Quote:
Originally Posted by Amiieey
My take on toxic masculinity: in fantasy fiction - male heroes are often expected to want to fight all the time, to win all the time, to always want to be so manly and whatnot. They can feel that way, but my point is, wouldn't it be a bit more interesting if we didn't have this line of thinking all the time? A lot of stories seem to insinuate that if a character isn't masculine enough, if they don't want to fight and win enough, they're viewed as effeminate, unheroic and unsuitable for a hero. Which makes no sense to me.. Would be more fun to see them lose and have some other interests too. Same goes for female characters that are often cast as villains or damsels in distress. Thankfully this trend is changing. ...
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Okay, I've got your meaning now. I don't read these kind of stories. I think what you're saying is that you want your male characters well rounded and deeper. I agree with that. The "all brawn, no brain" characters might work as sidekicks or comic relief (kind of like how "Jane" was used in
Firefly), but they would be boring as "all get-out" as the protagonist. I like characters like Odd Thomas (or several other Dean Koontz characters (male or female) I've just discovered). A lot more interesting. Or even the characters in
Lord of the Rings, who were basically anti-heroes.
Some people were talking highly about Baen Books so I downloaded one of their sample (free) books ... I'm guessing this might be what you're talking about as the main character seems to be "military" (one dimensional) all the time. I'm guessing this one is not going to get read. ...
(Well, time to help my boy finish installing a new toilet, just taking a break from carrying out the old one. ... Seriously.)