I love/hate science fiction.

[featherynscale]

So, I'm reading this book called Mockymen. It's not a good book. Let's leave aside for the moment the fact that the author took all that writing advice about showing, not telling, and decided it was so much crap. Let's also leave aside the fact that it appears to have plot enough for several unrelated novels, all jammed together in one short book (this feat largely being accomplished by taking out all the motivation and most of the transition between plot points).

Aside from that stuff, what I don't like about this book is that the main character (so far) is female, and the (apparently male) author has decided that it will make her a more realistic female character if she thinks about having a baby, and when would be the right time to have a baby, and why she and her partner haven't had a baby, and so on, about once every three pages.

Now, as you might be aware if you know me, or even if you read my journal regularly, I gave up trying to be female when I realized that a) it was sort of a crap game, and b) I was never going to be any good at it anyway. So I'm willing to believe that it's possible that women really do constantly think about having babies, and that's normal for the population. Therefore, I'm seeking further data. If you're a female-type person with female-type biology (or you used to be and/or used to have same), please enlighten me by making the clicky on the poll, below.

[Poll #1095206]

Comments

[mullein.livejournal.com]

I wanted to clarify my response. I ticked off the bitches one. But with good reason. I had my daughter after careful consideration to my situation. I was a home owner who had no debt and a good paying job with full benefits. I opted to have a baby. Just one.

I was told that about a year after my daughter was born I would soon feel the urge for more. It didn't happen. I didn't think about having any more until I reached thirty.

I do want more. I view life as a mysterious opportunity filled with amazing joy and terrifying fear. I am glad for the experience and I will give it again if the Gods decide I am capable.

NOW, I as a woman have never obsessed about the event of having children except during my one pregnancy. (You kind of have a constant reminder sitting under your boobs) But I had an aunt who was that type. She obsessed about having a baby, but she was infertile. I wonder if the obsession comes from the lack of control over your own body in the event you want a baby and can't have one.

[starrthinks.livejournal.com]

I am guessing that infertility would cause one to think more often about the desired baby. I know I always think (pretty obsessively) about the desires I can't seem to fulfill. Perhaps it's human nature.

What scares me is the people who seem to turn out a kid every 10 months but seem to never think about it.... I know some folks like that.

[loraca.livejournal.com]

I think that obsession does happen for some people, but I am infertile and I do not normally obsess over my lack of ability to have children. But, I have known since I was a teenager that I was not able to procreate, so I didn't really have that expectation as I entered adulthood. I suppose that if I had not known that I was not fertile until my husband and I were trying to have a child it might be different, though.