I read a lot of old sci fi, from Victorian stories by the like of H G Wells, through to story collections from the 50s and 60s, with occasional stories from in between. While there are regular Victorian style stories still written today, the 50s and 60s don't tend to be emulated very often. Maybe this is because it seems quite chauvenistic and sexist by today's standards, while Jules Verne et al seem merely historical.
When reading stories from the 'Golden Age' you'll note that female characters are quite limited. They get to either:
a. Wait at home for their heroic astronaut husband to return.
b. Use their technological labour saving devices.
c. Go a bit hysterical and need to be slapped.
In the spirit of appreciating the culture of the age, rather than being outaged by it, I'm working on a 50s style story for this week's Friday Flash Fiction. Letters of complaint about its sexist content should be addressed to:
Gareth D Jones
c/o The 1950s
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