Rereading Lester del Rey's "Helen O'Loy"

Grace, Dominick M. "Rereading Lester del Rey's 'Helen O'Loy'." SFS #59, 20.1 (March 1993): 45-51.

Intriguing attempt to rehabilitate "Helen O'Loy" by looking carefully at the first-person participant narrator (Phil) and the other male protagonist (Dave). Concludes that the story "undercuts the rosy idea of Helen's perfection held by Dave and Phil, and offers instead a critique of their idealization of their walking, talking doll. . . . 'Helen O'Loy' is a story that condemns, rather than consecrates, male stereotypes of women" (49). Definitely a dissenting opinion, but one future writers on the story really should deal with.

(RDE, 28/03/93), RDE, Title, 17Aug19