Customer Reviews

Firebrands: Heroines of Science Fiction and Fantasy

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Sargent's text and Miller's artwork would each make a decent book - together, the combination is quite enjoyable.

Starting with fantasies from the 16th century, Sargent notes how Shakespeare's Titania, Spenser's Britomart, and others, she shows some of the roots of the heroic female character in fantasy. Next, she presents some 19th century ambiguities: H. Rider Haggard's "She" and Hans Christian Andersen's (not Disney's!) "Little Mermaid" among them. The first half of the twentieth century did not always treat the female leads with such respect. Dejah Thoris and most - but not all - of Burroughs's women spent lots of time being saved. Few entered the "boys' club" of science fiction heroes. Some, like Doc Smith's Clarissa MacDougal, got grudging day passes, and a few others joined as full members. By the 1960s, though plenty of strong leading ladies appeared, even in male authors' writings. The women's movement of the 1970s might explain part of the inrush of women writing science fiction, as well as starring in its stories. The topic covers too much territory for an approachable book to be exhaustive so Sargent probably misses some of your favorites, including Honor Harrington, Red Sonya, Ellen from Morris's "News from Nowhere," and the entire populations of Herland and Mizora. Still, Sargent offers a reasonable survey with plenty of examples to illustrate the trends she identifies.

Miller's paintings, an average around one per page, illustrate a range of these heroines. The artwork generally comes across as capable and expressive. A few facial expressions come across oddly (e.g. pp.10,18), and the figures lack Frazetta's drama or Julie Bell's power. Miller's style is easy to enjoy, especially by fans of the unclad female form, but that modern style creates some sense of anachronism when applied to 19th and early 20th century characters.

In spite of weaknesses, the art complements the text well, and will add to any library of fantasy art. It's not a "must have," buf fun and informative anyway.

-- wiredweird