The Women Who Walk Through Fire

Scorning laser-wielding princesses who take second place to (and then marry) their space-age heroes, Sturgis's ( Memories and Visions ) strong collection of 16 feminist science fiction stories describes women who meet and master challenges. In Elaine Bergstrom's chilling ``Net Songs,'' a woman defies the powers that be when she learns they maintain order by manipulating society's fear of sexually communicated disease. A divorced mother collects her alimony by raiding her wealthy ex-husband's trucks on their interstate hauls in G. K. Sprinkle's ``Road Runner.'' In J. L. Comeau's ``Firebird,'' a policewoman is the only member of a tactical assault team who can fight a drudep. 148 , or nightmare fiend, that exploits people's deepest fears. ``Sahrel Short Swords,'' by Ginger Simpson Curry, depicts a woman who learns about empathy and humanity when a sorceress turns her into a moth. The journalist who narrates L. Timmel Duchamp's ``The Forbidden Words of Margaret A.'' reports on her brief ``photo-op'' with a prisoner who is surrounded by armed guards and missiles because her subversive comments are powerful enough to destroy the U.S. government. (Sept.)