There is such an opinion - Not needed, not needed, calm down!

********************** There is such an opinion! ********************** 

                        Natalya REZANOVA

               "DON'T NEED, DON'T NEED, CALM DOWN..."

   I recently re-read “The Snail on the Slope” again - and again I wanted to
I wanted to ask a question that I had already asked once and, of course,
left unanswered. However, even two questions. First: why,
when men begin to portray a society consisting of only
women - or a society in which women dominate, then they have no-
Surely the result is a totalitarian society? And second: many
science fiction writers - both male and female - have been repeatedly selected
for some reason they don’t try to introduce women’s society to society
yours is made up of only men (I, in any case, have not encountered such attempts -
chala).What kind of discrimination is this? Although to the second question, perhaps
easy to answer. These men will need to reproduce somehow.
And a man who gives birth to children is no longer quite a man. Here already
The shadows of the “Left Hand of Darkness” clearly appear. Therefore, you will have to
go back to the first question.
   Why is it totalitarian? Has anyone ever seen
a totalitarian society founded or led by women?
Quite the opposite. (It’s true that when you see some people on TV
women with deputy badges, a thought arises). So to that
they'll tell me it's fantastic. But for some reason this is only the case with cars.
ditch-men. "Whydo you think that we are obliged to repeat even
your mistakes?" - the heroine of Joanna Russ's story "When 
everything has changed" (we will talk about it later). Moreover, the opus may be 
quite mass cult (like the Polish film "Sexmission"), and
brilliant, like the same "Snail". The society depicted may cause
give a shudder (disgusting women in “The Snail”) or sympathy
("Revenge of the Steel Rat" by Harrison, where the men came to power
rotten democratic way, and, without knowing a damn thing, surrendered the planet
space aggressor, and the warlike aunts returned - and that’s all
it became ok again.) Nationality does not matter and
author's party affiliation. Still dumb totalitarianism.
Let's take, in addition to "The Snail" - "Choose Her Path" by John Wyndham, "Revenge
steel rat", "Anastasia" Bushkov (I don’t share the de- 
wet society to the last one - oh, he’s such a bullshit,
renegade anti-Semite. Yes, of course. But it’s so natural in one
a single country.  "Anastasia" is a very funny book),
"Coordinator" by Herbert Franke. "K" raises some doubts 
West of Eden" by the same Harrison. The society depicted by him 
fully corresponds to the listed characteristics (totalitarian, unreasonable
much, biological), but this is a society not of people, but of intelligent dinosaurs
saurs, whose physiology itself makes females the stronger sex, and
males - weak. Perhaps this novel shouldexclude from the list.
Since all other authors unanimously write in the SF genre, and not
fantasy, and their models are attributed not to the past, but to the future, to
It is quite easy to highlight both similarities and differences. Differences:
men a) are absent altogether, because they died out from some kind of electoral
no infection, b) are doomed to extinction, because “we don’t want to 
ranks and we will now bud,” c) are simply oppressed. 
Attitude to sex: different gradations - from the revelry of sex in "Ana-
Stasia" to the anti-sexual riot in "Snail". The main thing is not 
differences, but similarities. Plays a leading role in society
biology or biotechnology (in all named works,
me "Anastasia"). It is conservative, but it is dominated by eco-
logical purity and the problem of environmental protection has been solved. (Here, by the way,
another example of the creation of modern mythology. Even though this is
flatters women, I don’t see at all why they are capable of better
save nature. In my opinion, they destroyed her along with the men, and
it doesn’t matter at all who was in charge.) For the sake of the so-called “public
"wealth" personality is completely leveled out. There is even no
personal dictatorship, dominated by some collective ruler
Wyndham's Doctorat type organ. Secret investigation is highly desirable
quisitorial and punitive bodies (special caste or
even biorobots, like the Strugatskys). In a word, such an environmentally friendly
tytotalitarianism.
   Why such identical reactions?
