The Evolution of Science Fiction discussion

The December 2021 short story will be Love Story by Irving E. Cox Jr.. It's illustrated by Paul Orban & is available for free from Gutenberg.org in multiple formats here:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/32078

I don't expect anyone to like this story. Originally published in "If Worlds of Science Fiction" in April 1956, it's interesting for the historical take on the man-woman relationship of the times & illustrates just how much attitudes have changed.

Jim wrote: "I don't expect anyone to like this story."

It's a bad story? I'll pass, then. I read for enjoyment. I appreciate older works of SF for their entertainment value; I won't just read something because it is perceived as important, or simply representative of old attitudes.

Jim wrote: "I don't expect anyone to like this story."

Whereas this sentence scares off Ryan, for me it's just the opposite as it sparks my curiosity.
If it were an entire book I maybe wouldn't read it, but it's just a short story. So I'll take a look at it this evening 😉

Each to their own. I read it & had to pick my jaw up off the floor several times.

now I'm in too

Jim wrote: "Each to their own. I read it & had to pick my jaw up off the floor several times."

OK. It's short? I'm in, too then. I can always DNF.... 😇

The basic societal change of this story has been done before. We have discussed at least two works related to this theme. You might find them more palatable. (Or less, depending on your thoughts.)

Short story: Sultana's Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain
We discussed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Book: The Female Man by Joanna Russ
We discussed it here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

This short French film "Majorité Opprimée" is perhaps even closer to this short story.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...

Ed wrote: "The basic societal change of this story has been done before. We have discussed at least two works related to this theme. You might find them more palatable. (Or less, depending on your thoughts.)
..."

Neither hit me the way this one did, perhaps because it is written by a man who seems to mean it. Brutal.

well, that was short and bad.

It's hard to imagine it getting published. I wonder who the editor was?

The editor was James L. Quinn.