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48  4 The Female “Atlas” of Science Fiction? Russ, Feminism and the SF Community Helen Merrick Acclaimed as one of SF’s most revolutionary, stylistically accomplished writers, recognized as an insightful and stringent critic, and marked as an angry polemicist: Joanna Russ is an inescapable part of SF history from the late 1960s. Moreover it is her presence as feminist writer and critic that is acknowledged —if not necessarily admired—by even the most trenchantly androcentric (dare I say sexist) accounts of the field. While her contributions to the development of a feminist sensibility in both science fiction and its criticism are widely recognized, there has been little overt attention to the less tangible fact of her presence and influence in the web of SF authors, fans, and critics. Yet there is ample evidence that Russ’s views on SF, feminism, and politics in general were offered, debated, and attacked in numerous ‘informal’ forums within the SF community. Indeed, I would argue that an understanding of Russ’s place in SF history is incomplete without acknowledgment of these more “informal” conversations in the SF community. In this chapter, I suggest that the debates and dialogues (and outright fights) between Russ and other authors and fans are evidence of the active role Russ played in encouraging and often demanding serious political discussion of feminist issues. Just as important, these interactions, both positive and negative, suggest why despite its “masculinist” image, SF has provided such a unique space for feminist voices and debate. That Russ saw these SF conversations as further opportunity for, and manifestation of, political activity suggests both the limitations on and potential for the negotiation of feminist politics in the discursive space of SF. From at least the time of her first consciously feminist fiction, the Alyx stories , Russ was participating in debates about women’s place in SF and society in her critical writings, letters, and contributions to publications both inside and outside the SF field.1 A particularly vital period in this “conversation” was the mid-1970s, which saw not only the publication of The Female Man, but also a flurry of debate (often provoked by Russ or her writings) around “feminist issues” in numerous fanzines and magazines. Due to her multiple identities Merrick, The Female “Atlas”? 49 as SF and feminist critic, as well as fiction writer and academic, there existed a number of possible catalysts for Russ’s involvement in community debate: reviews of her fiction; responses to her critical articles; and more general issues-based discussion that did not directly cite her work, but for various reasons , incited (or provoked) her interest. I examine in turn specific instances of such exchanges, the first provoked by her story “When it Changed,” the next a series of responses to her article “The Image of Women in Science Fiction.” (Russ 1972a). Finally I shall consider her involvement in debates circulating within the emergent feminist fan and writerly communities. When it Changed: Battle of the Sex Organs The habit of fanzine editors to send authors (and readers) copies of issues that referred to them in some way meant that Russ presumably was sent a large number of fanzines. What becomes evident in the cases examined here was that by the mid-1970s, Russ was already weary of explaining and defending feminist analyses—of fiction, criticism, or society in general, as can be seen in debates sparked by reception of “When it Changed” (Russ 1972c). Over a number of issues from 1973 to 1974, an oft-heated round of letters graced the pages of the fanzine the Alien Critic, edited by fan and writer Richard E. Geis.2 SF author Michael G. Coney led the attack, in a letter describing “When It Changed” as a “horrible, sickening story.” According to Coney, women’s liberation was a topical “bandwagon,” whose oppositional stance could be distilled to the view that “the-majority-is-a-bastard,” a critique he suggests could be better represented through “blacks” versus “whites,” or Catholics versus Protestants (Coney 1973). The source of Coney’s displeasure was made clear when he situated himself as part of that majority (“quite the opposite of a crank”) attacked by Russ: “I’m a white non-religious male of heterosexual leanings, a member of a vast and passive majority which seems to be the target of every crank group under the sun” (53). Coney here set himself up perfectly as part of the dominant group controlling the production of science and fictional...

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