Bechdel's Law
Somehow one cartoon by Alison Bechdel has become this talked about thing in Sci fi. I am not sure how this happened - frankly I wasn't really paying attention. As most of you know, I read a lot of sci fi/fantasy. Personally, I am more into the fantasy (think Tolkien) than sci fi (think Aliens) but regularly read both. My favourite is when the two
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I think the portions of the comic book and science fiction can be quite interesting. In its best form (and Octavia Butler is the best) it can be challenging of present day norms and oppressions. It can, by removing you from the everyday, cause you to view complex issues like colonisation in a different way and really sink your teeth into it. It has been very helpful to me in identifying what some of my assumptions are. I am not someone who feels comfortable reading super academic essays but some of those discussions are being had through fiction.
In terms of the mainstream stuff - Alan Moore, although quite mainstream,is a good writer. The plots are interesting and they range from critiques of capitalism to a basic detective story set somewhere else. I like sci fi becuase my mom and my grandma (her mom) liked sci fi. They would take us to the movies when they came out (and for my family this was a big deal, involving saving up, as we were pretty broke)and we would talk about the characters. My family is not radical, far from it, but I was engaged pretty early in thinking about what the future could look like. My mom still calls me to ask if I have seen the newest superhero movie because I usually see them before her and then we talk about them. She loved Star Trek. I loved the X-Men comics as a kid. They had pretty diverse characters and interesting story lines. I really liked Storm in the story arc I read as a kid she was torn between being nice (the good guy) and really wanting to hurt those who were hurting others. Eventually the dilemma turned her into a hot punk rock lady. Occasionally the writers and artists manage to slip in subversive elements and these are what keep me hooked.
Some of the stuff is bad but for the most part, like anything else, once you know the genre you know who to avoid and who to read. I don't actually read any Frank Miller (he is one of the worst) and won't buy crappy comics (you can usually flip through a comic before you buy it). Generally I don't read male authors unless they have been recommended by a friend or I have a good idea what it is about.
Did that answer your super complex question?
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