In general, in fact, you can play 'How to Suppress Women's Writing' bingo with articles about Leckie -- this isn't unusual. I remember it too with Audrey Niffenegger when "The Time Traveller's Wife" came out. People just couldn't cope with 'it's a jolly good book and people like it a whole lot' -- they had to deconstruct it in ways that belittled it.

Does this happen with male first-time novelists? (Hint: no.)