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elialshadowpineI love urban fantasy. I have for years. I started out with Mercedes Lackey's Diana Tregarde series, then discovered Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake books, and longed for more. For a long while, it just didn't exist. Annnnnd then it boomed.
Unfortunately, there's a pattern in urban fantasy that I have a huge problem with and has been turning me off the genre more and more. And that's the treatment of women in urban fantasy. You would think this wouldn't be an issue. After all, most urban fantasy these days features a tough, competent, kickass heroine. What could go wrong? Well, a lot of things.
Most prevalent is the overwhelming tendency to completely defang women. Hear me out. Most modern urban fantasy has a heavy romantic subplot and borrows heavily from romance tropes. Being a writer myself, I follow a lot of writing circles, and I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone say, "I have this awesome heroine, but she's so capable, she does everything! And I need to make the hero sexy! And nobody will find the hero sexy if the heroine can do better than him!"
Ignoring the obvious solution of having the hero and heroine have completely different and complementary strengths, far too many writers go for the TSTL solution. If I had a penny for every time I saw a heroine do something completely out of character... *sigh*
Like, oh, storming off for no good reason and doing something utterly stupid that nobody competent in their field would do. Usually because, well, the hero suggested it, and thus he must be wrong. And if there was a good reason for the heroine to disagree, great! But that's often not it at all. It's a matter of cutting off her nose to spite her face. It's a plot device to put the heroine in a position where the hero has to come to the rescue and save her from her own stupidity -- and frankly, this is just insulting. And it's common. Ridiculously common. And it's lazy writing.
It's one thing if, hey, the heroine runs into odds that she can't beat, or an enemy that's stronger than her, or gets outwitted by someone equally as capable. But that's not what's happening. These are situations the author is forcing the heroine into by making her act out of character for the purpose of giving the hero a moment to shine. Why not put the characters in situations where both their skills are needed? But, that wouldn't allow the heroine to be the damsel in distress, now would it?
One of the other major issues in urban fantasy in regards to women is how the heroines relate to other women. In a genre that is so focused on strong female characters, it is pretty shocking how few heroines actually have relationships with other women. Often, other women are not friends and allies, but the enemy. Often, the heroine looks down on other women. And you see the same trope over and over again -- the leather-clad dark and tortured gun-toting heroine whose strength is all physical or perhaps supernatural.
This is really just the whole "girl in the boy's club" thing rearing its head. Femininity is derided while masculinity is put on a pedestal. Rarely do we see women who enjoy feminine things, and when we do, it's usually a slight touch rather than an integral part of the character. Even Anita Blake, with her stuffed penguin collection, dismisses and derides other women. It's been a long time since I read the books, admittedly, and I haven't read the recent ones, but of the early series, all the characters that I recall her being close to were male.
(Mind, the problem is not that masculine-leaning heroines exist. The problem is that they are the sole archetype that we see commonly in urban fantasy heroines.[1])
Very few urban fantasies actually pass the Bechdel test (two women, who talk to each other, about something other than a man). For a genre that is supposedly woman-focused, that's just sad. Where are all the relationships between women? Most of us have friends who are women, mothers, sisters, aunts, etc. Where are they?
So what's the solution here? It comes down to writers being aware of the social implications their fiction will have. Because words have meanings, and stories have power. If they didn't have power, Piers Anthony's Mode books wouldn't have helped me when I was a suicidal teen, and Mercedes Lackey's books wouldn't have helped me come to terms with my bisexuality.
When even supposedly strong heroines are undermined at every turn and cannot succeed without the aid of a man, the underlying message is that of Well, if $awesomecharacter can't do it, why should I believe I can? Women are already at a disadvantage in society, with all the negative messages lobbed at us. We should be able to read fiction that empowers us, not reinforces that we are nothing without a man.
I am not saying that heroines should be all-powerful, because that would be boring. But if you're writing about a top-notch FBI agent, you don't have her forget basic gun safety. You don't have her barging into trouble without thinking about it. You don't have her so distracted by the hero's good looks that she misses the villain's move and gets trapped (and yes, I have read this). It sends a very negative message.
