SF/F - Male or Female?

[Incognito]

Certainly until recently, I had it in my head that science fiction and fantasy was an overwhelmingly male pursuit.

Maybe it still is to some degree.

But I've been constantly surprised at how prevalent women are on various SF/F sites.

Is this a case of men simply hogging all the attention; or women being a loud minority; or is there a far less delineated demarcation of interest between the genders?

Is science fiction and fantasy really just a specifically male interest with a little female representation?

Whether you disagree or agree, how do you think that relates in terms of audience representation by books compared to movies?

General discussion topic.

[Gnome]

Originally Posted by Incognito

Certainly until recently, I had it in my head that science fiction and fantasy was an overwhelmingly male pursuit.

Maybe it still is to some degree.

But I've been constantly surprised at how prevalent women are on various SF/F sites.

Is this a case of men simply hogging all the attention; or women being a loud minority; or is there a far less delineated demarcation of interest between the genders?

Is science fiction and fantasy really just a specifically male interest with a little female representation?

Whether you disagree or agree, how do you think that relates in terms of audience representation by books compared to movies?

General discussion topic.

I think it comes down to the fact that woman are more prone to talk about their interests than men (and are more likely to share their opinions).

[AVON]

Interesting question. Probably the vast majority of the general public would think that SF is mainly a male-orientated rather than a female-orientated thing. Guess, it depends on the subject being "SCIENCE FICTION" (Science is traditionally supposed to be a male subject!!!)

Think the gender depends to some extent on what it actually is! eg. type of show, film, character. Obviously, certain shows attract more males or, vise versa! SF conventions - most tend to have quite a large population of females (especially, "B7" or, "ST" ones - "DW" probably slightly more males for those conventions)!

As, for books, then it's probably the same,as folks who like certian tv/films and who also read "SF" tend to go for the same sort of things in book form. I know, I do.

I think its been long perceived that if, you are a Science Fiction fan (Anorak) you are generally of themale gender and mad. So, to be a Female Fan that's probably even worse! Well, I'm a {b]FEMALE SCIENCE FICTION FAN[/b] and very PROUD to be so!

[littlemissattitude]

Well, I've been a science fiction fan approximately since birth , but that has to do with upbringing. We had a family tradition when I was small of going to the drive-in (that's back when they had them all over the place) every Friday night, and because my Dad was a huge science fiction fan, more often than not, if there was a science fiction film showing that was what we saw. So I got exposed early (goodness, makes it sound like a disease, doesn't it?). And then, by the time I was about 9 or 10 years old, Dad started handing me science fiction novels to read. So, I guess I had no choice in the matter, contrary to a lot of people, who come to it by discovery on their own, sometimes as a matter of rebellion.

Anyway, for ages and ages, I didn't know many other science fiction fans at all, and those I did know were male. Anyway, the females I knew weren't admitting to anything. I think that had (and has, for that matter) a lot to do with the general perception of science fiction fans as nerds, geeks, (insert your own unflattering name of choice). It was only when I hit college that I ran into other women who admitted to reading and watching science fiction. I think the other female fans were always out there. It just wasn't socially acceptable for women to admit to it. (I was secure enough or stupid enough not to care that people knew I read it.) Had a lot to do with the perception that men don't like smart women...while science fiction readers in general were seen as nerds, they were seen as smart nerds.

As far as how it is now...I think there are probably still more male than female readers of science fiction, due mostly to the fact that it is perceived as being so science/technology oriented. And I think a lot of women who do read science fiction (at least among the ones I know) came to science fiction through fantasy, which is perceived by many being as more female-oriented. But I think the ratio of males to females is becoming more even.

And, of course, this is based solely on my personal experiences, and I could be entirely wrong.

[dwndrgn]

I'm not sure about fans, that's hard to tell. I don't get out much . However, if you look at female authors vs male authors, you see a larger percentage of male science fiction authors. In fantasy, at least in the last 10 years or so, I've seen more new female authors than new male ones so it seems that fantasy is coming to have a more balanced combination of the two.

I don't know why that is. I'm not a huge science fiction fan, I do like quite a lot of it but I prefer it on screen. For some reason science fiction novels tend to bore me (that of course is just a personal distinction) and it isn't because I don't like science itself. I think it is mostly because the authors spend a great deal of time and effort examining and exploring the physical props of the story instead of the story itself. In fantasy, they don't do a whole lot of that, maybe they are more skewed to landscapes and worldbuilding but that doesn't bore me like a description of a spaceship and all its components would.

