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From: samson@h-sc1.UUCP (gregory samson)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: mono sex societies
Message-ID: <647@h-sc1.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 26-Oct-85 18:50:49 EST
Article-I.D.: h-sc1.647
Posted: Sat Oct 26 18:50:49 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 31-Oct-85 06:29:01 EST
References: <215@caip.RUTGERS.EDU>
Reply-To: gts@wjh12.HARVARD.EDU (G. T. Samson)
Organization: Harvard Univ. Science Center
Lines: 46
Summary: 

In article <215@caip.RUTGERS.EDU> A.Cobley%dundee.ac.uk@ucl-cs.ARPA writes:
>	Question
>		For any biologist out there, whats the fesability of
>taking genes from two females and combining them together, replanting
>them in a ovum and so get birth from the result.  I realise that only
>female children could be born this way ( YY chromsone?) and this leads
>me to the main thrust of the question.

Before the main thrust, let me get in a slight parry.  It's not necessary to
have genes from two females to combine together; all you need is a way to
stimulate the egg to divide.  That way, you can get variety by using the eggs
from many and various women.

>	What would a society be like if all repoduction (or most ) was
>done this way since the society would consist entirley of females.What
>would be the role of males (if any existed),would they be kept as pets?
>revired?, or treated as equals (they would certainly have 'abnormal' 
>sexual disires as far as the rest of society was concerned, unless you
>use two male genes and find a kindly womb donor.)
>	Any one know of any stories based on this?
>		andy.
>A.COBLEY%DUNDEE@UCL.CS

Something similar to this existed in E. E. Smith's books, in the culture of
Lyrane II.  It wasn't purely women in the sense that you state; instead, 
"males" (not men) are described as "dwarfs about 30 inches tall" and they
are "not regarded as people, at birth or at any subsequent time."  (The
frequency of male birth is about 1 in 100.)  They are nearly unintelligent,
since all they are needed for is "the fundamental necessity of reproducing
the completely dominant female."

Women are referred to as "persons" (since males are not persons and do not
exist in society).  They use males simply as adjuncts to breeding, after
which the male is disposed of.  The concept of "female" does not exist to
the women, since they do not consider themselves the opposites of males;
indeed, they barely acknowledge their existence.

I have no way of being certain, but I think this might have been a clever
stab at the pulp-fiction stories involving one lone spaceman on a planet
of women.  All that the "persons" of Lyrane II feel for the ultra-macho Kim
Kinnison is revulsion!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
G. T. Samson
The Evil MicroWizard
gts@wjh12.HARVARD.EDU