Biweekly Book Thread #2

Welcome to the second of our special threads to discuss anything book-related!

Every two weeks, the staff will have a new topic up for discussion here. Forum Rules (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?t=120541) will apply as usual. Have fun :)

Now to this week's topic:

Women Writers
In her lifetime, Jane Austen's books were published with no credit, but that of 'A Lady'. Female writers fearing prejudice used masculine pen names (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pen_name#Female_authors) ( like Currer, Acton and Ellis Bell, George Eliot ) and even as recent as J.K.Rowling, opted for 'neutral names with initials'.

Some questions to start discussions:
1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tiptree,_Jr.))
2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?
3. Who are your favourite women writers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_writers)?
4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?
5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

Yaaaaaaaay!!! Amazing topic!! :clap:

I want to say as a starter, writing under a male pen name still makes a huge difference (http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/12/16/whats-in-a-name-big-profits-apparently) - financially, too. The linked article is about a woman who managed to make the money she needed to care for her daughters by writing under a male pseudonym:

The single mother of two from a small town in Quebec, Canada, was at wit's end scrambling for writing jobs that would enable her to care for her young daughters. So she decided to take advantage of a perceived bias. "In my own perception of the business world today, I think of men in suits at the top. I think of male CEOs," she explains.

Her first step was to create a writing persona that smacked of boys club success--someone those men in suits could easily relate to. She pulled the name 'James Chartrand' out of thin air, and began experimenting by pitching the same job under the same terms, with his name and with her own given name. The results were immediate and surprising. The male pitch outperformed the female pitch in each instance.

"They didn't question me as James," she says. "What struck me most was the instant respect I received. No one asked me about working at home and dealing with kids. They just assumed I worked in a professional office and had the brains, the talent, the ideas and the skills. I expected more money, and I got it."

Depressing, no? :sigh:

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr )

Since I read the article I linked above, I don't think there's a genre where there is no bias against female authors. Except maybe romance and chicklit, I guess. Just look at the reasons she was successful as a man - she was taken at face value, she was given instant respect and trust, nobody was suspicious of her and her competence (I think this goes back to the persistent idea that mothers can't be good at much else but mothering), nobody needed to "see for themselves" is she was any good - people assumed she - or rather, he - was. It's very illustrative of how people tend to perceive men and women on prima vista - accepting men and expecting women to prove themselves: a man has to fail in order to lose the respect he's been credited with; a woman needs to succeed in order to earn respect. So I think it goes well beyond genre and beyond literature to any professional field.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

I can't say I have any preference. I clearly remember the time I assumed women couldn't write though, because I'd only read romance novels by women, and I'm still acutely ashamed of myself for thinking that.

3. Who are your favourite women writers?

Virginia Woolf, Simone de Beauvoir, Jane Austen, Iris Murdoch, Elfriede Jelinek, Tove Jansson, Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai, and a Bulgarian author of books for adolescents named Olga Krasteva. Virgina Woolf is my most favourite author in general.

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

I don't think so.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

Plenty, from what I've seen/heard. A member of these boards has said that he wouldn't pick up an adventure/fantasy book if it was written by a woman.

I'll repost part of this in the gender thread if it's ok. :)

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr )
I decided a while ago that should I ever publish anything I'll write under my initials (ie. "S.L. *my surname*) the same way Rowling does. I realise this may sound anti-feminist or something, but should I ever get to the point in my life where someone wants to publish my writing I don't want to limit myself, even though I don't agree with the view that male writers are superior.
I can't remember where I read it, but I heard that Rowling wrote using under initials to try and appeal to boys as well as girls. I think all genres have a prejudice against female writers with the exception of drama and romance.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?
I read half and half. Of my two favourite authors one is male one is female.

3. Who are your favourite women writers?
Jodi Picoult, Tamora Pierce, Sonja Hartnett, Anne Rice.

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?
I don't know, because I couldn't care less what the gender of the author is.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?
I don't know about general fiction, but I know in manga the stereotype of female authors is that there's a lot of fluff and far more romance than in novels written by men (you can usually tell the gender of the author in the first chapter, I've found).

