On the 1st June, in response to a call for action by Nicola Griffith, I set up the SF Mistressworks blog, a site devoted to reviews of science fiction books by women writers. I had no desire, nor did I think it was fair, to provide the content entirely by myself, so I put out a call for volunteers. And lots of people responded – over a dozen, at the last count. I also said I was happy to take previously-published reviews, and a number of people subsequently donated old reviews they had written. As a result, in the past seven days I’ve posted fourteen reviews by various hands to the site, and have several days’ worth scheduled. The blog has also been averaging 300 hits a day.

So the response has been very good – better, in fact, than I expected. But there’s a danger interest might fade away as the year progresses. And I don’t want that; I don’t think anyone wants that. So I’m always on the look-out for new reviews and reviewers, and happy to take either (there’s an FAQ on the blog, explaining the sort of thing I’m after). It’s also good if other people promote the blog – link to it, mention it in passing, encourage discussion regarding it, whatever you think is appropriate.

For the record, the following books have been reviewed on SF Mistressworks (each title links to the review):

China Mountain Zhang, Maureen F McHugh
Grass, Sheri S Tepper
Ammonite, Nicola Griffith
The Journal of Nicholas the American, Leigh Kennedy
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K Le Guin
The Female Man, Joanna Russ
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm
The Steerswoman, Rosemary Kirstein
The Dispossessed, Ursula K Le Guin
Pennterra, Judith Moffett
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Rebel Sutra, Shariann Lewitt
Escape Plans, Gwyneth Jones
Halfway Human, Carolyn Ives Gilman

Still to come, reviews of:

And Chaos Died, Joanna Russ
Hermetech, Storm Constantine
Doomtime, Doris Piserchia
Black Wine, Candas Jane Dorsey
Winterlong, Elizabeth Hand
Starmother, Sydney J Van Scyoc
The Sword of Rhiannon, Leigh Brackett
Queen City Jazz, Kathleen Ann Goonan
The City Long After, Pat Murphy

… plus several more. I also intend to link to the website of as many woman sf writers as I can find, and list those sf books by women writers which have won prizes.

So, keep watching the site.