Taurus Four
A stranded space explorer encounters a primitive society descended from hippies and falls for a teenage girl. I kept reading in hopes that the protagonist's spectacular sexism was deliberate satire. Instead, the novel celebrates his misogyny and delivers one of the most appalling endings I've encountered.
Charlemagne's Champion
Roland, an outcast warrior terrified of his supernatural heritage, seeks redemption through service to Charlemagne. A deeply unlikable protagonist and sloppy prose nearly drove me away, but intriguing magical mysteries and a promising friendship kept me reading—until a disappointing conclusion vindicated my initial doubts.
The Duchess of Kneedeep
A runaway duchess flees across an absurd planet where seemingly every man she encounters threatens her with sexual violence or murder. Tepid jokes, shallow characters, and a twist that trivializes her entirely reasonable fears made this supposed comedy impossible to finish.
The Nature of Witches
An American scientist in Sweden begins to wonder whether his estranged wife is a witch. Surprisingly perceptive prose and vivid characterization give way to appalling misogyny, sexual violence, and an ending that rewards an utterly reprehensible protagonist.
Daughters of Earth
Three vintage science-fiction stories, one painfully misogynistic and two extraordinary. An intimate multigenerational history of women exploring space and a telepathic encounter between a stranded child and an alien mother make this collection well worth reading.