthologies tend to be a mixed bag, and this is no exception. By my admittedly subjective count, there are seven stories worth skipping, three stories that are pretty good, and two that are excellent. But everybody's tastes are different, you might very well enjoy all or none of these stories yourself.
August 2, 2017
This is an outstanding collection of the best of SF short stories by award-winning women SF writers of the 1930's to 1980's. Editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch found while teaching SF writing workshops that young women SF writers thought they were pioneers in a male-dominated field. They had never heard of the writers anthologized here and should have. There is not a single dud in this collection. All are very good; most are amazing. My only regret was that I had already read four of the 12 stories. The stories were deliberately chosen to reflect the full range of women's SF writing, not just the feminist masterpieces in collections such as the "Women of Wonder" series edited by Pamela Sargent. Rusch chose not to include The Women Men Don't See or Houston, Houston, Do You Read? by James Tiptree Jr. or "Even the Queen" by Connie Willis. Her alternate selections of
Tiptree's "The Last Flight of Dr. Ain" and Willis's "Fire Watch" are breath-taking. Don't skip the introduction; it lists other short stories and novels I plan to search for. "Women of Futures Past" is a don't-miss short story collection for every SF fan, women or men.
Tiptree's "The Last Flight of Dr. Ain" and Willis's "Fire Watch" are breath-taking. Don't skip the introduction; it lists other short stories and novels I plan to search for. "Women of Futures Past" is a don't-miss short story collection for every SF fan, women or men.
October 12, 2016
Detailed review forthcoming...
July 13, 2017
Like almost all short story collections of this type, Women of Future Past was a mixed bag. It's inevitable that with stories from so many different authors, spanning eras and genres, some stories hit more powerfully than others. In this case, that tendecy is exacerbated by an overly complicated editorial schema. In her general introduction and also in the introductions to specific stories, Rusch advances several theses about the place of women in science fiction. This is, in general, an odd thing for a short story collection to do. In this specific case, I also found it very confusing to track what Rusch was saying. As far as I understand it, she's saying that real fans (what she calls "hardcore science fiction people" who attend conventions) know all about the long history of women authors; that stories about women authors hiding behind names that could pass as men's or using initials or pseudonyms are grossly overblown; but that these women writers are not well known because their stories got left out of anthologies even though they were incredibly popular and well known. There are also weird shots at "literary" science fiction people and several other topics.
I don't know where that leaves me. I guess I'm not a "real fan," because I've never been to a con and there were several authors in this collection I'd never heard of. But, of the older writers, there were a lot more who I heard of but not necessarily read, like Leigh Brackett. There are also several writers, like Anne McCaffrey and Ursula Le Guin, who I feel like everyone has heard of. I can't help but suspect that these arguments are aimed at some of the gender and genre based controversies at recent Hugo awards, but in a way that I couldn't track.
Anyway, I feel like all this led to some strange choices. For one thing, several of the introductions talk about how the author in question really excelled at novella length but that those (better) stories can't be included because of length. Perhaps set up by this, I typically found those stories least interesting, which makes me wonder why bother including them other than to represent that author. Also, since several of the older stories seemed to be important in context or to be examples of sub-genres that aren't currently popular, I would have appreciated getting a stronger sense of that context in the intros. Instead, there was a lot of listing of awards and pull quotes about how awesome the author was.
Despite that confusion, I liked a lot of the stories. My favorites were probably the two oldest stories, "Shambleau" by CL Moore (1933) and "The Last Days of Shandakor" by Leigh Brackett (1952). Those were both people I was aware of, but had never read anything by before. The stories were definitely dated, in same way that just about all science fiction from those eras that I've read are, but still a lot of fun. I'd have certainly enjoyed a few more like that, possibly at the expense of the Connie Willis story I've read before.
I don't know where that leaves me. I guess I'm not a "real fan," because I've never been to a con and there were several authors in this collection I'd never heard of. But, of the older writers, there were a lot more who I heard of but not necessarily read, like Leigh Brackett. There are also several writers, like Anne McCaffrey and Ursula Le Guin, who I feel like everyone has heard of. I can't help but suspect that these arguments are aimed at some of the gender and genre based controversies at recent Hugo awards, but in a way that I couldn't track.
