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Hep me, Rhonda…

Okay, so, my Boss and Flash Fiction Lauriate, Professor Valeska, is working on a submission for the new New Babbage collection of fiction under the aegis of Citizens Cleanslate and Writer. Here’s the deal, he needs a feminine perspective on a patent medicine that revitalizes folks essential motivation. So, the idee is, if you are, say, a middle aged woman and you took a distillation that returned you, with all your current wisdom, to your salad says, what do you think you would experience.

Odd, I know, but humor us. Pretend for a minute that men do not understand women.

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8 Comments

  1. Ceejay Writer Ceejay Writer September 7, 2012

    I gather from the way you pose the question that your focus is on how a revitalized woman would deal with relationships with men?

    If that’s correct, I would imagine she’d be sometimes viewed as egotistical, due to carrying the confidence that an older woman accumulates naturally, but presented in a younger form.  Men would think that a young woman should be more helpless, wide eyed, dependent on a man to help her navigate the dangers of life.  She’d be a handful – and even worse, a threat to their all-knowing manly sensibilities. 

    I don’t believe all (or even most) men are like that, but you DID say to pretend that men do not understand women!

    • Caesar Osterham Caesar Osterham September 8, 2012

      Actually, Larry Niven eplored this idea 40 year ago in one of his Beowulf Schaffer stories.  I forget the title of the particular story, but I remember that the story involved a kidnapping on a starship.

      Now I’m going to have to see if I can find that story in Tales of Known Space.

      • Pilipo Underwood Pilipo Underwood September 8, 2012

        You have piqued my interest, good Sir!

    • Pilipo Underwood Pilipo Underwood September 8, 2012

      That is actually quite helpful, Mss Ceejay. My comment on men’s understanding of women was a bit tongue in cheek, relying on Freud’s question “what do women want?”. One of my fascinations with steampunk is the chance to lampoon sexism, racism and genral bigotry that was so prounounced during the Victorian era, but still exists, more or less, subtly in the common era – or at least unacknowledged.

      In the interest of candor, my typist is the father of daughters, sib of sisters, and uncle of nieces, and even at that, though he has an excellent raport, does not always understand their point of view.

      • Ceejay Writer Ceejay Writer September 8, 2012

        Glad to have helped! 

        I like that you take that angle towards Steampunk.  In so many ways, it’s our chance to re-invent the past, or at the least, look at it from another tilt.

        I think that’s one reason I enjoy Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series of novels.  They are silly, irreverent, witty, and most definitely poke fun at the stuffy manners and modes of the day. 

         

  2. Ceejay Writer Ceejay Writer September 7, 2012

    PS:  I do hope the next edition of Tales of New Babbage is still in the plans. To be honest, I don’t know it’s current status.  If anyone has heard clear words from Cleanslate on this, or is in touch with him, please ask him to get in touch with me? I’ve made inquiries with no responses yet.  Thanks! 

    • Pilipo Underwood Pilipo Underwood September 8, 2012

      Perhaps a deadline and an ass kicking might bring it along better? I missed out on the last one because of excessive entanglements; with all the writers floating around in New Babbage I doan unnerstand any reluctance. Though I must say without pressure I am crafting something a little more sincere than usual…

      Doan give up!

      • Ceejay Writer Ceejay Writer September 8, 2012

        There’s no shortage of good writers in Babbage, that’s for certain!  I have no doubt many wonderous tales are underway, or otherwise waiting in the wings.  I was referring to the actual editing and production side of the project, and I have high hopes of knowing more about that soon.

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