I'm not planning one, or I'd just have held on to the story until I'd written the whole thing. That said, I do see how it could lend itself to one, so it's a possibility for the future, it depends on what I feel like, I guess.
Very nice! Haven't seen an idea like that one before.
Seemed to skip over how the two women's eggs actually join. While I think we can figure that out, it raises the question (as in any lesbian pregancy) of who ultimately carries the baby: Holly could have easily implanted Sandra with her own egg, leading to Sandra being "born pregnant".
Women synchronize their menstrual cycles just by being near each other long enough (thanks to pheromones). I was surprised that it happened so quickly, though-- expected that Sandra would have remained trapped through several cycles before a successful fertilization.
I figured that the actual joining of the two eggs didn't really require explanation, as it's not too far off of reality. I considered a somatic cell fusion with one of Sandra's skin cells and one of Holly's ova - that's been done in the lab, though never brought to term, but having their ova fuse seemed better for the story. I considered having Sandra carry the baby, but ended up deciding the other way, and the quick synchronization of their cycles was pure artistic license - since I was taking major liberties with biological plausablity by making it same-size, I figured what's one more small one for the sake of how I want to have the story go. Of course, now if I consider a sequel, I don't think I'll be able to avoid having to try and explain some of it in more detail. :)
Actually, the way you did it might have been better. I've a tendency towards over-explanation, and what I've discovered is that if you leave things up to the reader, they'll fill in the gaps without even knowing they're doing it.
A sequel to this one might be tough. You made the process (by which Holly gains the ability to unbirth another woman) intentionally difficult and unpleasant, and Holly looks like she's now set up for a "normal" pregnancy (though I'd surmise that her offspring is necessarily female). You clearly didn't want to significantly change the world with this birth -- if this "first lesbian birth" was simple and easy, the male of the species would be doomed to extinction. So something unexpected would have to happen.
BTW: If you haven't already, check out Nicola Griffith's "Ammonite": a female researcher is sent to find out why civilization isn't dying out on a planet whose environment is poisonous to men.
You know Groblek, this almost makes me think of parthenogenesis (female bearing offspring by mitosis instead of meiosis, just in case you were not sure what that is) with a twist.
Posted by zepher42 14 years ago Report
Will there be a sequel to this?
Posted by Groblek 14 years ago Report
I'm not planning one, or I'd just have held on to the story until I'd written the whole thing. That said, I do see how it could lend itself to one, so it's a possibility for the future, it depends on what I feel like, I guess.
Posted by Radijs 14 years ago Report
Nice work as always Groblek. I enjoyed it very much.
Posted by dreamweevil 14 years ago Report
Very nice! Haven't seen an idea like that one before.
Seemed to skip over how the two women's eggs actually join. While I think we can figure that out, it raises the question (as in any lesbian pregancy) of who ultimately carries the baby: Holly could have easily implanted Sandra with her own egg, leading to Sandra being "born pregnant".
Women synchronize their menstrual cycles just by being near each other long enough (thanks to pheromones). I was surprised that it happened so quickly, though-- expected that Sandra would have remained trapped through several cycles before a successful fertilization.
Very creative story... enjoyed it.
--dw
Posted by Groblek 14 years ago Report
dw - I'm glad you liked the story.
I figured that the actual joining of the two eggs didn't really require explanation, as it's not too far off of reality. I considered a somatic cell fusion with one of Sandra's skin cells and one of Holly's ova - that's been done in the lab, though never brought to term, but having their ova fuse seemed better for the story. I considered having Sandra carry the baby, but ended up deciding the other way, and the quick synchronization of their cycles was pure artistic license - since I was taking major liberties with biological plausablity by making it same-size, I figured what's one more small one for the sake of how I want to have the story go. Of course, now if I consider a sequel, I don't think I'll be able to avoid having to try and explain some of it in more detail. :)
Posted by dreamweevil 14 years ago Report
Groblek,
Actually, the way you did it might have been better. I've a tendency towards over-explanation, and what I've discovered is that if you leave things up to the reader, they'll fill in the gaps without even knowing they're doing it.
A sequel to this one might be tough. You made the process (by which Holly gains the ability to unbirth another woman) intentionally difficult and unpleasant, and Holly looks like she's now set up for a "normal" pregnancy (though I'd surmise that her offspring is necessarily female). You clearly didn't want to significantly change the world with this birth -- if this "first lesbian birth" was simple and easy, the male of the species would be doomed to extinction. So something unexpected would have to happen.
BTW: If you haven't already, check out Nicola Griffith's "Ammonite": a female researcher is sent to find out why civilization isn't dying out on a planet whose environment is poisonous to men.
-- dw
Posted by Throat_Wolf 14 years ago Report
Nicely done unbirthing story. Certainly one of the more creative ones I've read.
Posted by Paraffine 14 years ago Report
This setting was new, refreshing. Nicely (is that even a word?) written, made me want to read it for the story, not for the kink.
Posted by vore2412 12 years ago Report
You know Groblek, this almost makes me think of parthenogenesis (female bearing offspring by mitosis instead of meiosis, just in case you were not sure what that is) with a twist.