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A comment on One of the greatest science fiction magazines is now available online (2017). Parent comment

Re:One of the greatest science fiction magazines is now avai... by KineticLensman on Wednesday August 21, 2019 @11:23AM (#20758088)
I would count Foundation as one of the formative works that shaped my younger self's SF reading, but from a modern perspective, the almost complete absence of female characters is significant. Much of Asimov's work uses dialog-based exposition, and is very definitely 'tell' not 'show' in its nature - so there is very little scope for nuanced examination of social issues.

Asimov did write female characters but they are rare. Two that stand out are Susan Calvin (in the Robot series) and Noÿs in The End of Eternity. Calvin is described as follows: "She was a frosty girl, plain and colorless, who protected herself against a world she disliked by a mask-like expression and a hypertrophy of intellect" [0].

The main exception is The Gods Themselves, which is notable for discussing sex, albeit in a tri-sexual alien race.

[Edit - to be clear, this is not intended as a negative judgement of Asimov against today's sensibilities. Slightly reworded accordingly]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Calvin

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Re:One of the greatest science fiction magazines is now avai... by dragonwriter on Wednesday August 21, 2019 @02:26PM (#20759993)
> Asimov did write female characters but they are rare

To be fair, Asimov didn't really tend to write very character-focussed fiction much, his male characters were generally no more developed than the female characters; protagonists were mostly lenses through which to explore the tapestry of broader systems, while non-viewpoint characters were mostly low-detail elements of the scene, he was more interested in showing the forest than lavishing detail on individual trees.

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Re:One of the greatest science fiction magazines is now avai... by RobertRoberts on Wednesday August 21, 2019 @11:55AM (#20758446)
I find that I can enjoy any book based on the quality of the story and writing, I don't require it to fit into my own perspectives. If I did, I wouldn't be able to enjoy almost anything, as no one has my particular perspective.

You are right about Asimov's style, it hasn't aged great. But he was an intellectual at heart, so his writing fits his personality.

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Re:One of the greatest science fiction magazines is now avai... by LegitShady on Wednesday August 21, 2019 @12:40PM (#20758915)
every writer should be interpreted in their context. I dont understand requiring asimov, who had so many interesting ideas and stories, to conform to today's gender concepts or judging him on them.

People who need their author/actor/etc to be exactly like themselves are probably racist.

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Re:One of the greatest science fiction magazines is now avai... by KineticLensman on Wednesday August 21, 2019 @01:11PM (#20759152)
Yes, totally agree on your point. I still enjoy Asimov, but stand by my original comment that he is one of those authors whose writing doesn't tick some boxes that are now considered important.
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