So how do you get around it when you need the heroine to screw up somewhere? Well, make it a believable screw-up, not something that a rookie would do (unless your character is a rookie, but most of the heroines I've seen in urban fantasy are purported to be some of the best at what they do). Or, hey, maybe she doesn't have all the information, makes a decision on what she knows, and then finds out that she was missing a vital piece of the puzzle.
But you know what I'd love to see more of? I'd love to see more heroines who get themselves out of that pickle, rather than heroines who have to be rescued by the hero. But, how do I manage an alpha hero and heroine and their power struggle without having one or the other knuckle under? Not everything has to be a power struggle, although they can be fun to write. The best alpha heroes I've read have been adept in their own field but respected the heroine in hers and listened to her opinions. But what if they're both experts in the same field? Well, hey, they're probably going to argue -- but the automatic reaction shouldn't be for the heroine to be the one who's wrong. Mix it up a little. Or hey! Maybe they're both wrong.
There's a lot of focus on alpha heroes in urban fantasy and a need to make them sexy. You know what? The sexiest heroes I've read aren't the ones who are always rescuing the artificially created dumbass heroine -- they're the ones who respect the heroine, her abilities, her strengths, and love her for who she is. The ones who aren't threatened by a strong woman. The ones who know when it's appropriate to take a backseat. The ones who know when it's time to stand their ground, and when it's time to say, "Hey, you know more about this than I do", or "I don't agree, but let's compromise." It's not an all or nothing situation.
I'd love to see more women who have relationships with other women, too. I'd also like to see a greater breadth of heroines -- heroines of color, heroines with disabilities, queer heroines, etc! Or hey, maybe not the heroine but a lady friend who is one of the above, or someone deeply involved in the story. I'd love to see more focus on this, because the lone uber!heroine surrounded by a sausage-fest is getting old.
This is something that writers have the power to change. Let's change it.
[1] I know there are exceptions to this. Please do not focus on them. This is a widespread issue, and the fact that there are exceptions does not negate that the overwhelming majority of urban fantasy heroines fits only one archetype.
Unfortunately, there's a pattern in urban fantasy that I have a huge problem with and has been turning me off the genre more and more. And that's the treatment of women in urban fantasy. You would think this wouldn't be an issue. After all, most urban fantasy these days features a tough, competent, kickass heroine. What could go wrong? Well, a lot of things.
Most prevalent is the overwhelming tendency to completely defang women. Hear me out. Most modern urban fantasy has a heavy romantic subplot and borrows heavily from romance tropes. Being a writer myself, I follow a lot of writing circles, and I can't tell you how many times I have heard someone say, "I have this awesome heroine, but she's so capable, she does everything! And I need to make the hero sexy! And nobody will find the hero sexy if the heroine can do better than him!"
Ignoring the obvious solution of having the hero and heroine have completely different and complementary strengths, far too many writers go for the TSTL solution. If I had a penny for every time I saw a heroine do something completely out of character... *sigh*
Like, oh, storming off for no good reason and doing something utterly stupid that nobody competent in their field would do. Usually because, well, the hero suggested it, and thus he must be wrong. And if there was a good reason for the heroine to disagree, great! But that's often not it at all. It's a matter of cutting off her nose to spite her face. It's a plot device to put the heroine in a position where the hero has to come to the rescue and save her from her own stupidity -- and frankly, this is just insulting. And it's common. Ridiculously common. And it's lazy writing.
It's one thing if, hey, the heroine runs into odds that she can't beat, or an enemy that's stronger than her, or gets outwitted by someone equally as capable. But that's not what's happening. These are situations the author is forcing the heroine into by making her act out of character for the purpose of giving the hero a moment to shine. Why not put the characters in situations where both their skills are needed? But, that wouldn't allow the heroine to be the damsel in distress, now would it?
One of the other major issues in urban fantasy in regards to women is how the heroines relate to other women. In a genre that is so focused on strong female characters, it is pretty shocking how few heroines actually have relationships with other women. Often, other women are not friends and allies, but the enemy. Often, the heroine looks down on other women. And you see the same trope over and over again -- the leather-clad dark and tortured gun-toting heroine whose strength is all physical or perhaps supernatural.
This is really just the whole "girl in the boy's club" thing rearing its head. Femininity is derided while masculinity is put on a pedestal. Rarely do we see women who enjoy feminine things, and when we do, it's usually a slight touch rather than an integral part of the character. Even Anita Blake, with her stuffed penguin collection, dismisses and derides other women. It's been a long time since I read the books, admittedly, and I haven't read the recent ones, but of the early series, all the characters that I recall her being close to were male.