   Again I want to return to a work that is American
criticism modestly calls it “the pearl of Russian prose,” and Russian
criticism usually even more modestly considers it non-existent. "Slav-
"groups of girlfriends" marched, of course, from well-defined
edges “For the sake of an idea, half the population is destroyed” - relative
but the plot is, frankly speaking, overexposure, but not overexposure from the point of view
from the perspective of history. And “clean, clean, need to clean” brings to mind -
First of all, the “great purges”, and then everything else.
   But why women?
   The only one who tried to explain this was A. Zerkalov,
the best, in my opinion, of literary critics writing about Stru-
gatskikh. In the afterword to “The Snail” (vol. 5 of the collected works of Strug- 
Tskikh) he is in pandan to the biological totalitarianism of the Forest scrupulously 
but he selected examples of sexism that prevails in the Department. "Women-
the women are tired of being "bitches and bastards" - without you, goats, 
let's go!" And if “Forest is the future,” then such a reaction is natural and 
understandable.
   Where does this disgust come from?
   “To understand means to simplify” (from the same authors, but from a different
books). Nice girlfriends are disgusting to the authors, because they represent
threat. The controls are also disgusting, but you can laugh at them -
xia, because you yourself are in the Office, inside it. Among the "glorious
It’s impossible to be friends, they don’t need you. Notneeded. And this is scary
all of it. Therefore, you need to take a scalpel in your hands.
   Among other things, the Strugatskys are very traditional, very Russian,
a very understandable view of a woman (and to understand means...) Or
mother-sister-beloved - meek and sacrificial, or "turn away-
flaxen woman."Sometimes this mother-sister-lover is completely angelic
lopodobny (like Rada or Kira), sometimes for greater realism we use
Has a stormy temperament (like Selma or Diana). Basically
it doesn't change anything.
   Any attempts to move away from the scheme (Sajakh, for example) are doomed to
failure. Well, in the textbooks of the future there will be no "female images"
in the works of the Strugatskys,” and so what? The only point is that when 
In this situation, the woman is not even an assistant or adversary of the hero -
she is the background. What if all of you are so smart, active, on all sides?
wonderful, do not need the background? Hence the fear, hence the rejection in the most
in more understandable forms, only everyone has the same feelings (“What if
on Earth, as on Tau Ceti, knowledge has increased terribly, and if there 
budding?"), and the degree of giftedness is different. 
   Having paid the debt of politeness to men, you can move on to the ladies. Here
will have to immediately step into the domain of Anglo-American science fiction
ki, since not a single decent Russian-language SF known to me
The lady did not study on this topic. And I only want to talk about
good writers, without making allowances for gender. Therefore
we won't touchsingle-hemispheric autoress like Sharon Green. Per-
Our favorite person is, of course, Ursula K. LeGuin. "And she-
what does this have to do with it?" - you ask. And she, without violating, mind you,
the usual “mother-sister-lover” scheme, much more accurately
pointed to the real social role of women. Let me say it again
to quote the well-known: “The intellectual sphere belongs
men, the sphere of practical activity - women, and the ethics of birth - 
is given from the interaction of these two spheres." And secondly, she - av- 
tor of the “Left Hand of Darkness”, in defiance of which one interesting
the work that is presenting us. We are talking about Joanna Russ's story "When
everything has changed." But first, about Russ herself. We usually consider it 
to become an ardent feminist. In her work she really does not
misses the opportunity to casually kick male pride. One of her early
a story with the symptomatic title "Blue Stocking" (in the first edition -
nii - “Adventurer”, which is somewhat more in line with the spirit of the story
zheta) begins something like this: “Everyone knows that the first man
was created from the little finger of the first woman's left hand... and since then 
The woman has only five fingers on her left hand." In everyday life, femin- 
the lowliness seems to only amuse her, and the current situation in the world,
despite all the injustices, it’s quite satisfying. (Hereinafter
Quotations from the author's foreword by Joanna Russ are translated
Alexey Molokin from the manuscript). The story itself in hissame translation of the opu- 
highlighted in the collection "Fata Morgana 3". There is also a translation
Igor Nevstruev). 
