I loved Jeffe's post yesterday. I understand how she feels because in most things to do with urban fantasy author gatherings it's me and either J. F. Lewis or John Hartness in a room full of women. This is NOT a complaint mind you, simply an observation. But I know for me that I haven't felt any animosity, prejudice, or hostility from my fellow authors because of my gender. Rather, everyone has been truly wonderful. Look at this group blog here. I am the one male in a group of truly amazing women who have been nothing but kind to me.
But I have friends who have not had it as welcoming.
One friend of mine has a book coming out soon. It's a great book and has a heavy sci-fi slant to it. She does write under a name that is ambiguous and she is okay with that. However, her publisher is not letting her have an author picture.
Not on the book.
Not on HER website, (you know, the one SHE pays for)
And she has been asked to not do any conventions or live appearances.
Well, I call bullshit on that.
And I am not sure if it's that I am mad at her publisher for buying into this "You'll sell more sci fi books if people think you're a man" or at the sci-fi readers for it being true. Either way, the implication is that women can't write sci-fi.
That is just stupidly wrong and the fact that it is almost accepted as fact sucks.
Like most anything else in the world, women can do anything they want to. If a woman wants to write sci-fi, then she can write it every bit as good as a man could. It's a fact Jack.
So fight oppression my friends. Go now and buy a sci-fi book written by a woman.
Wow. You just hit *every* one of my hot buttons with the last part of your post.
ReplyDeleteThat is some grade A bullshit right there. I'd write more, but I can't see through my fury.
Wow, Tuck. I'm amazed to hear this. It's one thing to have the feeling and the suspicion and another to hear it confirmed as a real thing. How terribly annoying. As for you, our token male ;-), I'm sure glad you don't mind hanging out with a bunch of chick writers and being a Word Whore along with us!
ReplyDeleteDear Gods. The 1950s are alive and well, apparently. Did anyone get the memo to Ursula K LeGuin that women can't write scifi? Or to Marion Zimmer Bradley? Someone DID get to Alice Norton, to make her change her name to Andre Norton. But really. In the 21st century we're still playing this moronic game? I wonder if I'd tell my publisher to stick it where the sun don't shine...probably not...I'd suck up the insult, wanting too badly to get pubbed and sell well. Don't like that picture of myself.
ReplyDeleteO_o
ReplyDeleteAdd to that list of female SF writers "encouraged" by publishers to make their name more butch: Carolyn Cherry, we all know as CJ Cherryh.
ReplyDeleteCome on, publishers and readers. Get with the times.
Some of my favorite writers are women, always have been. Laurell K Hamilton, Poppy Z. Brite, Nancy A. Collins, Nancy Holder, and Debbie Viguie to name just a few.
ReplyDeleteWomen rock.
And I am GLAD to be here.
Oh wow. It never occurred to me that that's why SL Viehl uses her initials instead of her name. Derp. And she writes kickass SF. Gender bias anywhere is just stupid, but yeah, this goes beyond. I thought science fiction readers were smarter than that.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you came to the Word Whores, James. I might never have found Deacon Chalk otherwise. =o)
Thank you for reading the series!
DeleteAnd mucho kudos for my being here goes to Linda Robertson who is the one who nominated me for the gig. Thank you Linda, and thank you everyone else for being truly wonderful.
Oh, what a fabulous post, James! I had no idea SFF girl writers were still encouraged to do that!
ReplyDelete97% of the Sci Fi I read is by women-think Marion Zimmer Bradley, Kathy Tyers. I have a bookshelf full.
ReplyDelete