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr )

Well, probably. The only fantasy/science fiction I've read written by a woman is the Ink trilogy by Cornelia Funke, and that's probably labelled as a children's book. Perhaps it's because a great part of the readers of those books (at least, so the stereotype says) are young men, and editors must think they want authors they can identify with.

Has anyone else noticed how few science books (except books about sicnetist women) are written by women? It looks that science it's another 'male' gender.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

I prefer good writers. I don't care at all wether they're male or female. The book's quality has nothing to do with gender. It may happen that something written by a memeber or your own sex fits your sensibility better, but I wouldn't make a rule of that, since many of my favourite authors are men. On the contrary, several times I've found a book whose author got unnecesarily feminist, ruining what could have been an excellent story.

3. Who are your favourite women writers?

Jane Austen (how original, uh?); Maria Gripe, who wrote excellent children stories. Nowadays, Lindsey Davies and her series about Falco are giving me a good time.

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

No idea. Better or worse... they're different. The matter is if you like them or not.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

That all female writers are feminists. I think some people draws from reading more books written by women because they fear there's more feminist claiming than literature inside.

Well, probably. The only fantasy/science fiction I've read written by a woman is the Ink trilogy by Cornelia Funke, and that's probably labelled as a children's book. Perhaps it's because a great part of the readers of those books (at least, so the stereotype says) are young men, and editors must think they want authors they can identify with.

But why wouldn't they be able to identify with a woman writer? I have no problem reading books by men, even though I'm a woman, and I don't know a woman who has. In fact, I don't think I've ever heard it posed as an issue if female readers would identify with male authors, just the other way around. That can't be right.

You're using common sense there, Yoana, but I doubt very much that market studies are based in common sense. :)

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tiptree,_Jr.))

I think that currently certain areas are dominated by men, but the same goes for areas dominated by women. I don't think this has anything to do with the quality of the novels, more of the stereotyped readership of that genre. For example, men "don't" read romance and women "don't" read sci-fi. I don't think this will change until editors/publishers go out on limbs and against market stereotypes, which I doubt will happen in the near future, but we can hope.

Related to this, has anyone read Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha? Fantastic book, and I find it very hard to think of a man writing it. It seems so... female, so real. An example of how gender stereotypes are usually baseless.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

I don't prefer reading any one gender over another, as I don't think gender predisposes us to do anything better than if we were of another gender. It's a non-issue in my opinion.

3. Who are your favourite women writers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_writers)?

Far too many to list here. :lol: Some of them have already been mentioned (like Virginia Woolf, one of the greatest minds in recent history), so I'll just mention a few. Firstly, I'll have to bring up the marvelous Margaret Atwood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Atwood), in my opinion the most interesting and talented authors still working. Other mentionable ladies include Minette Walters and P.D. James (crime fiction); Jean M. Auel, Geraldine Brooks and Colleen McCullough (historical fiction); Miles Franklin (Australian fiction); and Harper Lee and Alice Walker (American fiction).

There are lots more, but I feel I should only really mention a few.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

Yes there are, as there are also stereotypes to male authors. If some old guy came up to you with a romance novel, you'd say he was a creepy old man. When an old women does it, she gets critical praise. People forget that gender equality needs to work for men as well as women.

In terms of the stereotypes applied, I'd think that women are perceived to 'have their place' in teen, light-weight, romance style novels, and if not they are seen to be 'feminist' or 'harsh'. Unless they have the benefit of age, like Austen, where she is now considered witty instead of shocking.

In terms of the stereotypes applied, I'd think that women are perceived to 'have their place' in teen, light-weight, romance style novels, and if not they are seen to be 'feminist' or 'harsh'.

Or grim. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/mar/18/orange-prize-grimness-women-novelists)

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tiptree,_Jr.))

Both genders can do, both it's just weird when you read about cheesy women love stories from a man. But women can and do write all genres. Of course do I have personal preferences, when it comes to books and lot of times you see that there was a woman at work.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

No preference. I read the book and then I decide if I liked it or not. When it turns out to be written by a woman, bad luck. Then she did a bad job and didn't convince me.

