If you remember the Muppet Show you may also recall a regular feature boomingly announced as PI-I-I-GS IN SPA-A-A-CE!!! In which various muppet pigs have adventures in space. This post, Queers in Space, is more sane (!) as I'm revisiting last weeks' post about pizza, apes and aliens since Susie very helpfully pointed out a blog that lists many science fiction (and fantasy) books that involve gender flexibility and other LGBT scenarios. Thanks to Mary Anne Mohanraj for compiling this list:
Alternative Sexualities and Identities in Fantasy and SF Booklist
The reason for my recently getting back into sci-fi was mainly that the dystopian present is bugging me a lot. The twisted realities of Philip K Dick's novels seem especially apt!
As a kid there was a lot of sci-fi on TV and in libraries, especially for kids: Star Trek, Star Wars, Space 1999, Battlestar Galactica, Thunderbirds, Logan's Run, UFO, Doctor Who, Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space... even James Bond went into space (1979's Moonraker - the most far-fetched Bond film of all time). But with the Cold War and its Space Race in full swing - Apollo, Salyut, Skylab, Space Shuttles ... - space stuff was everywhere, in reality and in the mind. But I notice from the above list that LGBT themes in science fiction seem to be an innovation that really got going from the '80s. Princess Leia kissing her brother is about as weird as it got before then. (Actually, that was very weird, Mr Lucas!) The Rocky Horror Picture Show was not for kids so I missed out on that blend of campy horror and sci-fi - I think it would have made a difference to my life if I had seen it then). And it was only years later that we were told that Lambert from Alien was transgender or intersex (there seems to be some confusion as to which). A 21st-century afterthought, maybe?
I then got a bit bored with the sci-fi genre - maybe there was too much of it - so I'm catching up now. Arrested development or something.
Incidentally, Philip K Dick isn't mentioned in Mohanraj's list, but in his well-known novel Ubik, the men wear clothes that would be deemed women's clothes now. Dick doesn't seem to go anywhere with this concept, it's just one in the mix of themes he happens to have chucked into this book, as he did with most of his books.
So thank you to Susie Jay for alerting me to this trend in recent SF.
And if you've never seen Pigs in Space, here's an episode (not really for kids!) containing the following classic exchange:
Miss Piggy: Are you a boy or a girl?
Alien Baby: Er, I'm flexible
Blogger and Wordpress comments: the solution?
Many thanks also to Lynn, who migrated to Planet Wordpress a few years ago, for her helpful comment on my last post where I pointed out that many readers still find it hard to comment on either platform. I think it's easiest if I quote her reply in full:
As to comments on Blogger and WordPress, I think it may be linked to a
web browser's security settings. In the summer, Google released a change
to their Chrome browser that blocked something called third party
cookies. The aim was to improve privacy (although Google are also
working on a different ad system).
Chrome is also available as
something called 'Chromium': a browser that didn't have full Google
integration and it's for computers and smartphones. Chromium is used by a
number of web browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Dolphin, etc.
Firefox is not part of this, BTW.
With the default settings blocking third party cookies, this seems to break the AntiSpam systems in Blogger and WordPress.
Readers
may need to rummage in their web browser settings and enable third
party cookies again. Yes, this'll reduce your privacy, but it should fix
the comment issue.
For privacy minded folk, Firefox, the ublock plug-in (Chrome, Edge, and Firefox), and PrivacyBadger may help.
I
think Firefox note has 'containers' that you can use to limit certain
websites from accessing other web browsing history. Particularly useful
for limiting Google, Facebook, and Amazon from collecting data about
you.
Many thanks, Lynn. I do seem to recall fiddling with the cookies setting, though this may need to be done for every site. I hope this may help folks who are struggling to comment.
Sue x
Woo, that's quite a list of books. Thanks Sue & Sophie. A few of them jump out from memory.
ReplyDelete"...maybe there was too much of it..."
Yeah, and FWIW, I think there's an element of - well, maybe not burnout - but maybe over familiarity? I read a lot of fantasy books in the 80s and there's only so many ways you can catch the magic doodah and confront the Big Bad. 🙂 Likewise with near future urban sprawls and cybernetics 🙂 Sometimes walking away, giving it a rest, is good for the reader and the genre.
I hope the cookie/comment situation is soon resolved and please do update the advice if he evidence comes to light.
Thank you very much, sweetie. I appreciate all your input.
DeleteSusie is clearly a super sci-fi nerd and we thank her and award her the Maximegalon Gold-Plated Award for Knowing Stuff. Plus the microwave and cuddly toy that she guessed right on the Planet Blogsphere generational conveyor belt.
Sue xx
Remember the Muppet Show? I absolutely loved it as a child and I remember 'Pigs in Space' well.
ReplyDeleteYes there were some great sci-fi shows in the 70s and Space 1999 was my definitely my favourite. I particularly liked the Eagle Transporter spaceships in it, they were so cool.
Hooray, another muppet fan! "It's time to play the music ..."
DeleteThe Cold War era had a really progressive view of what the future might be like and of man's place in the Universe. That seems to have vanished. Yes, we get better space science now that the propaganda element has gone, but the sense of destiny is no more. It's good to look back on the old sci-fi shows for that vision, as well as the scenarios and endearing non-CGI effects.
Sue xx