Glukhovsky's Metro 2033 (3/3): Gender Issues
We are here today to count the number of women on this book cover and beyond... By Péter MARTON ** Join the European Science Fiction group on Facebook for related discussions. ** One of the strenghts of the allegory in Glukhovsky's Metro 2033 is exactly what very probably would have been an obstacle to publishing this book in the US first. Because what all US editors encourage writers to include in their stories by default these days is... strong female characters (with some good reasons, at that). The number of strong female characters in Metro 2033 = 0 (zero). The reason is not chauvinism. To the contrary: through the absence of women, regardless of whether this is intentional or intuitive, the story demonstrates the importance of not standing in the way of women taking leading roles in the running of the world. In the subterranean universe, where man is often wolf to man, the sun doesn't shine, for it has no alternative. (See what I did there? H/t simul...