I happened to re-read the Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov... bcoz... well! I didn't
need a reason to. I just did. And I realised this time around that
Asimov wasn't really a forward thinker and had an almost breathtaking lack
of imagination.
The galactic empire is a few hundred thousand years old. You'd expect some things to change from 1940s America. For one, there is no talk of woman scientists that are in any powerful positions in the Foundation.
Hari Seldon, the founder of Psychohistory is a dude, the first mayor of Terminus is a dude, his trusted deputy, a dude, the priests of the nuclear religion they spread is a dude. Mallow, the first trader-prince is a dude, his nemesis in the mayor's office is a dude, there is an ambitious general who is a dude, the rebel trader sent to stop him is a dude, there is a smart emperor who stops him, also a dude. The mutant Mule is a dude, Ebling Mis, the foundation psychologist is a dude, there is a democrat captain, a dude.
Where are all the women? At home cooking dinner? There is a foundation chick who kills the mule bcoz of feelings, there is her precocious grand-daughter who reads romance novels and decides to go on an adventure (ok she is 16) and a blonde mistress. I mean the strongest woman character in the 3 books is a dumb blonde character who thankfully is part of the Second Foundation. Even giving the benefit of doubt to the time period and the target audience, something is really amiss when you don't have an empress (Queen Victoria anyone), a woman soldier, a woman scientist, a woman trader or religious leader or pilot. The man is writing fiction about intergalactic trade treaties and he can't write of a strong and powerful woman because that would be too outlandish. Come on!
The galactic empire is a few hundred thousand years old. You'd expect some things to change from 1940s America. For one, there is no talk of woman scientists that are in any powerful positions in the Foundation.
Hari Seldon, the founder of Psychohistory is a dude, the first mayor of Terminus is a dude, his trusted deputy, a dude, the priests of the nuclear religion they spread is a dude. Mallow, the first trader-prince is a dude, his nemesis in the mayor's office is a dude, there is an ambitious general who is a dude, the rebel trader sent to stop him is a dude, there is a smart emperor who stops him, also a dude. The mutant Mule is a dude, Ebling Mis, the foundation psychologist is a dude, there is a democrat captain, a dude.
Where are all the women? At home cooking dinner? There is a foundation chick who kills the mule bcoz of feelings, there is her precocious grand-daughter who reads romance novels and decides to go on an adventure (ok she is 16) and a blonde mistress. I mean the strongest woman character in the 3 books is a dumb blonde character who thankfully is part of the Second Foundation. Even giving the benefit of doubt to the time period and the target audience, something is really amiss when you don't have an empress (Queen Victoria anyone), a woman soldier, a woman scientist, a woman trader or religious leader or pilot. The man is writing fiction about intergalactic trade treaties and he can't write of a strong and powerful woman because that would be too outlandish. Come on!
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