From: Karine (hipsterchic01@hotmail.com)

Hello, I'm am studying A level Media Studies and I'm researching feminism in science fiction films; and part of my research is to see different reactions to such questions as what they think of the modes of representation of femininity in science fiction.

As a researcher/expert I was wondering if you have insites to this particular question as it would really help me gather my focus with my research.

Who are the mysterious They? (I have a vision of tall, shadowy figures who look remarkably like the children in Village of the Damned, only older; they're wearing sixties-style, grey, plastic ponchos. They are, of course, very wise and possessed of Powers Beyond Mortal Ken.) I, too, would love to know what They think of the modes of representation of femininity in science fiction. Though the very word "femininity" makes me shudder. In fact, I was so displeased with the notion of entering into discourse on the subject that I (with pursed lips) searched through my website, and then my whole desktop, to see if I've ever used the word before. It turns out I haven't. However, for more thoughts on the subject please see the Do My Homework section of the Ask Nicola archives

From: anonymous

What do you feel is the most profound statement you are trying to make in Ammonite? What, if any correlation, were you trying to make to the immaculate conception? Do you feel woman are the superior gender?

Women aren't a gender, they're a sex. I never "try" to make profound statements. (I'm with Yoda on this one: "Do or don't do. There is no try.") In Ammonite I'm telling a story: the story of a woman called Marghe, and how she has to change or die.

But, hmmn, I'm being disingenuous, because of course I am making a statement about gender in Ammonite. I'm saying: Hey, it's a construct. I'm saying, Women are human, in and of and by themselves, not in relation to men. I'm saying that if you killed off all the boys, the girls would expand to fill all the gender niches. They would wise and stupid, strong and weak, fat and thin, good and bad, patient and hasty, and so on. The best place to start looking about my thoughts on the matter are probably my interviews, particularly the science fictional ones, such as Holland SF or Strange Horizons or--and this is a really early one--Reality Break. But my point is that I set out to tell a story, not send a message.

Immaculate conception. Well. No one's asked me that before. Marghe as Mary. Interesting. But who would that make Thenike? God? Joseph? I love using metaphor to explain and describe my world, real and fictional, but sometimes metaphors can be unhelpful. The notion of parthenogenesis has always seemed to puzzle people. My favourite misconception (ha) has always been from the Wall Street Journal, who believed Ammonite is "about a planet peopled by women who have babies by photosynthesis." Neat trick, that.

From: Karen (karesanti@hotmail.com)

I just wanted to share with you and anyone who's reading this, how I discovered your wonderful books. A little over a year ago I was loaned a book called Cunt by Inga Muscio. The book was loaned by my wonderful friend Selina who always finds such cool things and shares them with me. It's good to surround oneself with intelligent, interesting and strong women! The book recommended spending a year reading books written by women only. Sounded like a great idea to me and so I started making lists, checking out amazon as well as going to the library and book stores to search out interesting stories. It was at a Borders that I came across Ammonite. WOW! I was hooked, enthralled, entranced, amazed. Naturally I told all my gal pals about it and sent a copy to my friend Selina. I've read all your novels and am impressed with your range and with the depth of your characters. I also came across Solitaire by Kelley and loved it. Thanks to the both of you for sharing your kick-ass imaginations! I look forward to more to come.

And to all the readers out there, spend a year reading fiction by women. I concentrated on Speculative Fiction and blown away by the talent out there. Thanks!

My imagination is Kick-Ass? Cool. There are days like today when I'm so tired that my imagination feels as sad and saggy as a startled souffle. (Kelley and I are about to move and there are a thousand and one details to keep track of, as well as living our normal lives.) Nothing that a few good nights' sleep won't cure. I hope. And I expect to be getting more sleep once we've moved. The new 'hood is quiet: nothing but the sound of wind in the trees. Lovely.

Cunt. I still haven't read this, despite the fact that many people have recommended it. I will, one of these fine days.

From: Sue (silverstonesck@yahoo.com)anonymous

Just finished reading The Blue Place and Stay. I have to say they are two of the most interesting and enjoyable books I have ever read. After reading the first one and getting hooked on the character of Aud, I frantically searched for the second book so I could immediately dive into it to find out how Aud's life progresses. I literally didn't want to put either of these books down until I had finished them. I could go on for paragraphs about everything I loved about these books, however, I'm sure you have more interesting things to do.

The one thing I would like to tell you is that I think the main reason I so enjoyed these stories is because you didn't constantly write about Aud's "gayness" or lesbianism. She is an incredibly complex person leading an extraordinary life, and she just happens to be a lesbian. I think writing about her this way made the love story between her and Julia all the more tender and believable.

