I’ve been rereading the biography of James Tiptree, Jr. — The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon, by the exceedingly adroit Julie Philips. I have a great many complex feelings about Tiptree — beginning with a gut-level aesthetic approval of his work, the admixture of sexuality and horror and xenophiliac morbidity that characterizes his best stories — and progressing onto a twisted kind of there-but-for-the-grace-of-of-God-go-I identification with his other-self, Alice Sheldon.
“The Girl Who Was Plugged In” is my favorite Tiptree story; someone has put it up on the internet to read. Go read it. Then go buy something Tiptree wrote. He is dead, and so is Alli Sheldon (though not, quite, at the same time), but nevertheless do.
In a sense this is my ur-text about possession, body horror, and desire.
(and for the grace-of-God bit: this is not my ur-text about femininity, and I am profoundly thankful for the year in which I was born.)
This story had me sobbing quietly at my desk. I’ve read some Tiptree, suddenly I’m thinking that I should read a whole lot more. Reblogged for great justice.
Byzantienne, have you ever read any of the James Tiptree Jr. Award Anthologies? I’ve read the first two, which were very mixed bags, but incredibly enjoyable and thought-provoking nonetheless. I seem to remember that ”Looking Through Lace”, “Congenital Agenesis of Gender Ideation” and “Another Story, or a Fisherman of the Inland Sea” were particularly good.
I have not read them! I should, I’ve been meaning to read a lot more short stories (I’ve gotten very interested in the form and what it can do), and this looks like an excellent place to start. Thank you!
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byzantienne reblogged this from prunescholar and added:
I have not read them! I should, I’ve been meaning to read a lot more short stories (I’ve gotten very interested in the...
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prunescholar reblogged this from byzantienne and added:
This story had me sobbing quietly at my desk....suddenly I’m thinking that
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blurds reblogged this from byzantienne and added:
get enough love.
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