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elspethdixon Sep. 24th, 2013 03:48 pm)
elspethdixon Sep. 24th, 2013 03:48 pm)Entry number two or three in my "I will force myself to post meta again" project, inspired by this link from metanews:
http://www.slhuang.com/blog/2013/09/12/the-reason-escapist-time-travel-doesnt-star-women-is-that-we-havent-written-it-yet/
I'm completely with Huang's rebuttal of Charlie Stross's "time travel is inherently sexist" post (the idea that all women in all modern cultures would automatically have less agency in "the past" than they do now seems pretty unimaginative given how vast a range of time periods and cultures "the past" contains, not to mention that if you accept Stross's argument as true it also implies that women make poor protagonists for historical fiction or fantasy with historical-esque settings in general, which I... really don't think is the case), especially the part where Huang points out that it's not like stuff like Eric Flint's 1632 books are pillars of historical accuracy to begin with so why can't women run around in the past saving the world and making things explode awesomely.
My only real quibble is super petty, and is mostly with the article's title, "The Reason escapist Time Travel Doesn't Star Women Is That We Haven't Written It Yet."
Because... we have written it. Women have been writing escapist time travel staring women for years. What do you think Lost in Austen is? Or Diana Gabaldon's bestselling Outlander books, a series of doorstopper-sized novels about two 20th century women transported back in time to the 17th century?
It's just that most female-written escapist time-travel tends to be primarily romance rather than sci-fi. The protagonist is still being sent back in time to have adventures, but the 'adventure' involves finding true love with an idealized male hero rather than blowing shit up and using his knowledge of modern technology/modern military tactics to change the course of history. Still pretty escapist, though. I defy you to tell me going back in time to change places with Elizabeth Bennett and marry Mr. Darcy isn't every bit as wish-fulfillment-laden and escapist a concept as "and then I went back in time and awed the native with my modern day tech know-how and created my own empire." It's basically the pro romance version of "a fangirl falls through a portal into middle earth and falls in love with Legolas" Mary Sue fic.
http://www.slhuang.com/blog/2013/09/12/the-reason-escapist-time-travel-doesnt-star-women-is-that-we-havent-written-it-yet/
I'm completely with Huang's rebuttal of Charlie Stross's "time travel is inherently sexist" post (the idea that all women in all modern cultures would automatically have less agency in "the past" than they do now seems pretty unimaginative given how vast a range of time periods and cultures "the past" contains, not to mention that if you accept Stross's argument as true it also implies that women make poor protagonists for historical fiction or fantasy with historical-esque settings in general, which I... really don't think is the case), especially the part where Huang points out that it's not like stuff like Eric Flint's 1632 books are pillars of historical accuracy to begin with so why can't women run around in the past saving the world and making things explode awesomely.
My only real quibble is super petty, and is mostly with the article's title, "The Reason escapist Time Travel Doesn't Star Women Is That We Haven't Written It Yet."
Because... we have written it. Women have been writing escapist time travel staring women for years. What do you think Lost in Austen is? Or Diana Gabaldon's bestselling Outlander books, a series of doorstopper-sized novels about two 20th century women transported back in time to the 17th century?
It's just that most female-written escapist time-travel tends to be primarily romance rather than sci-fi. The protagonist is still being sent back in time to have adventures, but the 'adventure' involves finding true love with an idealized male hero rather than blowing shit up and using his knowledge of modern technology/modern military tactics to change the course of history. Still pretty escapist, though. I defy you to tell me going back in time to change places with Elizabeth Bennett and marry Mr. Darcy isn't every bit as wish-fulfillment-laden and escapist a concept as "and then I went back in time and awed the native with my modern day tech know-how and created my own empire." It's basically the pro romance version of "a fangirl falls through a portal into middle earth and falls in love with Legolas" Mary Sue fic.
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