OK, so this is a tough one. If you already know who James Tiptree, Jr. is, then you probably don’t need to hear this from me. For the uninitiated however, he was one of perhaps the most important feminist science fiction authers ever. His short stories were incredibly popular in the 1970s, during the New Wave of Science Fiction and the second wave of American feminism. As Julie Phillips observed in her outstanding biography, Tiptree “was held up as an example of a male feminist, a man who understood.” Frequently, his works were not overtly feminist, but they certainly revealed a world influenced by the movement, and were often touchingly sympathetic. His works were also more pessimistic—a somewhat sharp contrast to the critical utopias of Le Guin, Russ, and Piercy, as well as the more hopeful critical dystopias of Octavia Butler and others that followed in the 1980s .

Now you may be saying, “holy shit Angry SF Guy, just get on with it already!” Sorry, feminist dystopian science fiction is kind of my area of specialty, and it’s impossible for me to review the genre’s most important works without throwing down a little. In order to understand and fully appreciate Tiptree’s works, the background (and what I’m about to tell you in the next paragraph) are vital. And it’s my fucking blog! And I figure if you’re still with me at this point, you might actually be interested!

So, anyways, Tiptree was one of the most important feminist SF writers. And he also punked the entire SF publishing, fan, and writer (he and Ursula le Guin corresponded frequently) communities for years. He won multiple Hugo and Nebula awards, but never showed up in person to accept them. He corresponded in letters, but always declined in-person meetings with friends, fans, and admirers. This was because James Tiptree, Jr.’s real name was Alice Sheldon—he was a she. For those still interested, consider Julie Phillip’s previously mentioned biography, James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon, required reading.

Unfortunately Alice Sheldon is no longer with us. She took her own life in 1987, after taking that of her ailing husband. However, her works (thank [G/g]od(s)) are still with us. Deciding how to review Sheldon was a challenge. Her most prominent works were short stories and novellas, and each one is absolutely deserving of a full individual review. I think I’ll do that at some point, but felt it worthwhile to simply start out with the most readily available collection of her works, the compilation Her Smoke Rose Up Forver (not to be confused with one of her short stories of the same title). This is not a complete collection of her works, but definitely serves as a greatest hits, and is still in publication.

Her Smoke Rose Up Forever includes a number of short stories and novellas published between 1969 and 1981. I cannot stress this enough—though perhaps her name is not thrown around with the likes of Russ, Le Guin, and other feminist SF writers of the period, these are some of the most important and influential works to come out of the 1970s. All of the more frequently anthologized works are here, and they should be considered absolute required reading. However, there are also some lesser read works that are absolute gems. Most are short, and can be read quickly in a sitting. I’m not going to break down each story, but will provide brief mention of my personal highlights:

Note: Angry SF Guy notes that a number of these stories can be found readily on the web. Do some Googles, and read one of the below. If you dig it, pick up the collection at your bookseller of choice.

"We Who Stole The Dream" - A group of small, enslaved aliens manage to hatch an escape plan over generations. One of the most achingly poignant stories I have ever read. It’s a study of cruelness as an inherent, unalterable trait. Angry SF Guy looks down at no one who cries at the end.

"The Women Men Don’t See" - Perhaps Tiptree’s most well-known story, and one of the most important works of feminist SF to come out of the 1970s. A woman finds more hope among the aliens from space than from the "aliens" on Earth.

"The Last Flight of Dr. Ain" - Just a classic tale of apocalypse. One of the shorter stories in the collection. I haven’t done enough research to say for certain, but I’d posit that every book and movie about a virus that could wipe out the population is inspired by this story.

"The Girl Who Was Plugged In" - One of the earliest examples of cyberpunk. William Gibson even notes it as an inspiration for his classic Neuromancer. It is ultimately about both the reward and futility of being something that one is not.

"The Screwfly Solution" - Another frequently anthologized work. This one was actually written by another of Sheldon’s pseudonyms, Racoona Sheldon. A fantastic horror story about an agent that causes men to kill women.

"And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill’s Side" - Aliens so sexually desirable that people literally destroy themselves to fuck them. Need I say more?

Angry SF Guy really can’t recommend this collection enough. I could go on and fucking on for pages (and, in fact, have done so elsewhere), but the bottom line is if you are into science fiction and you have never read Tiptree, stop whatever the fuck you are doing and get on it. Not only is it recommended, it should immediately be placed at the top of any reading list.

Is it worth my time? FUCK and YES!

TL;DR: Fucking read it now!

(Note: republished from my old Tumblr)