3. Who are your favourite women writers (http://[url]http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_writers%5B/url%5D)?

Mrs. Rowling. Used to love Astrid Lindgren, Enid Blyton etc. There are books by women I liked, but I wouldnt call them my favourite writers as I only read the books ones.

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

The are probably better in writting those most cheesiest lovestories. They know what the cheesiest romanticest woman wants.

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion?

Yes. I know female SF writers frequently face a lot of prejudice and are often unjustly left off "Best SF Novels of All Time" lists.

However, I think the stereotype cuts both ways and SF has a bit of a reputation in the UK, at least, as being too much of a male genre, in a bad way - the stereotypical SF fan is supposed to be a geeky bloke with no social skills or girlfriend - and it's often not regarded as being "good" writing, so women often escape negative stereotypes by not being associated with it.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

No. I like writers of both sexes. Amongst other types of writing, I do really like a certain type of brash, outrageous, flippant writing, which is possibly more common amongst male authors than female (e.g. Martin Amis, Nick Hornby) but there are still plenty of women who write like that, too.

3. Who are your favourite women writers?

Some of them (in no particular order): Charlotte Bronte, Anne Bronte, George Eliot, Nancy Mitford, Penelope Lively, Margaret Atwood. More populist/genre-based ones: Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie, Elizabeth George, Trudi Canavan, JKR.

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

I don't think so. Sometimes it seems (especially in lowbrow fiction) that female writers concentrate a bit more on emotions, backstory and character, while male writers focus a bit more on plot and action (possibly because that's what they're expected to do by readers and publishers?), but it's by no means universal and there are plenty of writers who are good at both.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

Plenty. That they confine themselves to the "merely" autobiographical, that they confine themselves to too "narrow" and "trivial" subject matter (romance and domestic novels are "trivial", apparently), that they tend towards the melodramatic and the sentimental, that they can be competent writers but not really great ones....

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr )
Well, at first thought I imagine a male writer and reader, but then I think of all the female writers I do know.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?
Not really sure I have a preference. Well, most of the writers I read are female, but that's not on purpose.

3. Who are your favourite women writers?
Roxanne Henke, Louisa May Alcott, Beverly Lewis, Ann M. Martin, Beverly Cleary, Judy Blume (I haven't read Jane Austen, yet), JK Rowling

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?
Writing women? I don't really think so. It all depends on the individual writer.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?
Prejudices: Can't write battle scenes, can't write about sports, can't write realistic male characters
Stereotypes: write better romance, girly, flowery (not just prose)
For my fiction writing class I wrote a short story about baseball. My professor wrote that he was surprised to find a story about baseball by a girl.

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion?

I've honestly not thought much about it. I haven't read much science fiction and what I have read has been written by men, so I guess I do kind of assume that science fiction authors are men. I can't think of a woman I've heard of or read off the top of my head who writes science fiction. I don't think it really matters, though. I don't care who writes the books I read as long as they are well-written.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

I honestly have no preference. I rarely notice authors, and honestly, if you asked about the authors of half the books I own, I really wouldn't be able to tell you if a man or woman wrote it unless I went and looked.

3. Who are your favourite women writers?

(This took awhile because I had to look up a lot of my favorite books and see who wrote them. Some were obviously women's names, a few I didn't honestly know) JK Rowling, Louisa May Alcott, Harper Lee (I admit I had no idea Harper Lee was a woman til I looked at the about the author section. It's always seemed like a man's name to me), Jane Austen, Lois Lowry, Sophie Kinsella, Jeanette Walls, Alice Walker

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

I don't think so. Skill at writing isn't dependent on a person's sex. I've read a romance written by a 50-something year old man that I found to be more romantic than many romances I've read that were written by women. I've also read many books by women that were just as good, or better, as books in that genre written by men. I think fantasy, like science fiction, tends to be seen as a male genre, but JK Rowling is the only fantasy author I've ever enjoyed reading.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

I think there are stereotypes/prejudices that women are best at writing romances with very little plot and mostly mindless fluff (think Stephenie Meyer type plots but with better writing) and they shouldn't (or can't) write battle scenes or such.

