Women Writing Science Fiction as Men

Janis Ian has got to be one of the most underrated voices in the world today. From her earliest record ("Society's Child, written and recorded at age 14) to her seminal "At Seventeen", Ian has chronicled our times with a verve and bravery that sometimes border on desperation.Her contribution to this anthology, "Prayerville", is admittedly her first story. The first story she ever wrote alone?! Given that, it is stunning. Borrowing a leaf from Tennessee Williams, she begins the story with "I took the Lone Star from base down Hope Highway, where I switched to a local." She goes on to describe, in the best tradition, a true tragedy - one where both sides are right, and both sides are wrong... and there is no easy solution.If for no other reason, this book is worth purchasing to see Ian's first real entry into published prose.

The title misled this reviewer and will probably do likewise for many readers who will believe that the collection consists of works by female authors using male pseudonyms. Instead, women with no gender disguises write the tales, but the lead character is supposed to be a man providing a male's first person narrative.That aside, the anthology is fun to read though there is little gender bending in most of the stories (no pregnant Mork from Ork). In fact the jobs, with one Holy exception, tilt in percentage towards the male, but women hold many of them in real life too. Fans will enjoy the stories as solid science fiction that run much of the gamut, but the gimmick fails dismally to bring out any unique revelations.Harriet Klausner