From: phatch@storm.slc.mentorg.com (Phill Hatch (CONTRACTOR Documentation))
Subject: Re: Storm Constantine
Organization: Mentor Graphics Corp.,  Murray, Utah
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 23:17:01 GMT

In article <hoahosth.17.713825278@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au>, hoahosth@halls1.cc.monash.edu.au (ANDREA HOSTH) writes:
> In article <1992Aug14.062616.10632@u.washington.edu> mimir@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Billings) writes:
> >From: mimir@milton.u.washington.edu (Al Billings)
> 
		(First post deleted)
> Um. Well, I've read part of the Wraethu trilogy and "Hermetech". Both of 
> these novels shared a similar feature: although I neither liked the 
> protagonist particularly, or was otherwise enarmored by her style, imagery, 
> or anything else, I found myself reading these book to the very end in a 
> very short time. However, nothing has made me want to go and get the rest of 
> the Wraethu trilogy. (For one thing, this replace women and make men 
> androgynous theme really started to piss me off about halfway through the 
> novel. It went into a kind of fantasy trip for the rampant homosexual 
> misogynist (IMHO) and just irritated me beyond words. [Birth made easier, 
> prettier, yet *so much harder* all at the same time. Geez.])
> 
> Anyway. I'd rate it in the upper average for readibility. A low high for 
> originality. This woman really likes to link sex and magic, doesn't she?
> 
> Ankh

Hi Ankh!  We don't seem to get the same thing out of the books we read at all.
I think it's interesting that you didn't get pissed off until halfway through the 
book.  I was scared and offended when Pel ran off with Cal there at the beginning.
And it only gets worse doesn't it.  This is absolutely intentional on her part.

If wanton destruction, power tripping, cultural parasitism, total devotion to self, and
a herd of sheeplike normals represents a fantasy trip, I don't want to know who has 
that fantasy.  Storm rips apart almost every cultural clique there is just by pushing
the envelope to the limits, showing the selfishness that underlies almost every 
societal group.  When you (and this is everyone who reads these books) get pissed off,
before pushing it off on Storm, look at why you are angry. If after that, it is still 
Storm's fault, then you are vindicated.  Think on this though, does Storm push that 
many reactive buttons accidentally or artfully?

Like you, I read the first book quickly.  It was a scary ride for me intellectually. 
Would I reread them?  I don't know.  They are awfully hard to come by in this neck of
the woods so the opportunity is limited.  I do want a copy of the series at least so 
I could lend it out.  

Among the three people I know personally who read the series, attitudes were either
very positive or outrageously negative.  So what surprised me about your experience
is that even though you were angered, you aren't adamantly negative either.  Your 
ambivalence towards these books is unexpected. 

I do like hearing Ankh's opinions since they are so different from mine. I hope the 
interplay of opinions here is interesting to others.  Thanks for the bandwidth.

Phil
From: Beth.Friedman@p5.f341.n282.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (Beth Friedman)
Sender: FredGate@tdkt.kksys.com