Dystopian novel about women globally seeing men as harmful and unnecessary. What’s that book title?
Looking for a late-1970s feminist dystopian SF novel (paperback). Plot included: It takes place on near-future Earth, written in or before the late 1970s. The world is embroiled in a global war between men and women, or at least men vs a women-led alliance. A group of women unites militarily and launches a desperate, all-or-nothing offensive. The key character is the daughter of an admiral (or other high-ranking male military leader). Her father commands forces that could stop the women’s final attack — but doing so would kill his daughter, and he cannot bring himself to order it. Because he hesitates, the women win the war. Afterward, society reorganizes under female rule, with men either subjugated, restricted, or no longer needed due to scientific advances that allow reproduction without men. Might involve the women forming an alliance with China, which was already run by women in the story. Tone was very feminist, blaming men for the world’s problems. The final chapter mentions the admiral’s house on a coastal shoreline. A flag continues to fly there out of respect — possibly marking him as an admiral. Unclear whether the admiral was executed afterward, but it feels likely. The book was disturbing, “haunting,” and the reader threw it away after finishing. It was definitely a full novel, not a short story, and was a mass-market paperback. Looking for: Title, author, publication year, and any cover art or reprint info.
Posted Dec 6, 2025, 6:15 PM UTC