Talk:Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand

Original research

In this edit Matchups removed much content on the ground that it was Original research (OR). A subsequent edit restored this content without discussion or explanation. The content involved has no citations to secondary sources, in spite of having been tagged as OR for years. It reads like a critical essay on the book. If it had been published by a reliable publisher, it might well make a fine source for this article. But unless sources can be cited that support the conclusions it draws, it doesn't belong on Wikipedia.

I am fond of Delaney's work myself, and it is complex and requires analysis to fully understand, in my view. But such analysis must be made by a reliable secondary source and then cited here to be in a Wikipedia article. This author has been much analyzed over the years, surely proper sources can be found to say something about these aspects of the novel, whether it is exactly the same as the current content or not.

If sources are not promptly cited to support this content, i intend to repeat the edit linked above. DES ^(talk) 01:00, 16 November 2015 (UTC)

I've found four seemingly-reliable journalistic and academic sources for discussion and analysis of this book. Not sure when I'll get to reading them and coming up with a quality article, but maybe this will be enough of a nudge for someone else to take the next step.

• http://www.depauw.edu/sfs/birs/bir97.htm
• http://americanliterature.dukejournals.org/content/83/2/389.abstract
• https://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/african_american_review/v048/48.3.foster.html
• http://www.nytimes.com/1985/02/10/books/sex-with-the-six-legged-strangers.html

Ma^t_chups 03:35, 1 December 2015 (UTC)

Marq Dyeth

its been a while since I read the book but Marq Dyeth is a man, right? 2600:4040:606E:C00:1BAB:4260:D35A:9519 (talk) 03:06, 31 July 2023 (UTC)

Correct. More precisely, male. From the book, chapter 3 (p.98 in my copy):

Two human female 'women' see Marq and the following exchange takes place:

"'I think that's him ...' one announced.

'Perhaps for you,' said her friend. 'For me, while she's quite a pleasant looking male ...'

'I'm complimented.' I smiled. I nodded. 'But while I'm indeed male, this woman is going to refuse your proposition!'"

The uses in the article of the English words 'woman' and 'she' in respect of Marq is surely inappropriate. This is the English version of Wikipedia and therefore words in articles should be used as in English, not as used in the imaginary worlds and language of the book. There should be least typographical indications that the intended meaning is non-standard. Thus the article could say:

"Resident Marq Dyeth, who is a male, human 'woman' and an "industrial diplomat" who helps manage the transfer of technology between different societies, is informed that Rat Korga is 'her' perfect sexual match ..."

making in clear that the words 'woman' and 'she' are being used as in the in-world language, not as in normal English.

I'm inclined to edit the article in that way unless there are objections ... 2407:7000:8303:9400:E35D:DCCE:1569:6C2D (talk) 07:19, 7 April 2024 (UTC)