Dreamsnake

I'm trying to be ruthless in my DNFing these days, and I must cut this one off. It just feels like your usual ye olde feministe scifi tale.

It features a magical Earth Mother type (she's a healer! in touch with nature! healing with snakes!), much wearied by toiling under the patriarchy (aren't we all). There is a strong female gaze introduction of Sexy Dude, what with his dark hair with streaks of gray and long lithe hands and so on. I was rolling my eyes here, SO INCREDIBLY BORED. Yo, and I say this as someone who, had I read this 20 years ago - 10 years ago - nay, maybe even 5 years ago - I would have totally been into it. Yeah, man, give me that salt and pepper-haired catnip. But now: blegh.

In this world of rapidly changing gender norms, with MeToo and trans visibility and corporate Pride Parades, a loooot of stuff - books, TV shows, movies - has aged REALLY fast. While Ursula Le Guin's 1970s fem sf books hang on, still feeling fresh and relevant and progressive, this one I found just ugh. I feel like we've moved past it.

6/10

One of those surprisingly good 70s SF gems. I love its gentleness and emotional depth, its progressive attitudes toward relationships, and the quiet strength of the protagonist. It's a world and a story that seems real somehow, very grounded.