When I was a young child I read everything I could get my hands on. I didn’t really understand the concept of genres, so I devoured any book that came across my path. Fantasy, mysteries, adventure-it just didn’t matter. They were all lumped together on the meager bookshelf that made up my local bookstores children/young adult section.
Then I become a more mature reader and moved into the “adult” part of the store. There was the “fiction” section, which I felt free to browse. There was the romance section, which I tried but quickly tired of. And there was the sci-fi/fantasy section. I was afraid. I heard that only geeky boys read “those” books. I heard that they were satanic. No girls I knew would even think about reading such a book. My best friend, a boy, would go to that mysterious section and come out with books that had spaceships and monsters on the cover. How unappealing! Why would any self respecting girl want to read a fantasy novel? It didn’t matter that I loved Lloyd Alexandar and dreamed of Narnia. Fantasy was for boys, and I was not a boy.
I’m a high school teacher now and am sad to say this attitude has not really changed in the past 10 years. There are a few girls who will read fantasy, but I hear “that’s a boy book” way too often when I recommend a good fantasy read, or when I see a girl reading a fantasy book.
Why does this attitude still exist? I’m not sure, but I have a few theories.
First and foremost, the covers. Fantasy books have covers like no others. Often times they are dark with monstrous creatures. Most girls find that off putting. Then you have the young heroic male protecting the busty girl. Girls today are more independent than ever and don’t want protecting, thank you very much. I do applaud some of the more recent book covers like Glasswright’s Apprentice and Ship of Destiny (UK version at least) for showing females in a positive light. I would really like to see more covers showing females in more active roles. Let’s get them dressed up in breeches and put a sword in their hand.
Of course, you can’t judge a book by it’s cover (and we all know that’s true for fantasy especially), but the problem doesn’t end there. As a strong, independent woman I enjoy reading books with strong, independent female leads. Readers want a character they can relate too. Guys, I’m sure, want a man. Big surprise here-females want a female. I don’t care if it is a spunky maid, or a Queen. I need to have a female that is not wishy-washy and submissive. I don’t need to hear about a damsel in distress unless that damsel in distress is able to rescue herself and then rescue the handsome prince! I have recently read some really good books that show this very thing, and I hope the trend continues. As readers, we need to support the authors who write “real” women. We need to buy books like Robin Hobb’s Liveship Series and Raymond Feist and Janny Wurt’s Daughter of the Empire series. Right now fantasy is “hot” with young adults, and there is a growing number of strong female fantasy characters in the books. When the girls reading those books get a few years older and start searching for adult fantasy books with strong female leads I hope they have a wide variety to choose from.
As you can see, I am a feminist. You would think I love writers like Sheri S. Tepper and Melanie Rawn, but they are my third problem. Yes, I want strong women. Yes, I want worlds were women are equal or even in control. That pleases me. But I do not want to be preached at. Having a theme is good. Repeatedly hitting the reader over the head with a lead pipe is very bad. I am pleased that there are more female fantasy writers today than in the past, but I want them to tell me a good story not push their political agenda on me with such force that it leaves a feeling of distaste in my head. I’m for the same causes they are for and I don’t like them. I can’t even imagine what people who disagree with them think of their books. If a writer wants to send a political message I hope the writer can do it with style and finesse. Political messages should be subtlety woven into a good story, not the other way around. What’s even worse is when a male tries to be PC and blunders the whole thing. Rober t Jordan has said he bases his women on real women from his life. I truly feel sorry for the man if that is true. He has created a bunch of idiots and then expects to be praised for his enlightened views? Try harder, Mr. Jordan, because you are just clueless. I guess I can forgive him though, since his males are just as poorly drawn as his females.
There is a wealth of female readers out there just waiting for a good read. The fantasy publishers need to get their acts together and start using more female friendly marketing skills. The authors need to realize that females don’t need to sit on the sidelines and cheer for their knight. Fantasy is just that, fantasy. Break out of the mold and give us a medieval world were women are not property. Or if the women are property show us a women with a quiet strength that overcomes the prejudice of her world. And for the love of all that is right, please don’t be so obvious it that even I throw up my hands in disgust.
So how did the teenaged girl who wouldn’t even walk near the fantasy section end up as a major fantasy fan? Know Mara of the Acoma? If not, read Daughter of the Empire. My best friend, that geeky boy, made me read this book and I discovered a fantasy book could have a woman worth reading about. It took years to find another book with a decent female, but I kept at it because I really do love imaginary worlds and now fantasy is almost the only genre I read. I still hate to go to the fantasy section at bookstores though. The geeky teenage boys stare when they see a grown woman in their territory.
Carrie Badorek
High school English teacher and webmaster of the Fantasy Freaks Forum, a friendly little community that loves discussing, life, fantasy, and just about anything else.
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