Anyway, I feel like all this led to some strange choices. For one thing, several of the introductions talk about how the author in question really excelled at novella length but that those (better) stories can't be included because of length. Perhaps set up by this, I typically found those stories least interesting, which makes me wonder why bother including them other than to represent that author. Also, since several of the older stories seemed to be important in context or to be examples of sub-genres that aren't currently popular, I would have appreciated getting a stronger sense of that context in the intros. Instead, there was a lot of listing of awards and pull quotes about how awesome the author was.
Despite that confusion, I liked a lot of the stories. My favorites were probably the two oldest stories, "Shambleau" by CL Moore (1933) and "The Last Days of Shandakor" by Leigh Brackett (1952). Those were both people I was aware of, but had never read anything by before. The stories were definitely dated, in same way that just about all science fiction from those eras that I've read are, but still a lot of fun. I'd have certainly enjoyed a few more like that, possibly at the expense of the Connie Willis story I've read before.
December 10, 2020
3,5/5 Absolutamente espectacular la introducción de Rusch. Mis gustos no coinciden mucho con su selección de cuentos, aunque esto ya es más personal. Me quedo especialmente con los relatos de Cherryh, Le Guin, Willis, Sheldon y, sobre todo, Bujold. Siempre Bujold.
En la introducción, Rusch hace gala de un gran trabajo de documentación y nos da pistas sobre cómo pueden haberse silenciado tantas buenas (“buenas” por número de premios importantes, ojo, no es solo la opinión de la antóloga) autoras de literatura fantástica en el siglo XX y principios del XXI. Nos da la impresión de que esta nefasta ausencia se ha corregido en los últimos años con un dominio casi total de mujeres en los galardones más importantes, pero lo cierto es que ya antes excelentes autoras acumulaban premio tras premio. ¿Cuál es el autor con más Hugos en categoría de ficción? Pues no es “autor”, sino que es autora y su nombre es Connie Willis. Y hasta ahora yo no había leído nada suyo: telita. Silencio y vacío, que poco a poco el fandom va cubriendo con proyectos notables como la web/el podcast La nave invisible o la serie Alucinadas.
“En toda la historia de la ciencia ficción moderna, las historias escritas por mujeres no se han seleccionado en tantas antologías como las de hombres”. Y esto lo demuestra con datos, tirando tanto de fuentes primarias (una biblioteca de revistas antiguas de la leche) como de otros ensayos al respecto. Este silencio, más o menos intencionado, parece empezar con una antología de Damon Knight, que se ve que era buena pieza, que recopilaba en 1975 cuentos de los años 30. Pero Knight no estaba solo: Greenberg y Olander, Silverberg, y Malzberg y Pronzini… la lista de antólogos que en su día descartaron/despreciaron/minusvaloraron las voces de mujeres multipremiadas es larga. ¿Por qué lo hicieron? ¿Fue algo premeditado o más bien inconsciente?
“No sorprende que jóvenes escritoras de ciencia ficción crean que [ahora] están derribando barreras en un campo dominado por hombres. […] Tendrían que mirar nominaciones a premios en la década de 1990 para ver que las mujeres llevan años dominando las categorías de ciencia ficción”. Muy cierto: la perspectiva histórica (o herstórica, vamos) es fundamental.
Como anécdota, he aprendido que, en inglés, el plural de “fan” en el contexto de la CiFi, es “fen”. Ya sabes, man → men, woman → women.
En la introducción, Rusch hace gala de un gran trabajo de documentación y nos da pistas sobre cómo pueden haberse silenciado tantas buenas (“buenas” por número de premios importantes, ojo, no es solo la opinión de la antóloga) autoras de literatura fantástica en el siglo XX y principios del XXI. Nos da la impresión de que esta nefasta ausencia se ha corregido en los últimos años con un dominio casi total de mujeres en los galardones más importantes, pero lo cierto es que ya antes excelentes autoras acumulaban premio tras premio. ¿Cuál es el autor con más Hugos en categoría de ficción? Pues no es “autor”, sino que es autora y su nombre es Connie Willis. Y hasta ahora yo no había leído nada suyo: telita. Silencio y vacío, que poco a poco el fandom va cubriendo con proyectos notables como la web/el podcast La nave invisible o la serie Alucinadas.
