>I agree that I would find it interesting to speculate on what life would be
like if both sexes shared the nursing of the young like the previously
mentioned bats.  I wonder how that society would be different from ours,
where many families share the feeding of the young through
bottlefeeding.<

In her book "The Left Hand of Darkness" Ursula le Guin imagines such a world.
The people of the planet described in this sf/fantasy novel are all one sex and
change during 'kemmer' into having male or female sex organs.  They respond to
their partner and may become 'female' or 'male' at different times.  This is one
of the most 'decorated' sf books ever.  Ursula Le Guin is the duaghter of
Theodore Kroeber, anthropolgist at UC Berkeley, who was the person who housed
Ishi, then thought to be the last of his Indian tribe.  Ursula knew Ishi in her
childhood and I have always thought this is one of the sources for the power of
her writing -- when she describes a new alien race, she gives a real sense of
their 'otherness'.

I have, however, long thought it interesting that the book (wirtten in the 70's)
puts this race on a planet with no large mammals and so no source of alternative
milk, yet they breastfeed their children for 9 months.  An interesting influence
of the reality of the time affecting fiction of the future.

(Someday I would like to write about 'breastfeeding in the future' and
sporadically collect any references to bf in science fiction/fantasy -- anyone
else have any good examples?)

Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN, UK

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