oh yes, and then see the interesting things Le Guin does with gender roles etc. in a similar genre.
What would have happened in a more equal Middle Earth? I don't know, maybe a wild Amazon tribe or two (or equivalent, naturally), the fighting women of [wherever] who fought to the death alongside their men. I still can't see more women in that book. I mean, for starters it's one of the most sexless books I've encountered, and adding more women might change things just a wee bit. You can just imagine the consternation when one of the Fellowship gets pregnant...or maybe Legolas and Gimli straining their friendship out of their passion for a female hobbit...or the terrifying thought of a female Gandalf with PMS (he's moody enough already!)...
for anyone who might take exception to the PMS joke, (a) I'm a woman myself after all and (b) have you seen that bit in "The Robber Bride" by Atwood where someone says, "You know those chemicals women have in them just before their period that make them moody? Well, men have those same chemicals in them ALL THE TIME." nice point, eh. so maybe Gandalf would just be less moody, but everyone would steer clear of him once a month...
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