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Nicholas Perez's Reviews> The Screwfly Solution
The Screwfly Solution
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I am not sure how to feel about the ending of this otherwise haunting, brilliantly written, and poignant sci-fi horror story by Raccoona Sheldon, a.k.a Alice Sheldon, a.k.a James Tiptree, Jr.
"The Screwfly Solution" is an apocalyptic short story where men across the world start violently sexually assaulting and killing women for unexplained reasons. Told primarily through letters between husband and wife pair Alan and Anne, we gradually see the rising deaths of women and the hyper-aggression of men come out. Many millenarian religious groups, such as the Sons of Adam, spring up trying to theologically explain why this happens: that killing women, the animalistic half of humanity (an actually very ancient misogynistic stereotype), will bring one closer to God. Some other religious prejudices towards women get reaffirmed.
However, the religious fundamentalism is merely one aspect of the story. Throughout the story there is constant debate as to how such a phenomenon--femicide--is possible. Alan later links it to men's sexual desires for women being converted into violent impulses. There's even commentary about the age-old discussion of men's sexuality being tied to their aggression.
I was hooked on this story because of its themes of male aggression and how certain philosophical or religious doctrines can justify certain appalling behaviors. There was nuance as it showed not all men were inherently aggressive or dangerous and that there were some men who tried to help the women from being attacked.
Until the ending.
A lot people liked the ending, but I'm conflicted about it. At the end, Anne later learns that aliens have been controlling the men of Earth to attack women and everyone else so that the human population can be wiped out so the aliens can take over. The reasons I'm conflicted is because it seems like a "Gotcha!" thing, as one other reviewer said, and somewhat throws out the musing and discussion that Sheldon had written into the text. On the other hand, it seems like it can parallel Sheldon's comments on the philosophical and religious fundamentalism justifying certain behaviors. Although, with the latter issue, the story shows that this springs up as response to the femicide phenomenon, not as a cause to it. So, I'm conflicted. The story seems to be a warning about male sexual aggression but then it seems to give an unsatisfactory reasons behind it.
Perhaps the alien thing is meant to show how an outside observer can even see the fraught relationship between men and women...I don't know. Other than that, I really liked Sheldon's prose and writing.
I am not sure how to feel about the ending of this otherwise haunting, brilliantly written, and poignant sci-fi horror story by Raccoona Sheldon, a.k.a Alice Sheldon, a.k.a James Tiptree, Jr.
"The Screwfly Solution" is an apocalyptic short story where men across the world start violently sexually assaulting and killing women for unexplained reasons. Told primarily through letters between husband and wife pair Alan and Anne, we gradually see the rising deaths of women and the hyper-aggression of men come out. Many millenarian religious groups, such as the Sons of Adam, spring up trying to theologically explain why this happens: that killing women, the animalistic half of humanity (an actually very ancient misogynistic stereotype), will bring one closer to God. Some other religious prejudices towards women get reaffirmed.
However, the religious fundamentalism is merely one aspect of the story. Throughout the story there is constant debate as to how such a phenomenon--femicide--is possible. Alan later links it to men's sexual desires for women being converted into violent impulses. There's even commentary about the age-old discussion of men's sexuality being tied to their aggression.
I was hooked on this story because of its themes of male aggression and how certain philosophical or religious doctrines can justify certain appalling behaviors. There was nuance as it showed not all men were inherently aggressive or dangerous and that there were some men who tried to help the women from being attacked.
Until the ending.
A lot people liked the ending, but I'm conflicted about it. At the end, Anne later learns that aliens have been controlling the men of Earth to attack women and everyone else so that the human population can be wiped out so the aliens can take over. The reasons I'm conflicted is because it seems like a "Gotcha!" thing, as one other reviewer said, and somewhat throws out the musing and discussion that Sheldon had written into the text. On the other hand, it seems like it can parallel Sheldon's comments on the philosophical and religious fundamentalism justifying certain behaviors. Although, with the latter issue, the story shows that this springs up as response to the femicide phenomenon, not as a cause to it. So, I'm conflicted. The story seems to be a warning about male sexual aggression but then it seems to give an unsatisfactory reasons behind it.
Perhaps the alien thing is meant to show how an outside observer can even see the fraught relationship between men and women...I don't know. Other than that, I really liked Sheldon's prose and writing.
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Reading Progress
May 14, 2021
–
Started Reading
May 14, 2021
– Shelved
May 14, 2021
–
Finished Reading
