Scott, Melissa: Shadow Man

[calico_reaction]

Comments

[aliciaaudrey]

I think I need to get my husband to read this. Gender is something he's rather obsessed with, although the made-up-pronouns will probably drive him bonko (unless he loves them. Hard to say.) He has jury duty the next two days: maybe I'll grab it for him.

[calico_reaction]

I'll be very curious to hear what he thinks of it, so if you do, be sure to tell me. :)

[caprine]

Some years ago when we had an LGBT SF book discussion group in San Diego, we did this one. I really enjoyed it.

[calico_reaction]

Cool. Do you remember the other titles you read?

[ardys_the_ghoul]

There are actually places outside western society, now, that recognize five different sexes: there are male and female, one sex that is considered a combination of the two (people like this are actually considered closer to god and therefore are highly respected), and the other two are what we westerners would consider transgendered--men who live as women and women who live as men.

I forget exactly where this society is located, but I believe it's somewhere in southern Asia. It's a fascinating way of looking at the world.

[calico_reaction]

That's really cool, and it sounds like that perhaps those societies may be what inspired the author, because the five sexes you describe seem to be what Scott is working with in her book.

I hope you get a chance to read this!

[comrade_cat]

There are actually a number of societies around the globe that have, iirc, 3-6 genders, although I can't name any of them either because it's not my area of focus in the anthro program I'm in (or possibly not - I'm having some school issues here). Some of them are Native American, some of them are Native South American (no idea what the preferred term is here in *any* worldview, maybe because too many people ignore them), and I would totally not be surprised if some Siberian or actual-continent Indian groups or other groups in Asia were among them also.

And I just read in Hanne Blank's new book that Anne Fausto-Sterling, a gender/sex researcher, writes in one of her books that she considers there to be 5 sexes. (Hm. Or at least I thought I did - I just went looking for the reference and can't find it.)

And I too would totally like more details on what the 3rd through 6th genders are, but I haven't found out yet. :)

I guess I have to read this book...

[calico_reaction]

Sounds like it might be right up your alley! :)