Marie Brennan

Their characteristics are well-known. They're beautiful -- when they're not astoundingly ugly. They're both goddesses for men to worship, and demons for them to flee. They adore children, sometimes to the point of unhealthy obsession. They have a strong association with nature, from which they're often assumed to draw magical power. Their anger is a terrible thing to behold, and all the more fearsome because anything can spark it; the rules by which these creatures operate are not those of rational men. They are creatures of fanciful whim, and they never, ever, can be understood.

I'm talking, of course, about women.

I have never attempted to hide that I have had two husbands in my life.
I have, however, neglected to mention that in between them, I had a wife.

Matriarchy is a time-honored staple for any writer looking to invent an exotic society.