Ten Thousand Light-Years from Home by James Triptree Jr.

Ten Thousand Light-Years From Home by James Tiptree Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This classic SF anthology by Alice Sheldon aka James Triptree is about deep-deep space, aliens and humans on weird worlds in weird situations. The cryptic style and obscure allusions are not always easy to comprehend. There are funny, serious, poignant themes but also an underlying refrain of lascivious aliens and humans.

Man is exogamous – all our history is one long drive to find and impregnate the stranger. Or get impregnated by him; it works for women too. Anything different-coloured, different nose, ass, anything, man has to fuck it or die trying. That’s a drive, y’know, it’s built in.

Here she quotes from who she call the first space poet - Hart Crane:

Launched in abysmal cupolas of space
Toward endless terminas, Easters of speeding light-
Vast engines outward veering with seraphic grace
On clarion cylinders pass out of sight

Some of the titles are as poetic as the stories - And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side, Faithful to Thee, Terra, in Our Fashion, I'll Be Waiting for You When the Swimming Pool Is Empty, Mother in the Sky with Diamonds.
A 'must-read' for SF fans.

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