Do men actually try to read chick lit? (I can’t say that it appeals much to me, either, but I have tried. I just wonder whether most man ever even do that.)

I think you are probably right, Russell – men do go for the big picture in many facets of life. Women focus on the more intimate, in-depth things. My son-in-law, who is not at all sexist, notes how his post-grad students differ in their approach to their scientific research depending on their gender – and it is often the women who miss the big picture.

I love to read the huge epics, yet I doubt that I can write them. I get too involved with characters, with their immediate surroundings, and hesitate to describe the grand scale wars etc.

I have read a large number of books written by women, and I enjoy some and not others. My favourite sci-fi author is a woman (Ursula Le Guin). My favourite Australian fantasy author is a woman (Glenda Larke). But in general I find myself captured by the breadth (scope and scale) of a story, and for some reason – I have thoughts on this, but they’re only thoughts – the books with the largest scope are mostly written by male writers.

I have never refused to read a book because it was read by a woman. But I have refused to read chick-lit or vamp-sex novels, and most of them are written by women. I don’t like them because of their content, not because of the gender of their authors.

You may have a point there, Gryphon.

I wonder if there are any male writers of chick lit??

the gender genie

http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.php

reckons that this author is female, but only just

Female Score: 7057
Male Score: 6541

when i fed in the first chapter of “devices and desires”

http://www.thealienonline.net/extracts/devices_desires_apr05.asp?tid=3&scid=25&iid=2832yfhni

I think that’s because Fantasy as a genre deals with issues that female writers tend to be stronger at (articulation, relationships, etc.)

… and Science Fiction (and in particular Hard SF) deals with issues that male writers tend to be stronger at (objects, events, etc.)

I can’t say that many of my other friends are bothered whether an author is male or female, but I pick them partially on grounds of having a brain.

If you ask a bloke who reads Fantasy which female author he last read, how many register that Robin Hobb is a woman, that China Mieville is a man and as for KJ Parker, I still havn’t a clue after reading the book blurb, web site and interviews!

Gryphon

Look out for my next book – author: Brute Malepenis Ruggard.

No, I still think sff male readers are more open. And that things are getting better…

*note my crossed fingers here*

Just wrote up a fairly lengthy response to Sharon’s piece that she was inspired to put up on her blog by your blog post.

In a nutshell: My feeling, sad but true, is that not only are many male readers prejudiced against women writers but they also are less likely to read a book — or, for that matter, watch a movie — if it has a female protagonist.

anyway – these are useful questions to ask ourselves, no matter what genre we write in