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Title: Deconstructing gender
Review: "Venus Plus X," by science fiction giant Theodore Sturgeon, tells the story of Charlie Johns, an ordinary modern man who is whisked to the land of the Ledom, a new breed of human hermaphrodites. Charlie is challenged by his hosts to learn all about their culture; through his eyes, the reader also discovers the brave new world (to borrow a phrase) of the Ledom.Sturgeon covers Ledom technology, religion, history, anatomy, and education. He includes an ironic parallel narrative about an ordinary 20th century human family; this second narrative frequently comments on our own culture's obsession with gender."Venus" is a compelling story of love, loss, and knowledge. It is part of an intriguing science fiction tradition of deconstructing societal ideas on sexuality and gender; for companion texts in this vein, try Ursula K. LeGuin's "The Left Hand of Darkness" and Carolyn Ives Gilman's "Halfway Human."
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