Science (and math too) has been seen as a male pursuit but that never stopped me from becoming entranced by the Mandelbrot set or fiddling with microscopes and petri dishes. I think that is slowing changing though. I just heard recently that there are now a larger percentage of female applicants to medical school than males.

[jerchar]

I think that one of the greatest female fantasy author who has just found the best mix for fantasy and sci-fi is definitely Ann McCaffrey. But I have to admit that I don't read much sci-fi, I am one of those fantasy hooked readers. I can simply say that sci-fi doesn't make me dream as much as fantasy. I agree with Lil'Miss when I assure you that a female fantasy reader who is my age (over 30) is looked upon as a very bizarre person. It's a wonder that people don't shake their heads when they know what I read (well I am sure they do shake their heads once I am out of sight). I must say that this does not bother me at all and I am all too proud to talk about fantasy when the subject comes up.

[kyektulu]

It most proberbly was a male dominated persuit in the past but I think the interest is most definetly equal now.
Most of the fantasy fans I have met in person are female, although sci fi friends are mainly male.

[nixie]

I think there is as many woman read scifi and fantasy as men....Certain authors will appeal more to women than men and vice versa,

[chrispenycate]

In my youth (he creaks) there were almost no female authors of scince fiction (and many of those wrote under male pen names) Understandable- females were steered away from a science education, from any career in science as -I don't know- not feminine? When I went to university, a scientific college, less tha five percent of the students were of the feminine persuasion. These days are past, and, while there's still an imbalance, more ladies are getting scientifically educated, and more are writing science fiction (and owning up to it- what's that phrase?- there's nothing wrong with writing, but do it in private, and wash your hands afterwards) and the world can only be better for it. Fantasy they've been writing (and presumably reading) for ages, even if, there too, there were many hiding behind masculine pseudonyms who have come out of the closet.

[Elenilsa]

I'm most definitely female and most definitely a fan of sci-fi since I began to read, really as well as a fan of fairy tales, legends, and myths.......although I hadn't discovered the fantasy genre until the LOTR films clued me into Tolkien.

I guess I just like a good story with comple characters, and I haven't found any more complex and intriguing in "mainstream" literature than I have in sci-fi/fantasy.

[Rosemary]

I do read both Fantasy and Science Fiction, although I much prefer the Fantasy books.

There are certain authors from both genres who usually have a very good storyline and these are the ones I will read.

Some things have not changed at all and that is the fact that an older woman is viewed as being rather 'strange' when she admits to reading F & SF. I do not in the least bit feel 'strange' for not reading the 'romances' of Barbara Cartland or Mills and Boon romantic novels.

[SummerStorms]

Well, I'm female and in my early 40's, and have been a fan of science fiction since I was three years old. My dad was a big SF fan and introduced me to Star Trek when it was in first run on American television. From there my fate was sealed. :-) I was reading SF novels and pulp anthologies before I was out of elementary school (so probably by the time I was 8 or 9, definitely before I was 10) and whenever we had to write a short story for school, I'd opt for something with at least overtones of SF. My teachers were amused, I do know that. Well, here I am over 30 years later, still writing SF. Haven't been published yet, but one of these days....

I actually didn't get much into fantasy until I was about 13 or so, and while I will read it and have even attempted to write it (and still might do so again), I'm more of an SF person.

[Dean]

Am male, but the most recent that really grabbed me had a female lead, RimRunners, CJ Cherryh. I suppose it depends on what really seems to work, as a youth I was enthusiastic about the generally female parts portrayed in Asimovs type of fiction, particularly the Robotics genre. But there are places where scifi can use a male hero to allow a reader to experience gender to an extent not generally allowed by societal norms.

[edott]

I would think that except the local science fiction club is dominated by women.

[hermi-nomi]

As a relatively new SFF reader (past 10 years or so) I haven't really noticed the delination between fe/male SFF authors and was suprised that JK Rowling was pushed into using her initials to sell her work rather than her name. Over the past couple of years I have undoubtably read more female authors than male. But then, I read more fantasy than I read sci-fi. Perhaps that is where the divide lies? But I doubt it, I think I only see that divide 'cos I mostly read fantasy.
I think that there is more of a mergance of genres in SFF these days, especially in TV and film ... Serenity is a great reference point for this observation. And I guess this mergance is also spreading into SFF novels ~ say Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrel for example(?)

Definition of SFF fandom? Geeky. I like being a geek. But not a nerd ... nerds are those clever sods who understand all about computers ~ and not just how to tickle the keyboards. Right?