VoidPhil

Ingeborg Bachmann's novel Malina is an underappreciated gem of feminist literature. Bachmann's writing is authentic and original and leaves a strong impression. Her writing incorporates elements of stream of consciousness writing, although it's somewhat different from other writers in the genre. A couple of stylistic peculiarities are her method of recounting telephone conversations, sometimes writing only one half of the conversation and sometimes both sides, and her use of musical notation in portions of the text.

Alison Bechdel's autobiography Fun Home is a beautiful and poignant story of growing up LGBTQ+ in a repressive and alienating community. The book deals with Bechdel's childhood, her coming out to her parents and friends, her father's death, and the realization that her father had been a closeted gay man. It's a great book for members of the LGBTQ+ community and for anyone interested in gaining an appreciation for the experience of LGBTQ+ persons, or anyone simply interested in a well-told memoir.

Emily Chang's debut book is an excellent discussion of the barriers women face to careers in technology in particular, and the workforce in general. I was impressed by the depth and breadth of her research for the subject and particularly by the massive number of personal interviews she conducted for the book. These interviews included often poignant, often disturbing anecdotes about the outsized role men play in Silicon Valley. The book begins with some historical context, explaining the key role of women in the early days of computer science and the rise of our increasingly technocentric society.