I know those stereotypes still exist, but I think so many women authors have proved that they can write anything they want and just as well as men. I think generally it's a small minority of people who still have those prejudices against women authors.

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tiptree,_Jr.))

I think some genres are definitely gender-biased, more often in the favor of men than women. Whether it's true or not, there's some assumption that male audiences won't want to read a female author, and this bias is most clear in genres that have traditionally had larger male readership, such as science fiction and fantasy.

It seems like there are more feminine names associated with fantasy and horror these days, but it seems like that's largely due to the popularity of paranormal romance and paranormal chick-lit.

I think science fiction is still largely seen as a male genre. For one thing, it traditionally deals more with "what-ifs," technology, futuristic militaries, aliens, etc. which people assume women won't be interested in. At the same time, there's not as much science fiction that deals with subjects that people expect women to be interested in.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

I don't have any conscious preference, and I don't pay too much attention to the author's genre when picking out books.

3. Who are your favourite women writers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_writers)?

One of my all-time favorite authors, period, is Janet Fitch. Otherwise, there are a lot of writers I like, but I'm picky when it comes to talking about my favorites.

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

Not inherently, no. I think it's very much an individual thing, though some people, due to their gender, may be socialized more one way and stick to that, or may have their own ideas about what they can relate to because of their gender. That is, I think some men may steer clear from romance merely because they associate it with femininity, and some women don't expose themselves to things like science fiction because they grow up seeing it as a boys' thing.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

That they're not as good at telling a "serious" story, that they all want to write about romance, emotions, and relationships, that writing about those things is inherently feminine in the first place, that women can't be as funny as men, etc.

Margaret Atwood is usually considered a science fiction author. In fact, she's the one who originally made the distinction between science fiction and speculative fiction, so I should say she writes speculative fiction.

Margaret Atwood is usually considered a science fiction author. In fact, she's the one who originally made the distinction between science fiction and speculative fiction, so I should say she writes speculative fiction.

Why would she be considered a science fiction author? To me, she's as far from it as you can come. She has written some speculative fiction during her early period as a writer but most of her works are not in that genre. She writes about relationships, especially relationships between women and the dynamics of them. She depicts the life of ordinary people in the ordinary world. There is nothing futuristic about it it at all, in fact, her characters barely use cellphones. Sometimes she writes about the past, about things that happened during the 1950' or so. Her "science fiction" works are rather the exception than the rule, IMO.

Why would she be considered a science fiction author? To me, she's as far from it as you can come. She has written some speculative fiction during her early period as a writer but most of her works are not in that genre. She writes about relationships, especially relationships between women and the dynamics of them. She depicts the life of ordinary people in the ordinary world. There is nothing futuristic about it it at all, in fact, her characters barely use cellphones. Sometimes she writes about the past, about things that happened during the 1950' or so. Her "science fiction" works are rather the exception than the rule, IMO.

I couldn't tell you - I've just seen her referred to as such many times. Maybe because of The Handmaid's Tale? Here's her own opinion on science fiction (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2005/jun/17/sciencefictionfantasyandhorror.margaretatwood), by the way.

Or grim. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2010/mar/18/orange-prize-grimness-women-novelists)

...

:nc:

Margaret Atwood is usually considered a science fiction author. In fact, she's the one who originally made the distinction between science fiction and speculative fiction, so I should say she writes speculative fiction.

I can understand this. To me, she is one of those fantastic writers that defies all genre boundaries. My favourite novel of hers, The Blind Assassin, is part historical epic, part science fiction, part family drama, part romance, part erotica, part feminist, part intellectual/philosophical discussion and part fantasy. The way she writes just ignores the idea of 'genre' - she writes about people, about places, about emotions, about imagination, about experiences, and she is one of the few authors I know of who acknowledges and fully explores all aspects of this... 'humanity', I guess.

