Fantasy Women

Part of my usual evening Internet-surfing ritual involves checking out the Jezebel website. Even though it's sadly gone downhill since the redesign, it's a still an interesting site to check out for current events with a feminist focus. The best part is the commenters - they are witty and wonderful!

Anyway, I was reading the Jezebel website and came across this interesting article: http://ca.jezebel.com/5792290/in-game-of-thrones-review-new-york-times-explains-women-hate-fantasy-novels. (And, yes, I know there is a way to link a link in text and I tried it in html and it didn't work. You'll just have to copy and paste into your browser.) Basically, the NY Times writer thinks that women dislike fantasy, so that is why the new fantasy miniseries on HBO, Game of Thrones, has to put in all the romance and stuff, or women will never watch. (Never mind the fact that apparently all the romance is already in the book - which I have not read.) (But have put on hold at the library!)

As an avid fantasy reader who is also female, I obviously think that the writer is wrong. It is true that not all women like fantasy. But that is true about nearly every genre of books! Not all women like historical fiction/romance/true crime/gardening/non-fiction/chick-lit/mystery/insert genre here books. There are a wide variety of women out there, with a wide variety of tastes in books. Some of those women will like fantasy books. Some of those women will not.

I happen to be a woman who likes fantasy. I like it because it takes me to a world that is not my own. When I read, I don't want to read about everyday problems - I have enough of my own to deal with. I'd rather read about the kinds of problems people in fantasy novels encounter: sorcerers, magicians, dragons, knights, and the like. The problems in fantasy novels are always so much greater than my own: there are kingdoms to save, worlds to establish, evil to vanquish. These books make my minor annoyances about the crowded train vanish - or at least make bearable for awhile.

Fantasy is not the exclusive preserve of either men or women. Both parties can read and enjoy fantasy novels. Fantasy novels don't have to be altered to attract women either: not every fantasy reader likes every fantasy writer. I quite like Mercedes Lackey, Anne McCaffrey, Tamora Pierce, and Robin McKinley. Other people may hate these writers - and that's okay!

The writer of the piece says that women aren't interested in fantasy because they are busy reading other kinds of "book-club" type novels. (Ones with big, important themes that tend to be read for book-clubs.) Or, at least, the author has never met a woman who would rather read fantasy than a book by Lorrie Moore. (I had to look her up - she's an award winning short story writer.) Maybe the author is just not meeting the right kind of people. I think she needs to expand her book-club and add some women with different points of view. Women who like fantasy/sci-fi/romance/mystery books. Try reading outside your genre for awhile - you might like it!

Basically, all I am trying to say is that many women like and love fantasy novels. For me, it's because they offer more escapism and enjoyable plots than many contemporary fiction works. I have not read Game of Thrones, but do admit that it sounded like the type of book I would be interested in. I have put it on hold at the library, and I'm interested now to read it - especially since the NY Times author thinks I won't like it. Fantasy novels don't have to be adapted for TV/movies to appeal to women - many of them already do. In fact, I hope that my favourite fantasy stories will never make it to TV or film, so they won't get ruined by a producer trying to change what is so special about the story to make it more commercial. I love my fantasy novels, and I will continue reading them and writing about them.