Attack of the Amazons
You can probably buy this book on Amazon.
The third book in the series is what inspired me to spork this series, but close behind it is this delightful little volume. I distinctly recall sitting there, staring at the book is disbelief, unable to comprehend just how sexist this thing is. Now, later, reading with much more care, it’s still sexist, but it also really doesn’t make any sense. Any. The characters themselves don’t even know why they’re doing what they’re doing. Which is par for the course, but it really shows.
This is Dave’s adventure. You’ve been warned.
Hey Rorscach, now that this site has comments, I wanna say that you may have misinterpreted the “sexist” overtones in this book. I haven’t read it myself, but Moriss is trying to portray a matriarchal society. That is, one where women are firmly the dominant and superior sex in that culture. You’ve made comments along the lines of “because a society ruled by women is evil, and should be fixed (sarcastic)” and it seems like you interpreted the way things played out is that the society was reversed and men were put into power in the end.
What I think Morris was trying to do was to give both sexes equal power in the end, as a message against sexism.
However, the way I feel about it is, their culture was their culture and the seven sociopaths came along to preach at them and convert them into the “right” system of government. They were being imperialists, forcing the amazons to adopt their way of society because it is the “right way.” I don’t like that kind of thing at all.
But in short, I think you were a little too hard on Morris’s “sexism”, because I think he was trying to write morals against sexism into it, rather than promote it. (maybe he failed in that execution. You would know better than I.)
I have to disagree. Although, from skimming through the quotes in this sporking, I can see how you’d feel that way. I don’t have the book handy (I’ll add more when I do) but there are many examples throughout the book where characters think and say that having societies where women are ruling is wrong. This is always portrayed sympathetically, and it’s pretty clear from reading the book that Morris is on that side.
As a couple quotes from just the sporking itself: (part five)
” “You think it’s wrong for the women to rule the village the way they do” (page 139).
Dave agrees. He says he has nothing against Faya, but she’s sick (although there’s no evidence of this) and not able to lead anymore (although there’s no evidence of this), and Merle’s not able to lead (although there’s no evidence of this), and so sooner or later someone will kill Faya to get the throne (there is evidence of this but there’s no way for Dave to know this).”
This is from one of the biggest scenes, where they’re basically sitting there talking about how it’s just wrong for women to be in charge and how they’re not able to handle it (because they’re women).
I suppose it’s possible that Morris was trying to write morals against sexism, although I doubt it. Whatever the case, or whatever his intentions, he certainly failed at it. Through the series, all of the Sociopaths very clearly disapprove of this matriarchal society and spend time expositing to everyone why it’s “just wrong” and against the natural order of things. Most of the men in the series feel the same way. And then, at the end, their Queen says:
“I begin to see that there is something wrong with a system that makes warriors out of women.”
Not “I see that there’s something wrong here with how we’re subjugating the men, and we should have equality among the sexes.”
It’s WRONG.
And then she abdicates the throne and puts a man in charge and says from now on they’re going to have a King.
I think it’s pretty clear which side Morris is on.
Next time I have a copy of the book, I might add a few more quotes to the sporking to make it more clear.
A Christian arguing for gender equality by setting up a “matriarchal” society (real matriarchy theory is not about women dominating men) and showing it as wrong is still disingenuous on his part. No such society has ever existed, so it’s rather a straw man. Also, the vast majority of Christian denominations don’t believe in gender equality anyway, including, probably, his denomination as well.
The real question is, are there any deadly bee weapons?