(Mind, the problem is not that masculine-leaning heroines exist. The problem is that they are the sole archetype that we see commonly in urban fantasy heroines.[1])
Very few urban fantasies actually pass the Bechdel test (two women, who talk to each other, about something other than a man). For a genre that is supposedly woman-focused, that's just sad. Where are all the relationships between women? Most of us have friends who are women, mothers, sisters, aunts, etc. Where are they?
So what's the solution here? It comes down to writers being aware of the social implications their fiction will have. Because words have meanings, and stories have power. If they didn't have power, Piers Anthony's Mode books wouldn't have helped me when I was a suicidal teen, and Mercedes Lackey's books wouldn't have helped me come to terms with my bisexuality.
When even supposedly strong heroines are undermined at every turn and cannot succeed without the aid of a man, the underlying message is that of Well, if $awesomecharacter can't do it, why should I believe I can? Women are already at a disadvantage in society, with all the negative messages lobbed at us. We should be able to read fiction that empowers us, not reinforces that we are nothing without a man.
I am not saying that heroines should be all-powerful, because that would be boring. But if you're writing about a top-notch FBI agent, you don't have her forget basic gun safety. You don't have her barging into trouble without thinking about it. You don't have her so distracted by the hero's good looks that she misses the villain's move and gets trapped (and yes, I have read this). It sends a very negative message.
So how do you get around it when you need the heroine to screw up somewhere? Well, make it a believable screw-up, not something that a rookie would do (unless your character is a rookie, but most of the heroines I've seen in urban fantasy are purported to be some of the best at what they do). Or, hey, maybe she doesn't have all the information, makes a decision on what she knows, and then finds out that she was missing a vital piece of the puzzle.
But you know what I'd love to see more of? I'd love to see more heroines who get themselves out of that pickle, rather than heroines who have to be rescued by the hero. But, how do I manage an alpha hero and heroine and their power struggle without having one or the other knuckle under? Not everything has to be a power struggle, although they can be fun to write. The best alpha heroes I've read have been adept in their own field but respected the heroine in hers and listened to her opinions. But what if they're both experts in the same field? Well, hey, they're probably going to argue -- but the automatic reaction shouldn't be for the heroine to be the one who's wrong. Mix it up a little. Or hey! Maybe they're both wrong.
There's a lot of focus on alpha heroes in urban fantasy and a need to make them sexy. You know what? The sexiest heroes I've read aren't the ones who are always rescuing the artificially created dumbass heroine -- they're the ones who respect the heroine, her abilities, her strengths, and love her for who she is. The ones who aren't threatened by a strong woman. The ones who know when it's appropriate to take a backseat. The ones who know when it's time to stand their ground, and when it's time to say, "Hey, you know more about this than I do", or "I don't agree, but let's compromise." It's not an all or nothing situation.
I'd love to see more women who have relationships with other women, too. I'd also like to see a greater breadth of heroines -- heroines of color, heroines with disabilities, queer heroines, etc! Or hey, maybe not the heroine but a lady friend who is one of the above, or someone deeply involved in the story. I'd love to see more focus on this, because the lone uber!heroine surrounded by a sausage-fest is getting old.
This is something that writers have the power to change. Let's change it.
[1] I know there are exceptions to this. Please do not focus on them. This is a widespread issue, and the fact that there are exceptions does not negate that the overwhelming majority of urban fantasy heroines fits only one archetype.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 06:31 pm (UTC)I tend more towards straight-on fantasy than I do towards urban fantasy, but this is a thing there, too. One of the best writers I've seen for believable, well-rounded female characters is actually Tamora Pierce, who's nominally a YA author. I think even her oldest works, the Alanna quartet, passes Bechdel (though I haven't re-read in a while). I have my issues with the Protector of the Small series, but that's because I find Kel flat as a character - and it's really not gendered, because I think if I genderflipped her, she'd read just as flat as male. YMMV of course. :D
...I had other thoughts but the fled. Don't mind me!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 06:39 pm (UTC)Later in the series, you have her scenes with her apprentices, whose names I'm forgetting, which are absolutely not about men. And her scenes with the Goddess, too. And her scenes with Thayet and Buriram. And I'm probably forgetting someone.