“En toda la historia de la ciencia ficción moderna, las historias escritas por mujeres no se han seleccionado en tantas antologías como las de hombres”. Y esto lo demuestra con datos, tirando tanto de fuentes primarias (una biblioteca de revistas antiguas de la leche) como de otros ensayos al respecto. Este silencio, más o menos intencionado, parece empezar con una antología de Damon Knight, que se ve que era buena pieza, que recopilaba en 1975 cuentos de los años 30. Pero Knight no estaba solo: Greenberg y Olander, Silverberg, y Malzberg y Pronzini… la lista de antólogos que en su día descartaron/despreciaron/minusvaloraron las voces de mujeres multipremiadas es larga. ¿Por qué lo hicieron? ¿Fue algo premeditado o más bien inconsciente?
“No sorprende que jóvenes escritoras de ciencia ficción crean que [ahora] están derribando barreras en un campo dominado por hombres. […] Tendrían que mirar nominaciones a premios en la década de 1990 para ver que las mujeres llevan años dominando las categorías de ciencia ficción”. Muy cierto: la perspectiva histórica (o herstórica, vamos) es fundamental.
Como anécdota, he aprendido que, en inglés, el plural de “fan” en el contexto de la CiFi, es “fen”. Ya sabes, man → men, woman → women.
April 8, 2020
This is an excellent collection of short stories from a wide selection of notable female science fiction writers. There is a very informative introduction that provides a useful, albeit compressed, history of several of the genre's female writers and editors, with a couple of academic references for further in depth exploration. It also debunks some myths while also pointing out other industry bias and makes a strong plea to ensure these women's contributions, stories and names are not forgotten. The stories vary from very good to fantastic and it is difficult to pick out favourites in such a great collection. That said, I especially enjoyed Lois McMaster Bujold's heart wrenching "Aftermaths", Ursula LeGuin's alternate history of Antarctica exploration "Sur", and James Tiptree's (alias of Alice B. Sheldon) somewhat terrifying tale of a Flu pandemic,"The Last Flight of Doctor Ain". I hope Baen publishes a follow-up with more works from these authors and others.
January 19, 2025
I am very much in favour of the whole premise for this anthology and the introduction, Invisible Women by Kristine Kathryn Rush, is truly excellent in discussing how women have always been present and prominent in writing science fiction and how their work has a tendency of going out of print and not getting anthologized to a much much larger extent than men's work. As such I truly appreciate this anthology's goal of bringing together some classic stories written by women.
I had previously read three of the twelve stories collected here: Aftermath by Lois McMaster Bujold
, Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin, Fire Watch by Connie Willis.
Out of the remaining ones, there were a few that didn't work for me, but generally they were interesting to read. I finally got to read one of Zenna Henderson's People stories which I had heard about before and enjoyed it.
I had previously read three of the twelve stories collected here: Aftermath by Lois McMaster Bujold
, Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin, Fire Watch by Connie Willis.
Out of the remaining ones, there were a few that didn't work for me, but generally they were interesting to read. I finally got to read one of Zenna Henderson's People stories which I had heard about before and enjoyed it.
Want to read
July 9, 2020Was reading another anthology of classic women in sci-fi, The Future is Female!, and understood book discussion for the first time (i. e. wanted to see what other people thought of the ending) when I finished "Contagion" by Katherine Maclean. Searched it up and there wasn't much to see, but I did happen across a website, womeninsciencefiction.com, which has been abandoned since the publication of this book in 2016. There seems to be only an overlap of two stories ("The Last Flight of Dr. Ain" and "All Cats Are Gray" (curiously enough, listed here under Andre Norton's real name while my other volume attributed all the stories to the names they were originally published under)), so I'll suppose I'll pick this up eventually!
February 27, 2019
Wonderful selection of stories. I have mixed feelings on the introductory essay. While informative, I didn't care for the way it said "women have always been here" but later pointed out that more work needed to be done on the inclusion front (i.e. WoC, trans women). I wouldn't say women didn't face discrimination if I meant just white women. Also, to say that women didn't face discrimination because some women worked as editors and the "true" fans (or the "fen", gag) knew of these authors rubbed me the wrong way.
October 28, 2020
A collection of stories by some of the best SciFi writers ever. I wanted to just gobble this book up but I made myself read just one or two at a sitting so I could savor every one of them. These kinds of stories are the reason SciFi is my favorite genre. Oh. Did I mention that all of the authors are women! You betcha! Fantastic tales I just love. Don’t miss each story’s introduction where Kristine Kathryn Rusch introduces each author or her Introduction where she relates some of the history of SciFi. I loved every word of this book. Get it now!