   "It seems clear that if there is to be a standard,
emphasizing the need for the existence of two sexes, then it must 
wives to be exactly as we know, and not the opposite." Other 
the point is literature as a kind of modern mythology. "In SF, like
everywhere, there is a mythical statement that women by nature 
their softer than men, less creative than men, less developed 
mentally, but more cunning, more cowardly, more prone to suicide 
sacrifice, more modest, more materialistic and God knows 
What else." In reality, “the whole difference is 
that women are physically weaker than men and give birth to children." According to this 
On this occasion, I remember “The Left Hand of Darkness”, which evokes in Russ some
ry doubts. This same novel, apparently, gave impetus to writing
story "When Everything Changed" (Orig. title: "When It Changed")
(who, by the way, received the Nebula in 1972)
   What do we see? Normal, ordinary society. Not a gift - mention-
There are stabbings and industrial espionage. Presidential uniform
board. Private ownership of land (the story features
farmers). But in general - normal, ordinary, somewhat provincial
world. Just one small feature - six hundred years ago here
all men died out (that is, option “a” was chosen). But here's the plan
nopere-opened. Reaction of men - rejoice, girls, you have
we are here again! The reaction of women is dull, hopeless melancholy. And the hand
involuntarily reaches for the rifle (I almost wrote “to the scalp-
lyu"). But you can’t. You can’t. There’s no way to fight against a crowbar. Men’s offensive
can't stop. "Because all good things must come someday
the end is coming." 
   I don’t know if this story in turn inspired James Tip-
three juniors to write the story “Houston, Houston, do you hear?” 
(Original title: “Huston, Huston, Do You Reed?”), but for that very reason 
it seems. The story of Alice Sheldon, who at one time had a major
American SF public is quite well known, and I
I'm not going to retell it. Let's turn to the story "Houston..."
It's the same situation as Russ's, only turned inside out.
A ship with American astronauts as a result of space
The cataclysm is transferred several centuries into the future. Meanwhile
The Earth, too, has moved forward three hundred years according to the vile theory
Einstein", and the ship docks with the space station, where 
Only women are melting. Because option “a” happened again. And not on Vala-
Wei is some ordinary one, but on Earth. And what? But nothing. Life is the same
Even as usual - a normal, full life. Progress, right-
yes, it has slowed down a bit, since the population has generally declined sharply
elk. But the air is clean, there are no wars, and no overpopulation... Yes, and science
it's not worth itplace - here, space research continues -
Xia. Reaction of men - psychoses with amplitude from militant-sexual-
lengo to militant-religious. Women's reaction - cold,
purely scientific interest mixed with disgust - wow, it
He’s still talking!
   In short, both men and ladies agree on one thing - remove the man from
peace, and the world will not collapse. The only difference is that men claim
as if various for- mations would be needed as a prop against the collapse
we are oppressed, and women - that in principle nothing will change. Ah,
yes - progress will slow down. Well, we saw it, this process,
in all types...
   Well, women are thus grist to the mill of intuitive
men's fears, confirming that they are not at all necessary to
did life exist? "Do you need a violinist?"
   And here, involuntarily, by analogy with “Snail”, with which it began
conversation, another story by James Tiptree Jr. comes to mind
Shego, alias Alice Sheldon - "The Fly Method" (Orig. title: "The 
Screwfly Solution"). The plot - men receive a divine revelation - 
roving: a woman is dirt, a vessel of sin, all women need to be destroyed
live, and then men will be informed about a new, clean method of reproduction
niya. And off we go... Here it really is “in the name of the idea that everything is destroyed”
half of the population" - and is not left to the mercy of fate, but ex- 
varies from small to large.
   The heroine is probably the last surviving woman (her
husbandkilled his young daughter, and then, in a moment of enlightenment, imposed
hands on themselves), wandering through the forests in anticipation of starvation,
Mays that the "revelation" was a provocation of cunning alien invaders
Vatchikov. Instead of poisoning a perfectly decent planet
radioactive or chemical fallout, wouldn’t it be easier to deprive
humanity's ability to reproduce and leave it quietly out-
die? So, she is not looking for like-minded people, she is not calling for resistance
resistance, does not grab a scalpel, does not take revenge on the poor deceived
men. She feels sorry for them. We feel sorry for you, gentlemen.
   Calm down