I am gutted, emotionally. Xenomorphs and fetuses both drain the host. My now-adult son was always called “guest of my grand hotel” and I looked forward to his check-out date/eviction. We have regressed. A mother alien has lessons to impart that should terrify humanity and impart terror. There’s also the oral very sexual assault of the facehugger form. The other inversion that made men fear xenomorphs and think twice how women felt and experienced
I always felt that my sons were "guests in my grand hotel" (a nice phrase!) but I did not mind. Other women do. I think we need to be honest about the experience of pregnancy and childbirth and not try to disguise or prettify it. Men often feel uncomfortable when women talk about their experiences. Well, grow up (and read some SF)!
As a mother, I can say there’s nothing feminine about giving birth. It’s as cruel as a war. Inside, every human creature is both a man and a woman and many factors determine the revealing of one or the other side.
In ancient Sparta, mothers who died in childbirth were buried with full military honors. Paradoxically, the fact that Sparta was all about war led to women having a more central place in Spartan society and more power than women in other Greek city-states. So much for the idea that a matriarchal society would be more "peaceful" and "nurturing" than patriarchal ones!
I am gutted, emotionally. Xenomorphs and fetuses both drain the host. My now-adult son was always called “guest of my grand hotel” and I looked forward to his check-out date/eviction. We have regressed. A mother alien has lessons to impart that should terrify humanity and impart terror. There’s also the oral very sexual assault of the facehugger form. The other inversion that made men fear xenomorphs and think twice how women felt and experienced
I always felt that my sons were "guests in my grand hotel" (a nice phrase!) but I did not mind. Other women do. I think we need to be honest about the experience of pregnancy and childbirth and not try to disguise or prettify it. Men often feel uncomfortable when women talk about their experiences. Well, grow up (and read some SF)!
Agreed. It leeched the actual calcium from my body. I loved my parasite, still do, now he’s an autonomous lifeform.
As a mother, I can say there’s nothing feminine about giving birth. It’s as cruel as a war. Inside, every human creature is both a man and a woman and many factors determine the revealing of one or the other side.
In ancient Sparta, mothers who died in childbirth were buried with full military honors. Paradoxically, the fact that Sparta was all about war led to women having a more central place in Spartan society and more power than women in other Greek city-states. So much for the idea that a matriarchal society would be more "peaceful" and "nurturing" than patriarchal ones!
True!
I hadn't heard Suvin's definition of science fiction before (I haven't read much general science fiction criticism). Fascinating and helpful.
I've never seen any of the *Alien* films. I'm too squeamish about gore and overt horror.
It is the best definition of SF I know. There are others (I will discuss them in other posts) but none that is as clear, helpful, and informed.
I am not a fan of slasher movies but I am fascinated by biology (wanted to be a biologist when I was a teen), and bio-punk is my favorite genre..
You did not even mention Alien 4 :)