...I can understand this. To me, she is one of those fantastic writers that defies all genre boundaries.

Then why call her a science fiction writer? She may have some elements of science fiction (though, again, not in the books I have read) but she isn't normally someone who pops into my head when I think of science fiction. She's not exactly Asimov or Herbert.

I couldn't tell you - I've just seen her referred to as such many times. Maybe because of The Handmaid's Tale? Here's her own opinion on science fiction, by the way.
I read that too. I haven't read those two books but if she describes them as speculative fiction then I guess they are. However, two science fiction books shouldn't qualify someone as a science fiction writer especially since they aren't even her most read works. Well, at least people aren't calling her a chicklit writer which they seem to do to both Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte. Recently, I read a short article in a literary magazine in which the writer compared these two authors with Harlequin novelists. The author liked Harlequin so in her opinion the comparison was flattering. In my opinion, it was outrageous and I think it's a problem that people can't separate serious literature which deals with feminine issues from romance stories.

Some questions to start discussions:
1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tiptree,_Jr.))

I think a lot of it is perception.
I think it some of it is branding. A male writer who writes a novel set in the Ameican West of the 1800's writes a 'western' while his wife writing in the same time period writes historical fiction. If you doubt me, look up Kathleen and Micheal Gear. Another good example is The Time Traveler's Wife which is properly science/speculative fiction but is branded mainstream to reach a wider audience i.e. women who put up their noses at 'geeky' science fiction.

As for science fiction properly, the idea that woman will be looked down at as a writer is an outdated idea that died among fans sometime in the 80's. After all the winner of the most Hugos and Nebulas combined is Connie Willis. People like Anne Mccaffery have been semi household names for years.

I think this idea lingers in two areas. People who have a distain for science fiction and haven't looked at it for 40 years or who have been raised with this stereotype. I think this included, once upon a time, a young woman named J.K. Rowling, hence the name.

The other area is Military Science Fiction. I can only think of one female author, Elizabeth Moon, to whom this is her bread and butter but I could name people like David Weber, John Ringo (shudder in horror), David Drake etc etc.

I don't think this subgenre being dominated by men is unnatural any more then Romance being dominated by women is unnatural because it appeals to different sexes.

Still, if I write a Romance, I'd better use a pseudonym like Misty Starbuck, at least at first. As a BSG fan, I think Starbuck is a really good gender bending pseudoym.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

I really don't care what genatalia they happen to have. I do notice that I go through periods where I read more men then women and vice versa and right now I've been reading more men, but I think that will change and a year from now things will be reversed.

3. Who are your favourite women writers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_writers)?

Morgan Lywellyn is one. She writes wonderful historical fiction that is often put in SF but she's still a favorite. Connie Willis, Susan Shwartz, Judith Tarr, Elizabeth Moon, Isabelle Allande.

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

Honestly, I think either sex is capable of writing the other. Yes, some things are more accessable from the differing life experiences of men and women. However, if one works on it, asks questions and thinks, then no. For example, I'm writing a female protaganist right now. Because of that I'm asking women I know for insight and asking if things feel 'right'. I'm also reading stories about characters in the age range of my character.
I'm not a 14 year old girl raised by a father with an absent mum, but I'm trying to write one.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

Mostly those played upon expanded upon by the marketing departments and fans influenced by them. Again, I don't think it's a totally bad thing. On the other hand it makes it harder for a guy writing a romance or a woman writing military SF.
Yes, genre is biased because people are biased.

All the Best,

Lunatic

However, if one works on it, asks questions and thinks, then no. For example, I'm writing a female protaganist right now. Because of that I'm asking women I know for insight and asking if things feel 'right'. I'm also reading stories about characters in the age range of my character.
I'm not a 14 year old girl raised by a father with an absent mum, but I'm trying to write one.