I think Kel is meant to be that way. Her upbringing in the Isles was focused around suppressing her emotion, and that really carries through a lot in the story and her characterization. I can see where it would come across as flat, though.
Traditional fantasy has its issues, but I find it presents differently, because urban fantasy has a strong crossover with paranormal romance and a large focus is on the romantic relationship with the hero. I think traditional fantasy has more of an issue with heroines being raped at some point of the story or in their backgrounds rather than being competent at something and then having it ripped away. It also has more of an issue of the heroine being the "reward" for the hero, in stories where the hero is the main character.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 06:47 pm (UTC)Oh, Kel. Yes, that's very true, but she's just... not my type of character, I guess? I adore Daine, and Beka Cooper is rapidly becoming my second favourite, so that probably gives you a good look at the type of character I love. xD
Also, good point about traditional fantasy!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 07:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-30 01:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 07:02 pm (UTC)http://anitablake.wikia.com/wiki/Veronica_%22Ronnie%22_Sims
I quit reading the Anita books a couple years ago because of many types of fail.
I keep trying to find urban fantasy with strong female characters where the romance isn't stereotypical fail, but it's hard.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 07:09 pm (UTC)I can poke around my "stuff I've read" list for recommendations if you want :)
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 07:10 pm (UTC)that would be nice :)
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 07:30 pm (UTC)Black Blade Blues by JA Pitt. The heroine is a lesbian. Need I say more? I will note that one of the things that the heroine goes through in the book is dealing with her own internalized homophobia. It was a little offputting to me because it brought back a lot of bad memories, but! She gets over it and the second book is all ass-kicking lesbian chick. :)
Eileen Wilks' Lupi books. These are technically labeled romance but they are totally urban fantasy. They follow two couples through the serious, switching off which one is the focus, although both are in each book. The first one is kinda standard urban fantasy, but stick with it, it gets really amazing in book two and onward. Oh, and one of the heroines, Lily? is a POC; Asian. Her relationships with her mother, and in one of the books, her grandmother, are at the forefront, as is her relationship with Cynna, who is a kickass tattooed sorceress chick. And in the later books there is a... sorta genderqueer/gender neutral demon who ends up on earth and later decides to identify as a woman, and... there's lots of relationships between women and competent characters. Is amazing.
Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire -- OMG MUST READ. Awesome world setting, and the book starts off with the heroine and her telepathic cousin/best friend trolling for bad guys. Also, the heroine is a waitress at a strip club, and her relationships with the other women she works with is a major part of the story.
the Demonica books by Larissa Ione -- with the caveat that these are DEFINITELY more towards romance, and there is slightly more focus on the heroes... however, the women kick ass and take names, and they aren't treated unequally imo. It is... kinda like Angel in setting and tone, with lots more sex, and less refridgeration of women. I really am borderline on recommending these in this list because of the focus on the men, but, I really think they are worth reading.
The Edge books by Ilona Andrews - these are sorta Southern fantasy books that feel like they could be in our world. There is a HUGE focus on family here because the setting is Deep South. So you do see a lot of the relationships between the women in the various books, and the women definitely hold their own.
Not quite urban fantasy but the Psy Changeling series by Nalini Singh -- again, more toward romance, this time futuristic... combine shapeshifters and PsyCorp from Babylon 5 and you have these books. But the women of the various packs play a huge role, and they are all very involved with each other. And Tamsin is awesome (she's kinda the mother hen). And they have less consent issues than a lot of romance, that I've found.
I can go through other genres if you want but that's what I have for UF that fits immediate criteria. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 07:54 pm (UTC)If I may add two author recommendations as well, I would suggest Charles de Lint and Nina Kiriki Hoffman. Nina's books might be considered more speculative fiction than urban fantasy, but magic does often play a large role in her stories. Charles' books are almost all urban fantasy. Both write excellent characters and their female characters do pass the Bechdel test. They also both deal with difficult issues in a tasteful but realistic manner.
To reply also to a previous comment thread, I love Tamora Pierce's works as well. It's interesting out of all her characters I identified the most with Kel, probably because I was taught to suppress my emotions at a young age.
