Glad you liked this collection, I think it's marvellous. So long since I've read it though - can you remind me what 'And I Awoke And Found Me' is about?
I think the point in 'Houston do you read' is that the women are assessing whether the men are capable of behaving non-destructively, and they end up concluding they aren't. But it isn't specified whether the women are right or wrong. My personal feeling is that the men are locked into destructive behaviour by the military culture that they are coming from and they can't break out of that stereotyped behaviour, even though their lives depend on it.
I also think the women's society is damaged by having only a small number of genotypes, which are endlessly repeated, and there is at least hope that the new DNA they get off the men might open up the society a bit.
no subject
I think the point in 'Houston do you read' is that the women are assessing whether the men are capable of behaving non-destructively, and they end up concluding they aren't. But it isn't specified whether the women are right or wrong. My personal feeling is that the men are locked into destructive behaviour by the military culture that they are coming from and they can't break out of that stereotyped behaviour, even though their lives depend on it.
I also think the women's society is damaged by having only a small number of genotypes, which are endlessly repeated, and there is at least hope that the new DNA they get off the men might open up the society a bit.