for the horde!
I have yet to finish watching the Pilot of Game of Thrones, although it has been nearly a week since I watched the first half. To be perfectly honest, I am always incredibly tired after therapy mornings, but usually engaging television keeps me awake. Halfway into the episode I had to call it a break so I could take a nap. Not a good sign. I have heard wonderful things, and I know it has high production values, elaborate world building, and a commitment to continuity that support the classification of quality television.
Still, the further I investigate the lore and treatment of female characters, the more skeptical I am that this could be a big fandom for me. I like BAMFy ladies who are critical of power structures, seek out power, desire to make changes in their world, and I like canons that feel similarly towards these types of characters. This isn't to say I won't keep watching, but from what I can tell, the POV of the narrative assumes that the assertiveness of Cersei is her fatal flaw.
This would be far far more disappointing in the world of "OMFG IS THERE NO SCIFI SHOW ON TV THAT I CAN BE IN LOVE WITH THAT ACTUALLY LIKES LADIES?!?!" were it not for the fact that DOCTOR WHO returned this weekend.
SQUEE <333
Not to be a tease, but I'll post on Who later today. (as well as comment on your lovely journal entries)
Anyway, point is: I tried Fringe. I REALLY tried V. Oh man did I want that show to be more/better/everything-er than it was. And I don't like this feeling of desperation that arises every time I see a new genre show pop on the tv-grid, no matter how many dramas & comedies are currently on my watch-list.
I'm tired of being TV's bitch when it comes to scifi and fantasy.
Relatedly, I enjoy reading.
If anyone has any favorite scifi or fantasy books that meet the following criteria, I'd love to hear your recs.
REQUIRED:
- leading female character
- it passes the Bechdel test
PREFERRED:
- smart characters
- heroes or ordinary folk, but no anti-heroes unless they are manpainy women who have to save the world a lot (I'm really really exhausted from the TV trend of characters whose flaws are so deep that they will never truly evolve without the help of a psychotherapist, thus perpetuating the same arc over 5-10 seasons)
- unusual plot structures or narrative devices
- stories that explore Big Questions and Big Ideals, possible subject areas: dismantling systems of oppression; individuality coexisting with community; governance; dissemination of knowledge or learning; non-binary representations of gender and/or sexuality; concepts of time; love beyond romantic love; property and ownership; subjectivity and archive (or memory); relationships between people and animals and environment; relationships between people and technology;
- stories that are more concerned with ethics than morality (unless they are engaging in the distinctions between the two)
- strong prose. full stop. Unfortunately, the promise of a good story does not help me overcome my boredom and frustration while reading.
OTHER RANDOM THINGS I LIKE:
- while I adore the Harry Potter series, there is very little exploration of the HOW of magic. I've been looking for a good fiction series that gets geeky about the metaphysics of magic.
- mythological or legendary creatures besides dragons
- genre mash-ups
THINGS THAT PUT ME OFF:
- less interested in stories structured around a murder mystery
- stories that reproduce contemporary systems of oppression without question, critique, or direct exploration because "that's the way it is" -- not a fun sandbox, imo
- (uncritical) manpain in men
- stories that get Jesus-y. sorry Jesus.
ALSO IF YOU READ ALL OF THAT, YOU ARE THE BEST OF PEOPLE.