I had written a lengthy and rather glowing praise of this book, but my browser saw fit to skip to some random page and delete the whole thing, which has rendered me too disgusted to attempt a rewrite at this moment.

Suffice it to say that I found this book so readable, so accessible, and so interesting that I am determined to shell out some $30 to purchase my own copy after I return this one to the library, because as much as I tried to absorb the information and as many notes as I took (yes, I actually took notes on the book), I am sure I did not catch everything and that this book will stand up under repeated reading.

Do not translate "gender" into "feminism", because while that is one topic touched on in the book, that is not the sole subject, just as "feminine" is not the sole gender. This book is excellent for anyone who reads SF and identifies with "The Other" implied or overt, or for anyone curious about how exactly science fiction has stretched itself to explore issues attendant to issues of gender and otherness. ( )