Thank you so much for writing these books. I think they'll always be among my favorites.

Hey, no problem with going on: I could listen for days to people extolling the virtues of my wondrous self and my amazing books [grin]. And, yeah, I'm with you on the yattering on about gayness stuff. I'm a dyke, I've been a dyke for thirty years (maybe forty, depending on whether one has to actually understand the notion of sex in order to define these things to oneself). It's old hat. I'm not new in the world anymore. Lots of people aren't. These books are for us.

From: Holly (fourwinds@centurytel.net)

I've not finished with "The Blue Place" quite yet, but have already bought the other 3 novels you've written.

I find your writing masterful and a joy to read. This is the first lesbian character I've ever read that I've identified with. Having lived in Sweden and fallen in love with a Norwegian, the descriptions of Aud and her native land have cast me into a fantasy world I've not ventured into for many years. I'm thoroughly enjoying myself.

The martial art aspect of Aud's character also has me intrigued. Aud's feelings associated with her body as a formidable weapon and the struggles she has with "the blue place" are startling and real.

More than anything, I revel in your lyrical prose. You're a gifted author and I look forward to your future releases.

I've tried to find Janes Plane online. Did you ever record?

Do you ever plan to teach martial arts/self-defense in the Seattle area?

Tusen takk! Ha det så bra så lenge!

Ah. Well, by now you'll have finished The Blue Place. I hope you still like it. (Some people's reactions to the ending are a little, um, extreme.)

As for Janes Plane, there's a good reason you can't find it online: it's not there. The only place on earth that the music survives is, I think, on my computer. And that's only because I took a very badly used old tape, made in 1982, ran it through a boom box to my PC, and made a file a couple of years ago. I have four songs that we (me on vocals--I wrote the lyrics; stuck my oar in, too, with some of the other stuff--Jane Hicks on drums, Jane Lawrence on guitar, Carol Taylor on percussion, and Lou Barlowe on bass) recorded in a seaside town called Bridlington. Most of my vocals were laid down at two o'clock in the morning, after drinking way, way too much. I kept forgetting my own lyrics. Embarrassing. And I was very tired. And listening to the music afterwards it was very clear that I sing better before a live audience. I'd never just stood before a microphone facing a blank wall before. Very unsettling. I felt like a dork. Anyway, we never did anything with the tape because I found it so embarrassing. But that was a long, long time ago, and my embarrassment seems to have faded with time.

We have four songs. (Note: these are very large files.) Reclaim the Night is a kind of anthem, from the dual points-of-view of a would-be rapist and his potential victim. It ends well (if you call knives and blood and screaming rapists good--which at the time I did). The song I like the least is Nightdrive. I couldn't even drive at the time. I don't know what I was thinking. Then there's my Patti Smith homage, Bare Hands, which I'm very fond of. And finally Vondel Park a trippy sorta thing about the time I was starving in Amsterdam and finally managed to get some money, and instead of buying food bought some excellent hash and got so fucking stoned that I had hallucinations for hours: herds of wild horses galloping across a field pursued by a 50-foot tall Liquourice Allsort man (Brits will understand what I'm talking about). And here, as an added bonus, is another track, something I wrote for Kelley sixteen years ago when I was in England and she was in Georgia. I was in my kitchen, washing dishes, and just burning with longing; I couldn't contain it. So I turned on the boombox on the counter, and recorded this. (It's in .wav format because I couldn't get it sound reasonable any other way; it's a very large file.) I call it Draw Me Down. Until now, no one in the world has ever heard it but me and Kelley.

Lyrical prose. Hmmn. I just went and listened to a couple of the Janes Plane songs, and "Bare Hands" and "Vondel Park" both struck me as very self-consciously lyrical. I can see all my novelistic fascination with water and sky, dirt and stone, skin and bone and breath emerging even then. They weren't terrible songs for a very young and inexperienced person (I've written a total of twelve songs in my whole life) but I'm a better novelist.

No, I doubt I'll teach self-defence again. There are a lot of people fitter than me, and more dedicated. I will, though, probably write a book about it. I have very strong opinions about how self-defence should be taught. It's nothing like teaching or learning a martial art. It's not an art at all. It's a survival skill. It should be taught by people who really understand what it means. I wouldn't want someone who had never lit a fire in the wilderness on their own to teach me about lighting fires in the wilderness, y'know? But I think there are probably good people here in Seattle already doing this. See the Community Resources page for more.