Women in Fantasy

Women in Fantasy and Speculative Fiction

This category is specifically dedicated to women in fantasy and speculative fiction. This will address the portrayal of women in fantasy, female fantasy tropes and characters in significant works of fantasy and speculative fiction. As fantasy often reflects modern society, female characters often experience the same problems as women face today. These topics include gender discrimination, sex role stereotypes, the objectification of women, and sexual violence. My goal is to bring awareness of the role of women in fantasy without being obnoxiously social justice preachy.

Female Stereotypes and Fantasy Tropes

In some ways, the fantasy genre is the last bastion of outdated gender roles and sex role stereotypes. While this is beginning to changes with authors like Brandon Sanderson and Ian C. Esslemont, female characters are still more likely to be written as a caricature and stereotyped as either the helpless damsel in distress, the whore with a heart of gold, or the "strong female" which is often written more like a male with breasts or as a scantily clad barbarian. Here, we'll explore the continuing evolution of the female character in fantasy and speculative fiction. We'll also discuss female fantasy authors, their journey as an author, and thr obstacles they overcame to become a published fantasy author.