February 29, 2024
As always, it's hard to judge an anthology as a whole, since every story within will probably not be universally loved. Since I have to rate the book overall, I think it was pretty good, especially in concept. I like the goal of highlighting women in science fiction, especially in response to modern claims that there are not many female writers in sci-fi. Rusch as an editor did a great job in finding a variety of stories across the genre (though I admit that I now have no clue what actually encompasses "science fiction" if all of these count). Reading the introductions to each story was also helpful to learn why it was chosen and how that particular author has contributed to the field.
I found a couple of stories I loved, a lot that were fine, and a couple that were a real chore to finish. A quick review of each:
1. The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson: 2.5/5 // Introduced a ton of things with minimal exposition; felt random and rather long
2. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey: 4/5 // Wholesome, not much substance but very cute; characters were clear and pacing matched the vibe well
3. All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress: 3/5 // Really interesting idea but had large, mismatched setup for such a short story
4. Angel by Pat Cadigan: 3.5/5 // Cool concept and a decent length but felt like it could resonate more with longer build-up
5. Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh: 3/5 // Setup had me really interested until it ended abruptly; I'm not even sure what happened in this one
6. Shamleau by C.L. Moore: 3/5 // I can see the idea to write a fresh take on the Medusa story, but the complicated setting and character details distracted from the plot for me
7. The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett: 4/5 // Plot tension and character were balanced well throughout and kept me invested despite apocalypse settings not being a favorite
8. All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton: 5/5 // Cute! Set up and paid off well for a quick, fun story with a touch of introspection
9. Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold: 5/5 // This feels like peak sci-fi - the dichotomy of subtle yet strong character choices, the appeal to humanity, the plot that slowly reveals itself... masterful
10. The Last Flight of Dr. Ain: 2.5/5 // Evocative language made this interesting prose, but I legitimately could not tell what was happening throughout
11. Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin: 2/5 // Hated this one; she addresses the reader as the only kind of building character connection, which makes this read like a disembodied story told by someone you hardly know
12. Fire Watch by Connie Willis: 4/5 // Character details immediately felt relatable and created interest as plot was slowly revealed; charming bits added (like a person from the future not understanding cats, lol) but some technical details distracted
Content warnings for assault (stories 2, 4, 7, & 12), bullying (2), racism (3, 6, & 10), racial slurs (3), homophobia (4), car accident (4), death (4, 9, 11, & 12), fire (5 & 12), mental health (5), child death (5, 7, & 11), bugs (6), body horror (6), possession (6), slavery (7), child molestation (7), cadavers (9), illness (10 & 12), animal death (11 & 12), and war (12).
Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (five short stories, hard mode); also fits multiverse (hard mode), mythical beasts (hard mode), and arguably robots.
I found a couple of stories I loved, a lot that were fine, and a couple that were a real chore to finish. A quick review of each:
1. The Indelible Kind by Zenna Henderson: 2.5/5 // Introduced a ton of things with minimal exposition; felt random and rather long
2. The Smallest Dragonboy by Anne McCaffrey: 4/5 // Wholesome, not much substance but very cute; characters were clear and pacing matched the vibe well
3. All Them Bright Stars by Nancy Kress: 3/5 // Really interesting idea but had large, mismatched setup for such a short story
4. Angel by Pat Cadigan: 3.5/5 // Cool concept and a decent length but felt like it could resonate more with longer build-up
5. Cassandra by C.J. Cherryh: 3/5 // Setup had me really interested until it ended abruptly; I'm not even sure what happened in this one
6. Shamleau by C.L. Moore: 3/5 // I can see the idea to write a fresh take on the Medusa story, but the complicated setting and character details distracted from the plot for me
7. The Last Days of Shandakor by Leigh Brackett: 4/5 // Plot tension and character were balanced well throughout and kept me invested despite apocalypse settings not being a favorite
8. All Cats Are Gray by Andre Norton: 5/5 // Cute! Set up and paid off well for a quick, fun story with a touch of introspection
9. Aftermaths by Lois McMaster Bujold: 5/5 // This feels like peak sci-fi - the dichotomy of subtle yet strong character choices, the appeal to humanity, the plot that slowly reveals itself... masterful
10. The Last Flight of Dr. Ain: 2.5/5 // Evocative language made this interesting prose, but I legitimately could not tell what was happening throughout
11. Sur by Ursula K. Le Guin: 2/5 // Hated this one; she addresses the reader as the only kind of building character connection, which makes this read like a disembodied story told by someone you hardly know
12. Fire Watch by Connie Willis: 4/5 // Character details immediately felt relatable and created interest as plot was slowly revealed; charming bits added (like a person from the future not understanding cats, lol) but some technical details distracted
Content warnings for assault (stories 2, 4, 7, & 12), bullying (2), racism (3, 6, & 10), racial slurs (3), homophobia (4), car accident (4), death (4, 9, 11, & 12), fire (5 & 12), mental health (5), child death (5, 7, & 11), bugs (6), body horror (6), possession (6), slavery (7), child molestation (7), cadavers (9), illness (10 & 12), animal death (11 & 12), and war (12).
