I Will Fear No Evil

I Will Fear No Evil by Robert A. Heinlein, published in 1970, is perhaps Heinlein's most detailed and specific exploration of gender.

Discussion

Johann Sebastian Bach Smith, a super-rich man of the future, arranges to have his aging brain transplanted into a new young body, as the first step on the road to immortality. However, he "dies" suddenly before the details can be arranged, and wakes up in the body of his lovely young female secretary, Eunice. The remainder of the book concerns the accommodation of old male Johann and young female Eunice.

While the storyline is potentially fruitful from a feminist perspective, the execution is quite the reverse. This lengthy novel is almost plot-free, relying on gender stereotypes and simplistic explorations of female sexuality from a male viewpoint to carry it along.

Of interest to feminists mostly from a historical perspective.