The Lavender Girls, a story about gay car-hops should qualify as one of the stupidest story ideas ever. The cover should get a really bad idea award too.
And another rhetorical question: did any _woman_ — gay or not — ever read any of these?
Shouldn’t be rhetorical. Yes, women read them -- you have no idea how popular these were, and what a comfort they were to gay women back in the 1950s and 1960s. Coming out then could destroy your whole life. There’s a reason Ann Bannon’s works are still in print, along with many others. I’ve linked this before, but one more time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Bannon
fusilier@#2: Did Harlan Ellison ever have any other kind of mood?
Of course! He also has “grumpy.” He is bipolar: “morbid” or “grumpy”
and I wouldn’t want him any other way.
fusiliersays
Caine @3
Thank you, especially for the link.
I’ve always seen them -- particularly the lurid covers -- as being aimed at men. Of course I AM (to steal a phrase) straighter than quality control at a ruler factory, so there are lots of things I Don’t Get Right Away.
Marcus Ranum @5
We only met Harlan Ellison once -- he hid in our hotel room for a couple of hours during MidAmeriCon in 1976. “Morbid” was the constant, “grumpy” and “gleeful” were variable modifiers. ;^> ;^>
Marcus Ranum says
“Ladder of Flesh” sounds like something by Harlan Ellison during one of his morbid moods.
fusilier says
Marcus Ranum @1
Did Harlan Ellison ever have any other kind of mood?
And another rhetorical question: did any _woman_ -- gay or not -- ever read any of these?
fusilier
James 2:24
Caine says
Fusilier:
Shouldn’t be rhetorical. Yes, women read them -- you have no idea how popular these were, and what a comfort they were to gay women back in the 1950s and 1960s. Coming out then could destroy your whole life. There’s a reason Ann Bannon’s works are still in print, along with many others. I’ve linked this before, but one more time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Bannon
Caine says
Marcus:
I agree. I’ve always hated that title, brings up weird mental images.
Marcus Ranum says
fusilier@#2:
Did Harlan Ellison ever have any other kind of mood?
Of course! He also has “grumpy.” He is bipolar: “morbid” or “grumpy”
and I wouldn’t want him any other way.
fusilier says
Caine @3
Thank you, especially for the link.
I’ve always seen them -- particularly the lurid covers -- as being aimed at men. Of course I AM (to steal a phrase) straighter than quality control at a ruler factory, so there are lots of things I Don’t Get Right Away.
Marcus Ranum @5
We only met Harlan Ellison once -- he hid in our hotel room for a couple of hours during MidAmeriCon in 1976. “Morbid” was the constant, “grumpy” and “gleeful” were variable modifiers. ;^> ;^>
fusilier
James 2:24
Caine says
Fusilier:
You didn’t think that perhaps lesbians and bisexual women would find the cover art attractive? I find a lot of it very attractive!