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Does anyone ever notice how few woman heroines are drawn like this nowadays?
Normal, vulnerable, but resolute?
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Hunted, by c. schiman
charlie.
Comments
Doesn't make a good book cover
It boils down to: "Sex Sells".
While that image appeals to me, one who writes and mostly reads YA or PG stories, if your looking to sell a lot of copies, you need a sexy image. Something more like this.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
"I'm Not Bad.
I'm just drawn that way." - Jessica Rabbit
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Even the books put together
Even the books put together by Mercedes Lackey, and prior to that, Marion Zimmer Bradley, often had (have) 'sexier' females in the illustrations.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
how would you evaluate patricia briggs' books?
to me, they are sexy, but the woman is still a regular woman. sort of, anyway.
the woman on the covers is apparently modeled on a real woman, I think she's a barmaid near the artist's house or something.
Just like Rosie the Riveter.
Just like Rosie the Riveter. That is, the woman may be dirty and smudged up, but in a 'classy' way. It also depends on which of her books you're discussing. I'm sure the Alpha and Omega books are done sexily.. for those of the canine persuasion.
The alternate version isn't as common, at least in mainstream books, but is still heavy in the fantasy and romance genres. that being the barbarian/fighter/hero, wearing clothing that's either far too tidy for their supposed career (pirate), or far to limited to provide the protection they'd be needing.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
This thread made me dig up some old books
The characters in the "Chicks in Chainmail" anthologies rather complained about the lack of protection and uncomfortableness of their army issue brass bras (to tie this in to another thread here) and chain mail bikinis.
Actually the front pictures had them wear chainmail bras and rather skimpy chainmail skirts.
PS
I have considered to write a story called "The Chick is in the Male" to be appropriate for this site.
The 'Chicks'
series of anthologies are some of my favourite reads, Fantasy writing there do seem to be a fair few at least seemingly ordinary women who aren't necessarily 'sexed up' - SF is your genre for that.
Of course its Romantic fiction where 'normal' women get the most exposure so to speak, i'm not a great fan myself but it does sell.
Currently i'm in a Crime fiction cycle, there are some good female lead characters but even women writers often 'sex up' their characters of both/all genders, the handsome detective, the beautiful assistant, reference to appearance often takes as many lines of text as the plot!
Madeline Anafrid Bell
That would have been Mercedes
That would have been Mercedes Lackey's writings, IIRC. My point was that the _covers_ still end up being sexy, even if more sensible. Going back further, some of Marion Zimmer Bradley's works had sexy covers - showing lots of cleavage - even when the characters were in an era where they wouldn't have been doing that so much :) Going back even further, when you saw women in 'golden age' SF, they were usually in tight, figure hugging outfits, even if they weren't exposing. The men, even then, often had shirts open or missing, while they held blasters :)
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Enola Holmes
One of the reasons that I liked Miley Bobby Brown in that show was the fact that she wore clothes. I also prefer period stories for that same reason. One of my favorite Female actresses, Natalie Portman played a young woman that wore skimpy outfits. I don't remember if I finished watching it.
Gwen
It is the way things are
It is the way things are nowadays. Women can't be normal, vulnerable, but resolute. They have to be like men. Physically strong, skilled and look sexy while they do it. They wear ridiculous outfits and fight in restrictive clothing. The worse is running and leaping from rooftops while wearing 6-inch heels. They never break a heel or an ankle.
Often an 8-stone woman kicks a 20-stone man and he flies across a room and crashes into a wall. Totally ignoring physics.
It's almost like the positive female qualities are ignored. They can only be the hero by becoming pseudo men.
Leeanna