The Feminist Geek Revolution = 5/5.
Kameron Hurley’s writing in this 2016 essay collection is honest and blunt, but not gratuitously so–it’s more of an honest, respectful conversation about her observations of the writing industry, geek/nerd culture, her own life, and social issues. Hurley’s style is very engaging. For every essay (some of them have been previously published), she establishes her personal frame of reference and acknowledges her biases as a white female raised in suburbia. The essays address feminism, healthcare, activism, writing, science fiction and fantasy fandom, and discovery of the author’s own life-threatening, permanent medical condition.
I definitely fall within the book’s ideal target demographic, but even if you’re not a regular consumer of science fiction and fantasy (SFF), it’s worth reading. Hurley invites her readers to ask themselves hard questions about their perceptions of societal norms and provides enough context for any SFF examples that readers unfamiliar with the referenced works won’t feel lost.
TL;DR: I knew I was in the right place when the first essay started with, “Persistence.”
(Review originally written 4 February 2017.)
MOLO WRITES 