I find this particularly interesting - I think that all fiction writing usually puts the writer into someone else's shoes, whether through age, experience, location, occupation, likes, dislikes, upbringing, etc. Is not gender just another thing on the list? Any one of these transplantations can be done badly by a poor writer. But, should a good writer sufficiently research and sympathise with their characters, I see no reason, personally, why they cannot cross the genders. We are all human after all.

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tiptree,_Jr.))

I think different genres are generally considered to be more appropriate for particular genders – most playwrights for example seem to be male. I have no idea why – other than a bias that exists within the theatre itself I can see no reason (logical or otherwise) where as the sci-fi / romance divide seems to stick with accepted gender roles however inaccurate they maybe. Also poets seem to be male in the majority (certainly in any compendiums I’ve seen)

Do I think that’s an accurate perception; no. Women have written brilliant scifi for example. In the end a talent at writing is far more important than the gender of the writer.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

:hmm: I would have said I had no preferences in terms of gender until recently, when someone commented thst my bookshelves had a lot of female writers on them. Oddly when I was younger and you could see all my books (now I have bookshelves in cupboards as I’ve run out of wall space :whistle:) and you could see a much more male bias – no-one commented on it?! Just saying :whistle:

3. Who are your favourite women writers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_women_writers)?

The Bronte’s, Storm Constantine, Alice Hoffman, & Jeanette Winterson. I really admire Atwood, Rusch, & Winterson’s ability not to get stuck in one genre – all 3 have written amazing sci-fi / speculative fiction but have not be constrained by the genre and have written widely outside of this genre. In some ways I’m a bit suspicious of the desire to confine any author within a particular genre.

I would definitely recommend Atwood’s The Handmaidens Tale – it’s a haunting vision of the near future and Offred’s voice is both compelling and poignant

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?
5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

:hmm: Not entirely sure. I think it’s more a matter of the genres with are commonly seen as ‘female genres’ have less prestige so many male authors are put off writing in them, or are worried about the implications that might be made about them if they do chose to write in them. I also believe that the publishing industries pressure on female authors to present themselves as either male or gender neutral (which will be read as male) when writing outside their genre or for an audience that isn’t exclusively female is a big problem – I can’t help wondering if it’s a case of ‘the public wants what the public gets’ :sigh:

I find this particularly interesting - I think that all fiction writing usually puts the writer into someone else's shoes, whether through age, experience, location, occupation, likes, dislikes, upbringing, etc. Is not gender just another thing on the list? Any one of these transplantations can be done badly by a poor writer. But, should a good writer sufficiently research and sympathise with their characters, I see no reason, personally, why they cannot cross the genders. We are all human after all.

That's very true. But, there is that thinking that women can't write boys well or that boys won't read books written by women. But, look how popular Harry Potter is. It's not just among females. I think some of the strongest can be boys. They like it for similar and different reasons than girls, but they like it nonetheless. And there are male writers that females like. Look at Stephen King.

Then why call her a science fiction writer? She may have some elements of science fiction (though, again, not in the books I have read) but she isn't normally someone who pops into my head when I think of science fiction. She's not exactly Asimov or Herbert.

She's not 'traditional' science fiction, no, but she has all the base elements there, and her novels could be classified as such.

Perhaps this means women are more interested in writing, or perhaps just more prevalent, in sci-fi 'crossover' genres rather than pure traditional stuff.

That's very true. But, there is that thinking that women can't write boys well or that boys won't read books written by women. But, look how popular Harry Potter is. It's not just among females. I think some of the strongest can be boys. They like it for similar and different reasons than girls, but they like it nonetheless. And there are male writers that females like. Look at Stephen King.

Yes! I know many boys who love Harry Potter, again, more than girls. In fact, I can't think of anyone my age who doesn't love it. :lol:

most playwrights for example seem to be male. I have no idea why – other than a bias that exists within the theatre itself

I think you've got it in one there!

Although, come to think of it, I used to work in a theatre script-reading department and we seemed to get more scripts sent in by men than by women. It might be something to do with the fact that theatre is a much more public medium than the novel and that boys are still brought up far more than girls to think they have a right to voice their views publicly and have them taken seriously.

