It Ain't Equal 'Til It's Equal...

[e_moon60]

A friend's Tweet pointed me to this article on gender bias in NYT book reviews.   The article is spot on, IMO, in its general intent--to point out that what women write is judged differently than what men write.   Since I am just a few days out of learning that an Austin paper wrote the annual pre-convention article about ArmadilloCon and once

Comments

[llennhoff]

I've only read your fantasy, not your sf, but I remember noting at the time that Paksenarrion was designed to be, if not exactly sexless, at least uninterested in the topic. Gird was much more into non-platonic relationships. Dorrin is not mentioned as having had serious relationships in her past, while the male character *blanking on name* had a long time (but never shown) unfulfilled crush on the female head of the Golden Company. Is there a pattern of your mentioning relationships of major male characters but not female ones? If so, is it intentional? Or is it related to how in Paksworld it might be easy for a married man to lead a mercenary's life but not so much for a woman?

[bunny_m]

Speaking as a reader who has read most, if not all of Ms Moon's books, I would recommend that you give her SF a try and see if you like it.

I will also note that Paksenarrion is the only asexual character I recall. You might want to give Remnant Population a read for a central female character that is, IMO, nuanced, very much feminine and all kinds of awesome and quite able of kicking butts when required.

Of course, this being fiction, YMMV.

[e_moon60]

As for Paks--it was nothing to do with her being a mercenary, but was the result of her being (before she knew why) a potential paladin. Paladins in this world are not likely to have sexual partners--they are partnered with their deity and/or patron. Women in mercenary companies mentioned (in one book or another) as having, or having had, relationships include Pak's friend Canna, Aesil M'dierra (Golden Company commander), Kieri's dead wife, and the sisli couple Barranyi and Natzlin. And of course Estil Halveric, Aliam's wife, though she's in the background (via Kieri talking about his background as Aliam's squire) until Oath of Gold, when she's shown through Paks's POV. However, since Paks wasn't that interested in other peoples' relationships, she didn't see a lot of them (and thus, as that was from her POV, I couldn't show them.) As Oath of Fealty reveals, Dorrin's childhood was so horrific that her ability to trust was permanently compromised, especially in intimate situations. In the new books, I have more POV characters and

But being human...

[bookmobiler]

"Men and women are both human. Both genders have legitimate interests in everything that touches human lives."

Unfortunately many members of both genders are not.

It has changed a bit over my lifetime, but slowly.

At the moment male domination of the publishing industry and academia still leans heavily in sometime unconscious ways towards male writers.

It will correct itself. Just not soon enough to do the present generation much good.

In the meantime, unless a writer hits me over the head with it I'll keep reading regardless of the author's gender, race or sexual preference.

I will admit to political bias. :)

Re: But being human...

[gategrrl]

It will only "correct itself" through action, and making this an *awareness*--not by hoping and wishing those in charge will change. Making a male bias go away or disappear isn't a case of using your auto spell-check and correcting misspelled words.

[elfkat]

I always find it weird when this subject comes up when there are so many men who can not write a decent women's conversation and right now James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series comes to mind. They are absolutely terrible and painful to read when the conversation comes up. Has he never listened to his wife or the women in his family?

[gategrrl]

I thought he wasn't a very "good" writer to begin with?

And not in his defence, but as a general comment, some writers simply have a tin ear when it comes to dialogue.

[gunhilda]

About 80% of the fiction on my bookshelves is by female authors. It's a deliberate choice to send my money in that direction and use libraries for the rest. I suspect if all women did the same, there would be mass upheaval and apocalypse. Or something.

[paulwoodlin]

A poet complained once that if everyone who wrote poetry bought poetry books, poets could end up on the bestsellers lists. Sorry I don't remember which poet said that, but I suspect it's true.

[ann_mcn]

I work and volunteer in theatres around town, and it is distressing to see how self segregated the audiences are. It's a wonderful way to learn about people who aren't yourself, and it also matters to be in a live audience, with Others who aren't like you. I've worried sometimes if it would be taken wrong to be laughing at certain things in a black play, for instance, but so very often my fellow volunteers would elbow me to share the humor. I don't think people give enough credit for the generosity of people who have a right to resent. Yes, there are angry women writers, and black writers, but even so they are glad if men or whites -- other PEOPLE -- will read and watch and share with what the writer has done.

Perhaps there's bottled up guilt in the male critics and they don't want to face it?