Definitely. I can't stand vampires as romantic leads. I'm capable of enjoying them if they're in horror or if they're secondary characters. I like Thomas Raith from the Dresden Files, but he's a smart-ass secondary character who actually gets up off his rear end and does something...usually while driving Harry nuts in the process. He's not the angsty broody melodramatic tragic type--which desperately needs to be killed with fire.
I went into Forbidden Planet in London a couple of weeks ago, and was horrified by just how many angsty vampire type books there were out there. I just stared at one rack that must have had at least fifteen vampire books there. I mean, WTF?!
Oh, God, do I have to? There's only so much weird I can take in one day.
Hey, do you stil want the little keyboard thingie I got for you? It's been sitting here forever, and I keep meaning to send it. If you don't want it you can give it to someone else.
Wow, you've seen stories like Rant #2? This is why I avoid gay romance books unless someone is like, "OMG. YOU NEED TO READ THIS." And even then, I'd be a bit wary.
I like my gay characters manly! And themselves! No waifs, no crying jags, no chicks-with-dicks! *eyes TV!Harry/Bob and book!Harry/John*
Were-stuff? Seriously? Wow. You probably won't like one of my ideas for a published novel.... *^^*
I've seen tons of them. And more often than not in such books, "Luci" and "Andi" are quiet, shy, demure, humble, uncompetitive, domestic, sweet, innocent virgins who are subject to giggling, delicate pink blushes and swooning in times of crisis.
I mean, for God's sakes, if you want to write about a teenaged girl, write about a teenaged girl! But don't turn a grown man into one!
I'm sure your book is good. You're an excellent writer. I've just seen too many lycanthropes--everything from were-beavers to were-killer whales. (By the way, I have no idea how a man could stand in front of a woman and say, "I am a beaver," without laughing.)
*snicker* Of course, now you're just going to have me include a scene with a guy telling his girl that, and the girl laughing at him. :D
One idea that I have is a guy who, due to the bad economy, ended up having to become part of the mounted police (American, not Canadian sadly). But he did it as the horse.
*pets him*
The aquatic shifters never really got my attention, except for the unusual factor. I mean, they'd have to live in a coastal town, for one, in order to be able to indulge both sides, but at the same time, the coastal towns that aren't Hawaii have scary waters. I mean, hell, here in Savannah, no one ever wants to go swimming in the Savannah river because it's killed people with the serious undertow.
I think there's still room for shapeshifters done well, or outside of the normal parameters - the tidal shifters, for instance. Or someone exploring the benefits and drawbacks to being an animal part of the time. The problem is, it's so rarely done well... (I haven't seen anything like the second rant outside of fanfic. Not that it does anyone any favors there, but.)
(I haven't seen anything like the second rant outside of fanfic. Not that it does anyone any favors there, but.)
It's all too common even in pro fic. Quite a lot of writers don't seem to grasp that a gay man does not HAVE to be an imitation woman in order to appeal to another gay man.
And yes, the tidal shifters could probably work. Or someone exploring benefits and drawbacks. It's just that, as you say, shapeshifting is so rarely handled well or believably.
Thats a good point. You just get people who are shifters and no exploration in the their background, customs, rites etc. The only custom that most shifters have are 1. being gay and 2. Shagging-a-lot.
And, don't forget that they Always Live in Packs. Even were-LEOPARDS live in packs.
( Big cats do NOT live in packs. Lions live in prides. Every other big cat lives in its own territory. Can you tell that I have been exposed to too much LKH?)
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So, yeah I'll add vampires to the list.
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I hope.
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Hey, do you stil want the little keyboard thingie I got for you? It's been sitting here forever, and I keep meaning to send it. If you don't want it you can give it to someone else.
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M.
G.
I wonder if the human partner can't, um, ride the unicorn once he's no longer a virgin?
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Wow, you've seen stories like Rant #2? This is why I avoid gay romance books unless someone is like, "OMG. YOU NEED TO READ THIS." And even then, I'd be a bit wary.
I like my gay characters manly! And themselves! No waifs, no crying jags, no chicks-with-dicks! *eyes TV!Harry/Bob and book!Harry/John*
Were-stuff? Seriously? Wow. You probably won't like one of my ideas for a published novel.... *^^*
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I mean, for God's sakes, if you want to write about a teenaged girl, write about a teenaged girl! But don't turn a grown man into one!
I'm sure your book is good. You're an excellent writer. I've just seen too many lycanthropes--everything from were-beavers to were-killer whales. (By the way, I have no idea how a man could stand in front of a woman and say, "I am a beaver," without laughing.)
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One idea that I have is a guy who, due to the bad economy, ended up having to become part of the mounted police (American, not Canadian sadly). But he did it as the horse.
*pets him*
The aquatic shifters never really got my attention, except for the unusual factor. I mean, they'd have to live in a coastal town, for one, in order to be able to indulge both sides, but at the same time, the coastal towns that aren't Hawaii have scary waters. I mean, hell, here in Savannah, no one ever wants to go swimming in the Savannah river because it's killed people with the serious undertow.
Then again, there's always the beach. Hrm.
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The problem is, it's so rarely done well...
(I haven't seen anything like the second rant outside of fanfic. Not that it does anyone any favors there, but.)
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It's all too common even in pro fic. Quite a lot of writers don't seem to grasp that a gay man does not HAVE to be an imitation woman in order to appeal to another gay man.
And yes, the tidal shifters could probably work. Or someone exploring benefits and drawbacks. It's just that, as you say, shapeshifting is so rarely handled well or believably.
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( Big cats do NOT live in packs. Lions live in prides. Every other big cat lives in its own territory. Can you tell that I have been exposed to too much LKH?)
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