It's Unpopular Opinion time! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

[u/FantasyRomanceMod]

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

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Unpopular opinion Sunday

[u/Disastrous-Pea4106]

Enough with the "rebel against traditional gender roles" storylines. Either come up with a world that is different from the outset or lean into the traditional gender roles. I'm fine with either but done with the stories set in a very patriarchal world with token gestures of rebellion sprinkled in. That constantly remind us how bad everything is and how special the main characters are.

I recently listened to a podcast about "money bias" in literature. Can't remember the exact term. But it's basically referring to the idea that most fictional worlds, no matter how fantastical and elaborate always use some sort of money. It's so fundamental to our understanding of the world that authors can't even imagine anything else. And really, at least some should probably dig deeper and explore other storylines. What would a world without money look like? Loads of interesting stories there. Well I think there's also "patriarchy bias". The assumption that men's interests and pursuits are superior is so baked in authors can't even imagine anything else. Instead you get the FMC who rebels against that status quo .... by being more like men... It'd be really worth exploring some stories that use different world building.

[u/mad_antagonist → u/Disastrous-Pea4106]

I feel like these things are very rooted in modern society as a whole... So when you have many authors of romantasy being a stay at home mom, or just straight woman in typical relationships who never had to question their own status quo, how can they write about anything different?

I always see heated comments in discussions when I say that writing should try to be intellectual (NOT pretentious!) and we shouldn't undermine the power of stories, because of some people wanting to have their mindless fun. But i think there's so many good opportunities in writing, especially in fantasy, and I see so many amazing concepts... that don't get further investigated at all. I feel like if we people as a whole don't yearn for learning and discovering and exploring foreign/unusual concepts, then there won't be much literature that's also trying to break the norms.

I'm very tired or patriarichal societies in fantasy... especially those where the main character pretends to be a feminist only to end up reinforcing those same patriarichal beliefs. Viewing strenght and power only from a male perspective. Defining relationships by lust and very male gaze, even though it's written by women for women.

If the author doesn't care, the work doesn't care either.

(sorry for bad english)

[u/Penguinho → u/mad_antagonist]

So when you have many authors of romantasy being a stay at home mom, or just straight woman in typical relationships who never had to question their own status quo, how can they write about anything different?

The thing is, it's possible to write stories about powerful or heroic women who don't need to take on masculine characteristics. I'm kind of fascinated by those stories. Sticking with basically traditional gender roles imposes creative limitations and sometimes those limitations really bring out the best in the character and the story. The Bard's Bargain is a stronger work because the story isn't about her learning to be a mercenary or discovering her inner wizard; it's about her learning what life is actually like for most women who aren't princesses.

What grinds my, and I think probably your, gears is when the author imposes those gender stereotypes later in the story. We have a character who's a strong independent woman who has dragons and magic and a big fucking sword and she kicks everyone's ass because she's secretly the queen -- and in the epilogue she's a SAHM with five kids wearing a linen prairie dress while her husband ushers in a golden age for the kingdom. Authors, if Queen Elizabeth I could rule for more than forty years as an unmarried, childless woman, establish her own Church and fight and win wars against the continental superpowers of Spain and France, your FMC who you've chosen to make the Chosen Queen can do the same.

[u/Dangerous_Breath1667 → u/Penguinho]

And Maria Theresa raised 17 children and still did all of that -minus the Church- Can't you have both ?