Oddity about Woman Authors

[atom-alchemist]

Has anyone else noticed a trend in urban fantasy and fantasy romances written by female authors that female authors tend to put more sexual violence in their works? I mean, I have ZERO issue with such acts in literature (I understand that such depravity can be good for a story and all that), I'm just wondering why female author seems to think their works must include a truly ridiculous amount of it, it seem that a lot of urban fantasy book I read by female articles includes such acts in EVERY book from a given storyline, or setting, and some even include multiple instances in a single novelization.

Not criticizing or anything, just wondering if anyone else noticed this.

[The Deposed King]

I haven't noticed that.  I do know that female authors 'tend' to do more relationship stuff than male authors, or at least go in way deeper on it than that guys would/do and that they 'rarely' do so without a smorgass board of potential relationships thrown into the blender.  Then the book ooh's and ahh's as we watch to find out which color that blenderized smorgass board eventually settles down into.

As for violence in relationships.... hmm.  I mean I have noticed that there are a lot of books where the MC's just can't seen to stop themselves from hanging around with 'dangerous' side characters that are destined to treat them poorly if they, as they inevitably do, get too close to the MC.  Times where I'm talking to the screen saying, 'just say no' and 'walk away now please' but they inevitably don't.

I mean if I'm looking at it from a 'male' character or my own personal viewpoint and I have this hot *itch of a vampire that is twice as strong as I am, has political power, and is just itching to sink her fangs into me, in multiple meanings of the phrase, then I'm out of there.  Maybe I hang in there for 'one' book to free my family but after that we're off like buckshot, out of the country out to the tropics where the sun shines more than anywhere else if necessary.  No blood bondage for me, thanks but no thanks.  But for the girl characters there seems to be this irresistable attraction to hot dangerous and fangy.

You know you want to play with fire, I'm not going to be as upset about the weeping and sobbing that eventually results as I am from some random person dragged off the street.  For the latter I'll go to war.  For the former?  I guess I'll file a court case and move out of the danger zone.  It follows her home that's another issue.  But you know what I don't have any interest in it as a reader or a potential MC.


The Deposed King

[The Deposed King]

You know the main 'difference' between male/female authors that I've noticed.  Well other than that like 90+ percent of all romance authors are female.  Is when it comes to military sci-fi.  Now I'm not saying that female authors can't write good military slant space opera or out and out military sci-fi.  But 'in general' except for female authors that have been in the military they don't seem to do bugs-battleships and blaster-fire as good as the men in my experience.

I generally attribute this to the same reason most of the romance authors are female.  People write what they know and they write what they like.  And 'most' but not all women tend to like the romance/relationship drama and 'most' but not all men tend to enjoy random shoot'em up's and gratuitous violence.

That's not to say there aren't good mil-space opera and mil-sci-fi out there written by the girls.  Elizabeth moon, a former marine, writes a kick ass miltary slanted space opera Trading in Danger and the Vatta War series.  Or Louis McMaster Bujold with the Miles Vorkosogain books, I tend to complain in Bujold that her books are all able to be stand alone novels insteads of epic series builds but that's a complaint that has nothing to do with the cool battles and politics and action in it.  But on the whole gunning down the aliens and wracking up the body count or alternately crushign the enemy fleets and increasing the number of warships under your control via up close and personal boarding actions just don't 'seem' to be the girl's cup of tea.

Just like, you know, I'd probably need a lot of help if I was trying to become the next great romance break out author.  Nothing's impossible if you want to put in the time but... if you aren't loving it why?


The Deposed King

[wardenferry419]

Women call men sex driven maniacs. Anita Blake does everyone in everyway possible. Harry goes 5 books between sex acts. (Drops mic)

[The Deposed King]

You have to take a step back and realize that Blake became a monster.  she fought the good fight against the dark until she was finally attacked and turned into what she was fighting against. Then it all begins to make perfect sense

[wardenferry419]

Couldn 't force myself past first book. My wife read 10 or so until she hit her limit. I heard alot about it.

[Darthmama]

Well other than that like 90+ percent of all romance authors are female.  Is when it comes to military sci-fi.  Now I'm not saying that female authors can't write good military slant space opera or out and out military sci-fi.  But 'in general' except for female authors that have been in the military they don't seem to do bugs-battleships and blaster-fire as good as the men in my experience.
The Deposed King

This might also be a slant in the writing community.  There are "romance" novels that have next to no romance but they get put in that section of a bookstore or called that simply because of the author being female.  I've had a few female writing friends be encouraged to have a male sounding pen name so that they'll be taken seriously.  Not saying that's all of it but that is likely part of it.

Add to that how women have only recently (technically speaking) been allowed to go into combat zones.  Hard to write what you know when you're not allowed to learn it.  Plus the roughness of the topic makes it difficult I'm sure for some.

As for the whole female MC's sticking with poisonous male characters.  I blame this stupidity that's been growing that glamorizes abusive situations to make book sales (case in point: 50 Shades, Twilight...) and this mentality that's paraded in Hollywood that true love can change anyone into an ideal mate.  It's a load of crap and does nothing but hurt future women.

I shall remove myself from the soap box now.

[wardenferry419]

Romance novels hurt men as well. Women read and fantasize about men who are the perfect package. Macho yet sensitive, bodies like Apollo with minds like Socrates. Alot of us are guys doing what we can, learning as we go through life, and maybe liking food and sex a little too much. The bad ones in our gender get more attention than the good ones and are often shown to be representative of the entire sex. I am sure that many women read a romance novel then look at the man in their life and feel like they were short -changed. That is how romance novels hurt men.

[wardenferry419]

You have to take a step back and realize that Blake became a monster.  she fought the good fight against the dark until she was finally attacked and turned into what she was fighting against. Then it all begins to make perfect sense

In some ways, Harry has the makings of being a monster. Still lacking in horizontal action.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

In some ways, Harry has the makings of being a monster.

To my mind he went over that line in Grave Peril, which is part of what makes the series so interesting.