As with the previous collection (Women of Wonder, pub. 1974) this collection contains a wide range of stories, both science fiction and fantasy.

Stories Included:

Jirel Meets Magic by C. L. Moore
The Lake of Gone Forever by Leigh Brackett
The Second Inquisition by Joanne Russ
The Power of Time by Josephine Sexton
The Funeral by Kate Wilhelm
Tin Solider by Joan D. Vinge
The Day Before the Revolution by Ursula K. Le Guin

The story concerning Jirel is part of Moore's collection involving the red-haired barbarian queen and had a fun sword and sorcery feel. Brackett's story has a male central character but the story had a dark, somber, tone. I didn't particularly like the female characters, but Bracket is noted for her pulp-fiction stereotypes. As for the Russ and the Sexton, I admit I didn't understand or enjoy either. Both had a time-travel flair and a esoteric depth that did not appeal to me. The Funeral had an almost Handmaid's Tale feel to it, with a unique dystopian world and social structure. The ending is vague and suites the story. Tin Solider was my favorite; a bittersweet romance, layered world, and complex characters. A close second was Le Guin's story, as a favorite. Set during a day near the end of the life of a famous revolutionary, we see the difference between why she wrote her ideas and why people think she did.

Overall, this collection is worth reading, not only for the stories but for the snapshot it captures of women in science fiction and fantasy at this time. But aside from the stories, the most valuable (and dangerous) part of the book is the two short pages in the back titled Further Reading. A list of anthologies, novels, and non-fiction books written by women, about women, is set out before you like a tantalizing menu of fantastic reads. ( )

I'm not a great fan of short stories, although most of these were more like novellas. I did enjoy them, especially Joan Vinge's "The soldier" and Ursula Le Guin's "The day before revolution" (except I think I would have enjoyed that more if I had already read The Dispossessed, but at least now I am inspired to read it!). The biggest problem I had was with the over because I still can't work out which (if any) of the stories it represented, plus I'm not all that keen on airbrush art. It's a fine example of its kind, though! ( )

I like some of the stories in this anthology and don't particularly care for some others. However, "Tin Soldier" by Joan D. Vinge is possibly my favorite science fiction short story ever, so this book gets high marks from me. ( )

A collection of "Science Fiction Novelettes by Women About Women" this anthology starts off with a lengthy (53 page) introduction by the editor, Pamela Sargent, discussing the history of women writers in SF. Published in the 1970s this essay, comprising 1/6th of the book, is now fairly dated but may provide a good reading list for those interested in tracking down the works of early women writers "breaking in" to the genre.

The collection starts off with a novelette, Jirel Meets Magic by C.L. Moore, that I would not consider science-fiction but fantasy. Five of the remaining six novelettes I would consider decent but not not exceptional. The Funeral by Kate Wilhelm, would likely be enjoyed by fans of The Handmaid's Tale as it has a rather similar dystopian theme. For fans of stories of socio-political revolution The Day Before the Revolution, by Ursula K. Le Guin, will have appeal (I believe I have read this before so has likely been published in other collections).

My favorite from this collection was Tin Soldier by Joan D. Vinge. This is the first I have read of her work, although I have been meaning to seek it out, and on the basis of this story I will be looking for more. Without giving too much away: a well-written bitter-sweet little love story with an integral SF theme (as opposed to just the SF window-dressing that turns me off of so many SF "romances"). ( )

This book contains only seven stories, yet two of them are among my all-time favourites.

- "Tin Soldier," by Joan D. Vinge, tells of a star-travelling poet and her left-behind love.

- "The Second Inquisition," by Joanna Russ, is from the same universe as the Alyx stories (Picnic on Paradise), but a couple of generations later. A teenage girl gradually realizes that their summer boarder, "from the circus," is much stranger than that.

The others include both strong characters and bold concepts:
- "Jirel Meets Magic" is an early adventure piece by C. L. Moore.
- "The Lake of the Gone Forever," by Leigh Brackett, is about the results of greed on an alien planet.
- "The Funeral," by Kate Wilhelm, gives a glimpse of a frightening dystopia through the eyes of a young girl.
- "The Power of Time," by Josephine Saxton, is a story of a strange future and of obsession.
- "The Day Before the Revolution," by Ursula K. Le Guin, is a retrospective from the point of view of someone who has lived through, and helped to create, social upheavals in search of a just society.

At the end there are short biographies of the authors and a list of other books to read. ( )