Rating: 
Summary: He, She And It
Review: This one was tough-going for me because of all the anti-male propaganda slipped under the door. Normally I don't find feminist SF that hard to deal with, but my favourite novels in this subgenre are either much more direct, therefore not guilty of trying to slip misandry under the door, or focus more on the generalized positive aspects of woman rather than the generalized loathsomeness of man.Anyway, the plot: in the future, the environment has been reduced to a wasteland, and corporations rule various scattered enclaves. Shira forsakes corporate control once she loses her son to her estranged husband, and returns to her roots: a Dome where the Jewish way of life endures and her family waits to take her in (not Israel--Israel is too radioactive for anybody at this point). Shira meets a cyborg named Yod, who has been illegally constructed and programmed by a brilliant but cold scientist named Avram and Shira's very own ramrod of a grandmother, Malkah. Sick of men, Shira becomes Yod's lover (later discovering she was not his first!), and becomes more and more involved with the politics of the Dome, as it is ever-threatened by outside forces. Yod, created as an ultimate weapon--weapon of defense, of course--has a side to his personality that Shira must learn to accept, but she does more than this when she decides to put Yod's violent capabilities to her own use, with consequences she could not foresee. Among the mix of characters are Gadi, Shira's old boyfriend, Josh, Shira's husband who has custody of their son, a no-nonsense woman warrior named Nili, and various corporate spies, assassins and villains. Meanwhile, every third chapter features Malkah relating the ancient tale of Prague's protector, The Golem, as he was said to exist in 1600. Of course, The Golem and his fable are presented as a parallel to Yod's existence, but the final fate's of each are somewhat different. As a male reader, I did, at certain points, feel like abandoning the book--and not because it never really goes beyond the predictable, in terms of plot. It does suffer that problem; it is dramatic, but rather predictable. But the real unpalatable part for me was the negative depiction of all males anywhere. Women are virtuous, men are not. Women are gentle, men are not. Women can be trusted, men cannot. Faults found in women make them complex, well-rounded individuals, helping them down from the pedestal. Faults in men just show what's wrong with them overall, and are just another nail in the coffin. Yod's creator, Malkah--female--is responsible for the good in Yod. Yod's other creator, Avram--male--unlikeable, insensitive, cold, the ultimate negatively-drawn logical male scientist. Women have fifty different emotions, men have two. Women make sense. Men are the great mystery; they don't make sense. So there. Further proof that a member of one gender can come up with a complete profile of the other gender and demonstrate that they have given up on trying to understand that gender, and just decide "this must be the truth". All I learned from that was that we are even less different than Marge Piercy would like to think.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful, Engrossing book
Review: This was one of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. Piercy mixes traditional Judiasm with science fiction and the end result is a fascinating tale. I highly highly recommend it. A wonderful story of "futuristic feminism."
Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be a science fiction fan
Review: to enjoy this book. Piercy paints a picture of a corporate run world that is ravaged by pollution and crime. Only a few free cities remain. This book, however, also deals with family relationships as much as the unusual sexual relationship between a woman and a cyborg. There is still divorce and child custody and an aging grandmother so I found it easy to relate to the characters. I very much enjoyed this and also loved her "Woman on the Edge of Time."
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