Many people in my feed today are discussing yesterday's meme about how Tradpub killed men's sci-fi and fantasy. Some are even questioning whether men's sci-fi and fantasy is really "a thing". As someone who does read novels, a lot of them, by writers of both sexes, I can assure you it is "a thing." Read on through this effort-post and be illuminated!
Imagine a fantasy novel that features an army marching to battle. The battle is hard fought, but the heroic side wins. Afterwards, the main hero celebrates the victory by consorting with a paramour. That's the plot.
Now, let's assess male and female-oriented versions of this story.
In the male-oriented version...
- We'll begin with an in-universe prologue written in third person omniscient High Tolkienesque style. Thereafter, the book will be written in the close third person point of view of a character who has almost no emotions or inner monologue.
- There'll be detailed descriptions of the mustering and march of the army with orders of battle that prover the author is the world's leading expert in 13th century Genovese military history.
- We'll see several angry war councils in which angry men anger each other angrily because everyone else is either reckless or cowardly.
- The battle will begin with a tragic skirmish that costs the life of a beloved side character.
- The battle itself will cover 3-4 chapters, in which the main hero will lose his armor, break his weapon, be covered in gore, and accomplish some battle-winning feat. Real-world military tactics will be used.
- A B plot point of view will illustrate what it's like for the band of delta brothers on the front lines, in which they will express that while war is hell, it's better than working the fantasy equivalent of a desk job at Ikea. Many will die bravely without regret, except for the married one, who will get a poignant death scene.
- Afterwards, the main hero will find his paramour and there'll be a sly suggestion of intimacy to finish: "Conandude eyed the beauty. 'Aye, lass, now it's time to come to my tent.' " In any case, no actual sex will take place, ever, and it is possible that this will be true of the author in real life as well.
- The End.
In the female-oriented version...
- We'll begin in close third-person or first person with emotional descriptions of the nervous fear of soldiers mustering for battle, with commentary that the fear is making the main hero horny.
- The orders of battle will be vaguely described to the hero, probably by a low-tier gamma male who she ignores, while the main hero fixates on whether her paramour will survive the battle because he's not the chosen one like her, though he is a billionaire vampire dragon knight.
- The lead-up to the battle will take 60-70% of the book, during which time we will learn about the main hero's childhood struggle to master her inner demons and her need to maintain her independence from the amazing billionaire vampire dragon knight that threatens to overwhelm her with his raw sex appeal.
- During the battle, the main hero will save everyone by unleashing special powers that only she has. Her annoying bitchy rival will die unredeemed. No real-world military tactics will be used, or if they are, it will be by the losing side, to its humiliation. The whole battle will only take 1 chapter.
- Afterwards there will be a chapter describing the psychological horror of having had to fight a war. The main hero may wander the battlefield distraught until she finds comfort in the arms of the billionaire vampire dragon knight, who will finally open up to her emotionally.
- The next 2-3 chapters will describe in intimate detail her consortium with her paramour with details on what it's like as he shapeshifts into dragon form. Male readers will stop at this point in horror at what cannot be unlearned.
- Finally, the book will end with the main hero, billionaire vampire dragon knight at her side, giving a speech commemorating the battle and pledging to end all war forever.
- The End.
Please let me know if you have any more questions about the difference between male and female fantasy!
