Quote:
Originally Posted by Apache
The use of initials and masculine names was very prevalent in the 1950's and 1960's. How many boys or men would have first picked up a Science Fiction or Fantasy book by Alice Mary Norton?
Apache
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Well, even when I was young I followed the same practice as now-I pay attention to the author if I've previously read books by him/her, otherwise I don't care who wrote it-much less do I care whether it was a man or woman. So yes, as a young boy I would have cheerfully read books by Alice Mary Norton-some of them, at least. (I've never been all that fond of her Witch World series although the first few were OK.)
Thinking about it I suspect the difference is in the 'stars'. Males probably prefer male heroes and women authors probably write more about female 'heroes'. This, if true, would lead to a gender distinction in book buying but not based on the gender of the author.
Also, before I get too hung up on the actual gender of the stars consider that it's the gender role (stereotype, probably) that's more important than the actual gender. I've read (and enjoyed) much military SF with female heroes-but the gender role (violence) is still a male stereotype.