Kameron Hurley is challenging the accepted narrative of cannibalistic llamas.
It makes total sense. Read the book.
The Feminist Revolution is a collection of essays by the Sc-Fi novelist and double Hugo Award-winning Kameron Hurley. It’s a well-chosen collection which touches on feminism, controversies like Gamergate and Sad Puppies, geek culture and her journey and struggles as a writer.
I came across this book as a recommendation for the brilliant podcast, The Geeks Guide to the Galaxy, when the host David Barr Kirtley mentioned it in passing.
Confession time - while I believe myself to be a feminist, I’ve not done the reading. The Feminist Revolution was my first introduction to feminist literature; honestly, it made me uncomfortable for the first two essays. Kameron pulls no punches and her vehement and passionate writing was new to me.
Essay Collection
There are over thirty essays in this collection, including the essay from which the llama cover originates from, ‘We Have Always Fought’: Challenging the ‘Women, Cattle and Slaves’ Narrative which I strongly encourage everyone to read by clicking the link, whether you’re interested in buying the book or not.
Even though it’s a collection of essays she’s published at various times, they worked together well as a collection. Perhaps some parts naturally became a little repetitive as she pointed to similar or the same examples, but as I read this all at once, I shouldn’t have been surprised!
There are some real gems which I look forward to reading again once I’ve had time to digest. Like Where Have All the Women Gone? Reclaiming the Future of Fiction. In Defense of Unlikable Women and Let It Go: On Responding (or Not) to Online Criticism.
Verdict
It had a quality of brutal honesty and righteous anger which felt so honest. If Kameron aimed to shock you into reflecting on the established status-quo, it’s worked in my case.
I’ve given this book four stars. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it left me a lot on which to mull. It’ll be well worth a re-read after I’ve had time to think. Thoroughly recommended!
I’ve also bought her novel Gods War which I’m very much looking forward to reading! If you’re not familiar on how I rate the books I review, click here!
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