- Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex
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"Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex" is an essay in which science fiction author Larry Niven details the problems that Superman would face in having sexual intercourse and reproducing with "a human woman designated LL for convenience", using arguments based on humorous (yet logical) reconciliation between physics, biology and the abilities of Kryptonians as presented in Superman comic books. It was first printed in Niven's 1971 collection, All the Myriad Ways. It was also reprinted in the Niven compilation N-Space; as well, a comic book adaptation - illustrated by classic Superman artist Curt Swan, and with all identifying logos and names removed - was published in Penthouse Comix.
In 1986, the essay was reposted onto Usenet; this led to what is thought to be the very first online report of copyright violation.
In 2007, a YouTube video adaptation of the essay was made, with the permission of Niven. It was adapted by "JackDanyells" and starred him as Superman, Rachel Gorton as LL, and VenetianPrincess as Supergirl.
Other uses
Many of the points given in this essay are reused and paraphrased in Kevin Smith's 1995 movie Mallrats.
In Frank Miller's comic Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again, Superman touches on the theme of the essay when asked about sex by Lara, his teenage daughter by Wonder Woman.
In issue 6 of The Boys, Butcher mentions that his human wife was killed when, after being impregnated by a super-human, the super-powered fetus kicked its way out of her stomach.
The TV series Smallville also cited the same argument to explain why Clark refused to sleep with Lana Lang when he was in possession of his super powers. They were, however, able to have sex when she as well as he was (intermittently) super-powered in Seasons 7 and 8. In the Season 9 episode, "Escape," Clark tells Chloe that part of his training in the Fortress of Solitude included learning how to control his powers to such a degree that he wouldn't harm a human woman during sex.
In the 2008 movie Hancock, the 'dangerous ejaculation' scenario is illustrated in a deleted scene when, at the point of climax, he throws his partner aside to save her, blowing three large holes in the roof of his trailer.
Tom Smith's "Superman Sex-Life Boogie" recounts the problem from Superman's perspective.
Larry Niven Books
(novels and
collections)World of Ptavvs (1966) · A Gift from Earth (1968) · Neutron Star (1968 collection) · The Shape of Space (1969 collection) · Protector (1973) · Tales of Known Space (1975 collection) · Flatlander (1976 collection, originally The Long Arm of Gil Hamilton) · The Patchwork Girl (1980) · Crashlander (1994 omnibus)
RingworldRingworld (1970) · The Ringworld Engineers (1980) · Guide to Larry Niven's Ringworld (1994, with Kevin Stein) · The Ringworld Throne (1996) · Ringworld's Children (2004)*collections by Niven or mostly others: Man-Kzin Wars (1988) · Man-Kzin Wars II (1989) · Man-Kzin Wars III (1990) · Man-Kzin Wars IV (1991) · Man-Kzin Wars V (1992) · Man-Kzin Wars VI (1994) · Man-Kzin Wars VII (1995) · Man-Kzin Wars VIII: Choosing Names (1998) · Man-Kzin Wars IX (2002) · Man-Kzin Wars X: The Wunder War (2003) · Man-Kzin Wars XI (2005) · Destiny's Forge (2007 novel) · Man-Kzin Wars XII (2009) · Man-Kzin Wars XIII (2012)Fleet of
Worlds**with Edward M. Lerner: Fleet of Worlds (2007) · Juggler of Worlds (2008) · Destroyer of Worlds (2009) · Betrayer of Worlds (2010)The
WarlockNot Long before the End (1969) · What Good Is a Glass Dagger? (1972) The Magic Goes Away (1978) · The Magic May Return (1981 collection) · More Magic (1984) · The Time of the Warlock (1984)Golden
Road**with Jerry Pournelle: The Burning City (2000) · Burning Tower (2005) · Burning Mountain (in progress)Inferno (1976) · Lucifer's Hammer (1977) · Oath of Fealty (1982) · Footfall (1985) · Escape from Hell (2009 sequel to Inferno)
The Mote in God's Eye (1974) · The Gripping Hand (1993, UK: The Moat around Murcheson's Eye) · Outies (2010, by J. R. Pournelle)Heorot (with Steven Barnes
and Jerry Pournelle)The Legacy of Heorot (1987) · Beowulf's Children (1995, UK: The Dragons of Heorot) · Destiny's Road (1997, by Niven alone)Dream
Park**with Steven Barnes: Dream Park (1981) · The Barsoom Project (1989) · The California Voodoo Game (1992, UK: The Voodoo Game) · The Descent of Anansi (1982) · Achilles' Choice (1991) · Saturn's Race (2001)Other
novels**with various: The Flying Sorcerers (1971, with David Gerrold) · Berserker Base (1984, with Poul Anderson, Edward Bryant, Stephen R. Donaldson, Fred Saberhagen, Connie Willis, and Roger Zelazny) · Fallen Angels (1991, with Jerry Pournelle and Michael Flynn) · Rainbow Mars (1999) · Building Harlequin's Moon (2005, with Brenda Cooper)Other
collectionsAll the Myriad Ways (1971) · The Flight of the Horse (1973) · Inconstant Moon (1973) · A Hole in Space (1974) · Convergent Series (1979) · Niven's Laws (1984) · Limits (1985) · N-Space (1990) · Playgrounds of the Mind (1991) · Bridging the Galaxies (1993) · Scatterbrain (2003) · Larry Niven Short Stories Volume 1 (2003) · Larry Niven Short Stories Volume 2 (2003) · Larry Niven Short Stories Volume 3 (2003) · The Draco Tavern (2006) · Stars and Gods (2010) · The Best of Larry Niven (2010)Comics**adapted by various: Death by Ecstasy (1991) · Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale (1992, by John Byrne) · The Magic Goes Away (by Jan Duursema) · "Not Long before the End" (by Doug Moench and Vicente Alcazar) · "All the Myriad Ways" (by Howard Chaykin)Select
short stories
and novellas"At the Core" · "The Borderland of Sol" · "Death by Ecstasy" · "The Defenseless Dead" · "Flash Crowd" · "Flatlander" · "Grendel" · "The Handicapped" · "The Hole Man" "Inconstant Moon" · "The Jigsaw Man" · "The Magic Goes Away" · Neutron Star · "Procrustes" · "The Return of William Proxmire" · "The Soft Weapon"Essays Categories:- Superman
- Essays by Larry Niven
- 1971 works
- Comic science fiction
- YouTube videos
- Essay stubs
- DC Comics stubs
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