What is the problem with the representation of women in fantasy? This piece addresses the question, pointing to the lack of fantasy stories that reflect our basic contemporary understanding of history: that women have had agency despite limiting factors, and “that women were rarely only defined by their relationships with men in the way that so many women characters in fantasy have been.”
While much of young adult fantasy fiction encourages readers to question both the worldviews and roles imposed upon them, does adult oriented fantasy “undo all that good work?” The article calls for a longer lists of male fantasy authors who write “effective, convincing women” and asks fantasy writers to take seriously their opportunity not only to entertain, but also “to enrich our readers’ lives.”
(Via Largeheartedboy)
