Well, I'm a female who was so desperate for something interesting to read, and so clueless about societal norms, that when I found Asimov, Heinlein, and Norton as a young teen I was there! I actually suspect the dichotomy has a lot to do with the fact that girls tend to do more poorly in math and science as they get older. Whether this is because they have internalized societal norms or because of innate gender differences is not the issue--the thing is, that girls may see "science" fiction as having stuff they might not be able to understand. By and large, this is a lot of hooey, of course, but if you've never read the stuff you don't know. And then, of course, there's the Knight in Shining Armor thing. I'm 47 and married, and I still have a tiny corner of my heart that is waiting for him . . . Mia