+++ on both Willis and Link. <3<3<3 Link especially is so freaking weird and creative! I love them both to pieces.

Really? If you grew up female, you would know this was true. Publishers certainly know this is true. All you need to do to verify this is to ask a bunch of people aged 10-20 about the Harry Potter books vs. Twilight or Hunger Games, and that's just kids.

I also wonder if women in sci-fi who aren't doing the paranormal romance thing feel a need to be serious because they have to prove themselves to be "real" writers and are combating a tendency to label women's output as fluff by designation; I mean, thinking about greats like Atwood, Butler and le Guin? Thoughts?

Kage Baker (Start with: In the Garden of Iden), Kelly Link (Start with: Stranger Things), Connie Willis (Start with: To Say Nothing of the Dog), Shirley Jackson (if you think she's not funny, I suggest you try We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Also, get your sense of humor examined).

How about treat women like humans and not like enigmas or groceries? It is not up to women to be available and pleasant and convenient. Besides which, your presented worldview is especially absurd in 2012, when there are a million websites out there which specifically exist to allow people to make romantic…

Ok, yes. As other people have said, this isn't a perfect analogy. After all, 90% of the men who have hit on me since the onset of breasts were really old and/or gross (I remember, as a 16 year old, a man missing several teeth who smelled strongly of bologna entreating me to give him "just one kiss" as I walked to my…