Having said that, far more female playwrights do seem to be breaking through now (e.g. the woman who wrote Enron whose name escapes me).

Anyway, the play with the the longest run in history is, if I', not mistaken, The Mousetrap, by Agatha Christie. So...

True but I'm not sure how much differance that's really going to make, but it does show that women are perfectly capable of writting very popular plays, but I think Aphra Benn sort of showed that quite a few centuries ago and that didn't make a massive differance :sigh:

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion?

Yes, especially when it comes to romance novels. I think it is because there may be an assumption that women are better at writing women characters and topics that interest women, while men write male characters better.

But in reality that isn't always true. It is hard to speak for men, to say whether or not a woman can effectively write a male character, but I know many teenage boys on this site have stated that they thought that JKR had captured the angry teenage boy perfectly when she wrote OotP. And there are authors like Wally Lamb who have done a fantastic job writing female characters. So the prejudice is really perceptional, in my opinion, rather than based in reality.

True but I'm not sure how much differance that's really going to make, but it does show that women are perfectly capable of writting very popular plays, but I think Aphra Benn sort of showed that quite a few centuries ago and that didn't make a massive differance :sigh:

I think there were quite a few popular female playwrights pre-19th century (although I'm going on dim memories here, as names escape me) and the male-dominated theatrical landscape is a pretty recent thing.

Theatre as an art form in the UK generally does seem to be in the grip of upper-middle class, white, Oxbridge-educated males, to an even greater extent than other art forms, but that's probably just the failed director in me being chippy! (It's possibly the only art form where doing it as a hobby at university is considered to be sufficient training to gain instant access to the highest echelons of the profession).

Almost missed it. :upset:

1. Do you think some genres like science fiction are areas considered more of a male bastion? ( Female science fiction authors have taken male pseudonyms to have a greater appeal towards a largely male audience. Alice Bradley Sheldon, for instance, wrote under the pseudonym of James Tiptree, Jr )

I agree with those who said that there is a gender bias pervading nearly all genres. And that is just sad because we live in the 21st century and women have proven that they're just as capable of producing good literature as men.

2. Do you prefer reading female writers to male writers? If so, why?

Well, the literary canon is full of male writers, so one inadvertently reads more male authors. But there are several female authors who impressed me very much and who had a lasting impact on me. I cannot possibly say that I prefer female authors to male authors, it's rather that I prefer individual authors to others, irrespective of their gender.

3. Who are your favourite women writers?

My very favourite writer is Mary Renault. JKR obviously makes the list, too. I have to mention Katherine Anne Porter, Kate Chopin, Elizabeth Kostova, Susanna Clarke, Astrid Lindgren, Dorothy Dunnett and Anne Rice. And the obligatory and marvellous Jane Austen.

4. Are there any aspects of writing that women are naturally better (or worse) at than men (romance, for example)?

I wouldn't say so. It really depends on individual inclinations and talent.

5. Are there any prejudices or stereotypes applied to female authors?

Numerous. It really riles me when people claim that most of the classics were written by men and that the reason for this is their intellectual superiority. Oh please! Which gender compiled this canon? Which gender published and promoted those authors? Which gender received the education necessary to create outstanding literature? Female authors are also said to be only interested in romance. Apart from the fact that romance deserves a better reputation than it has, I would say that writers like Dorothy Dunnett and Astrid Lindgren prove this theory wrong.

Female authors are also said to be only interested in romance. Apart from the fact that romance deserves a better reputation than it has, I would say that writers like Dorothy Dunnett and Astrid Lindgren prove this theory wrong.

And Nobel laureates Doris Lessing and Elfriede Jelinek; and Agatha Christie; and Booker Prize laureates Arundhati Roy and Kiran Desai; and Muriel Spark, Iris Murdoch, Isabel Allende (though she writes romance, too), Simone de Beauvoir, Marguerite Duras, Tove Jansson, Margaret Atwood, Marguerite Yourcenar, Pearl Buck, Virginia Woolf, Katherine Mansfield, Françoise Sagan and many many others.

New thread will be up soon :)