[FitzChivalry]

Ok, i had this discussion with a female friend of mine and we didn't come to a conclusion.
What do you think, do female and male readers have different taste in fantasy books?
And if so, what are the differences?

[Bardos]

What exacly did you discuss?

Anyway, I think it's more about the person's likes and dislikes, than about gendre...
We all like fantasy, in the bottom line! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

[azaz]

Well i would probably say that Women tend to like fantasy which has romance stuff in it, and men like more action (only a thought).

Me I like all the elements to be in the books, action, creative world, romance, honor, complex plot, overall story line etc.
So this is what most readers will like, the only thing I can say is, it depends on taste's really not on genre.

Some readers will like the book to have more action or more romance etc. But I still think that women like the book to have all elements in the fantasy book, but will also want more romantic stuff in it, where the men would probably like more action in it.

[Zsinj16]

Well, I'd say that it DEFINITELY depends more on taste then on gender. When my sister reads fantasy, she doesn't want to read about romantic stuff all that much, she likes to read about powerful magic, horrifying and foreboding evil, bloody and fierce battles,spectacular and exotic locales, brooding towers and fortresses, adventure,..etc. So, as you can see, I think it more depends on taste rather than gender.

[This message has been edited by Zsinj16 (edited June 29, 2001).]

[6of9]

Fantasy is usually at its best when dealing with feminist issues (as in Hobb, say). And so much of the best fantasy is being written by women that there is something to speaking of gender in the field. However, I don't think the gender of the reader is so much important, as are the reader's tastes. One needs a certain empathy and sensitivity to read and enjoy modern fantasy, and this wasn't always the case in the genre.

[Arty]

Well I will disagree a little bit here. As much as I would like to say that it doesnt make a difference (wether you are male/female) in what type of fantasy you like, I have found in the actual world that it does make a difference. Of my fantasy reading friends the males have a much different list of "you must read this" than my female friends do. My male friends lean more towards action/adventure based stories...my female friends lean more towards character/adventure stories. And I wouldnt classify that as "romantic stuff" either. Speaking as a female reader I would mean that as heavily developed characters. 3 dimensional characters . Well developed interpersonal releationships. Characters so well developed that you understand their motives and their actions. This stuff to me is the glue of the story. I was talking to a male friend about this and he said he is satisfied with less because he wants to skip to the action...he wants the details of the battles and weaponry..the blood and the gore. You see me? I tend to skim over the battles, I dont really care who left their left flank open and who retreated to what hill at what time. I just care about who was a hero, who was injured, who died.
Of course as with all generalities, there are exceptions. I would love to be able to say that gender makes no bit of difference, but it does. I consider the sexes to be different but equal. There is no denying that men and women are different. It is a basic fundamental difference. Even our brains dont function in the same way so why would our choices in reading material not differ?
I dont know.
I can see even here on this board a big difference in who reads what (of course Im making assumptions of gender here), but the 3 persons on this board who seem to have the most similiar tastes to mine are all women. There must be a reason.

BTW Gender doesnt seem to apply when voting for the best fantasy ever written. All my fantasy reading friends can seem to agree on that! His writing transcends all barriers. LOL. That sounded corny.!

[Bardos]

"Speaking as a female reader I would mean that as heavily developed characters. 3 dimensional characters . Well developed interpersonal releationships. Characters so well developed that you understand their motives and their actions. This stuff to me is the glue of the story."

Are you calling me a female?! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif
j/k

Truth is I like this things too; so do other people (male, btw) who I know. What age are your friends, who like to see only slaughter? http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif
MHO is that, when little, boys like more action and girls more romance (and, btw, I think it's a society thing), but, after that age, tastes mingle, as you grow up. And that is a society thing, also: you see that the world is not only action not only romance, but a mingle too... (Actually the real world is very boring in both of these aspects! http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif )

[FitzChivalry]

60f9, Fantasy is usually at its best when dealing with feminist issues? can you give examples? and how is Hobbs' stories feminist?

Well, Arty, i must say that i thought you are male because of your nick until now, and it really puzzled me because your preferences in books seemed to me more like the preferences a female reader will have.

Yes, i do notice a difference between female and male readers, most of fantasy have both action and romance, big wars and personal development of characters, and that's how most people like it, no matter the gender.

But there are the extreme cases that there is too much romance (Melanie Rawn) or too much blood (umm.. Michael Moorcock?), and then judging by observation on this board and other places i can see that the boys and girls get seperated in their opinion of the book.

Now, of course there are the totally keen on violence girls, and the big romantic guys, there are many exceptions.
But in general i'd say boys need more action, be it political or physical and girls need more focus on the characters and their personal stories.

Ok, doing the not very popular deed of saying there is a difference between the genders, do i need to duck now?

[Bardos]

Fzzzt! -- arrow

Duck! ];-PP

http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Zsinj16]

Bardos, all this time I thought you were a male, not a female! I don't know, it just seems to me that Bardos sounds like a more male screenname.