Thanks for the really well thought out and well stated post. You capture a very big problem within this particular sub-genre.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-30 05:27 am (UTC)These books sound great! Thanks for the recs. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2012-04-04 08:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 07:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 07:31 pm (UTC)If you can hop over to my top level post and let me know what filters you want to be on, I'd appreciate :)
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 08:18 pm (UTC)Also I LOVE Anita Blake :-D... re-reading the books right now :-D!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 10:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 10:38 pm (UTC)I'd argue though that we do see rape/sexual assault in UF too but rather than being used to fuel manpain like in traditional fantasy, sexual assault tends to be something to fuel instant backstory in quite a few heroines.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-29 10:53 pm (UTC)I wasn't meaning to imply that rape/sexual assault doesn't happen in UF. Because that's a problem throughout fantasy, really. UF has a particularly pernicious twist on it: the magical healing cock. I swear if I read another book with a heroine who has either recently been raped or is suffering from PTSD who is ~magically cured by the hero's allmighty penis, I will break something.
I have not personally seen it as much as I have seen fridging of women and rape as insta-backstory in traditional fantasy. In traditional fantasy, it also often gets used to show how ~evil the villain or enemy culture is. (AND IF I SEE ANOTHER OBVIOUSLY MIDDLE EASTERN BASED CULTURE FILLED WITH RAPISTS, I SWEAR... ahem).
But, um, the issue of rape in fantasy is a whoooole nother post. Which I will probably rant about. Because I feel like ranting. And it helps that at this point, people mostly agree with me, whereas when I have ranted in the past, people told me to stfu. -_-
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-30 03:33 am (UTC)I'm actually working on an urban fantasy series (Extranormal Crimes, there's a bunch of short pieces on my DW) with two main female protagonists. One is a lesbian and the other is bisexual and polyamorous. The first, Tay, does get raped, but hopefully she will never be reduced to just a victim, and it's definitely not insta-backstory; a lot of the series will also involve her dealing with her PTSD, since you know, these things don't go away all that easily. And I can certainly say it passes Bechdel! And I should stop babbling about a novel I haven't even finished writing yet XD
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-30 03:45 am (UTC)Your novel sounds awesome :) I love hearing about what other folks are working on! And YAY there are seriously not enough lesbian or bi characters in UF!
(This is where I'm going to toot my own horn and say that the one I'm working on right now is full of gay and bi characters. I mentioned that I gender-swapped my former hero, now a heroine, and thus... pretty much everyone in the story is gay or bi because most of the characters have been with her. Heh. I have no idea how I'm going to sell this thing, since book 2 is going to be a lesbian romance, book 3 is a gay romance, and book 4 will have a trans woman as the heroine. I might not have too much issue with the first three but I have yet to read a trans heroine, or hero for that matter, in fantasy or romance.)
<3 <3 <3 AND OMG POLY HEROINE???? <3 <3 <3
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-30 03:56 am (UTC)Yaaay, your series sounds awesome :D
(Also, on the subject of tooting one's own horn, I just posted a fantasy novella in my DW--Love As It Was Made to Be--featuring a trans hero...)
Bi poly redhead Wiccan heroine! XD Maggie rocks! And is competent! I'm planning to self-publish this series... even if I had faith in the tradpub establishment I don't think I'd be able to sell it to them!
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-30 06:54 am (UTC)For de Lint, you might try Jack the Giant Killer (which was published recently as an omnibus with its sequel, but I forget the name. I also personally like Mulengro, but it's among his darker works.
The classic, and one of his earliest, is Moonheart. A good entry into his work.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-03-30 05:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-05-02 11:54 am (UTC)I'm writing UF and you've given me something to think about. DJ doesn't do stupid stuff, but she also doesn't have friends either. She's abrasive and alcoholic, starting her weekend drinking Thursday afternoon when she can. She has contacts, but the only person who voluntarily associates with her is her cousin, Jinx. And she's horrible to him. She's very much a noir detective, Sam Spade with a double-X.
Until this book, I thought she was asexual. So did she. And now she's figured out she isn't and it pisses her off.
And thank you for reminding me that my city is more than half black, with a substantial Hispanic population. I tend to forget that, since people not in my immediate circle fade into being wallpaper of the world.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-05-02 12:10 pm (UTC)