Used for 2023 r/Fantasy Bingo (five short stories, hard mode); also fits multiverse (hard mode), mythical beasts (hard mode), and arguably robots.
November 4, 2018
A good variety of SF short stories from 12 women writers, some well known and others that should not be forgotten.
The editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch provides a 25 page introduction to the book, explaining the need for this anthology and informative and short introductions to each short story to give the reader more background about each writer.
If you enjoy science/speculative fiction, short stories and/or women authors, you will enjoy this book.
The editor Kristine Kathryn Rusch provides a 25 page introduction to the book, explaining the need for this anthology and informative and short introductions to each short story to give the reader more background about each writer.
If you enjoy science/speculative fiction, short stories and/or women authors, you will enjoy this book.
June 24, 2017
This didn't quite work for me. This is an anthology of classic sci-fi women authors. I appreciated that Rusch tried to organize the author by influence - that is, the authors that come later were influenced by earlier authors. But I didn't find the stories themselves particularly interesting, and the classic stories seemed very much the same as classic sci-fi that I've read before.
October 15, 2018
An excellent anthology that I thoroughly enjoyed. One of the few anthologies where I thought that the Introduction was as good as the stories themselves. I'd heard of and previously read and enjoyed stories by all of the authors except for the very first one, Zenna Henderson. She is a completely new author to me and now I need to see if I can find some of her work.
August 6, 2021
Excellent compilation by a leading editor of short stories by the founding greats of women’s science fiction. Some authors were new to me. Others old favorites. Some wonderful stories plus One chilling story of the purposeful spread of a super virus - to save the Earth. Definitely I recommend this to read.
August 17, 2023
Not far from being an All-Stars' Greatest Hits collection.
If you're a serious SF reader this qualifies for your must-read list. Rusch has chosen expert, award-winning authors, then chosen a story for each that gives a sense of why that author is special.
"Aftermath" is unforgettable and the rest are excellent.
Highly recommended.
If you're a serious SF reader this qualifies for your must-read list. Rusch has chosen expert, award-winning authors, then chosen a story for each that gives a sense of why that author is special.
"Aftermath" is unforgettable and the rest are excellent.
Highly recommended.
March 19, 2018
I enjoyed the introductory essay and the short science fiction stories by women authors. This book reacquainted me with some favorite authors and introduced me to some I had not read before. I'm looking forward to adding them to my "to read" list!
March 4, 2019
This anthology was excellent. Every single story was interesting and unique and sparked in me a desire to read more, which may or may not be a good thing given the already outrageous length of my to-read list.
July 30, 2021
I liked the introduction and the editor's comments that preceded each story. However, I only found two stories I liked, the others were dull. The stories I liked were "All Cats Are Gray" and "Aftermaths."
May 20, 2018
Interesting alternative take on putting together an anthology of women.s writing in science fiction.
February 5, 2019
Terrific collection and now I have a bunch of new authors to check out.
November 14, 2019
Favorites in the anthology were Shambleau and The Smallest Dragonboy
May 10, 2021
What Short Stories rarely get 5's because of stinkers. Well the stinker was only a 3. The 5 star stories, well a couple were tens ok.
April 27, 2023
Some good stories, but generally I don't think old SF holds up as well as the editor thinks (and neither does some of the commentary).
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews