Do you read books by authors of your own gender? - Page 11

GraceKrispy · 09-21-2010, 02:13 AM

It doesn't make a difference to me what gender the authors is, but I just realized that I feel the need to know what gender the author is. I assume the gender.

Sometimes I'll be reading a story and I realize I've been assuming the author is one gender, say male, and something in the storyline makes me think it's actually a female writing. So I check.

I'm not sure why I think like this. Heck, I'm not sure why I think a lot of the ways I think

Bet some of you might not be sure either...

(and I really do like a wide variety of genres, sometimes surprising myself by liking a genre I thought I wouldn't like at all, so that gives me access to a variety of authors of each gender)

Sparrow · 09-21-2010, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I do think the discussion is interesting. But as I pointed out earlier, the genre you read will dictate the chances of most authors being male or female.

I'm wondering if a preference for 'male' or 'female' genres might not be pretty much the same thing as a preference for male or female authors.

FlorenceArt · 09-21-2010, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I'm wondering if a preference for 'male' or 'female' genres might not be pretty much the same thing as a preference for male or female authors.

There has to be a link, otherwise why would some genres be so unbalanced in terms of author's sex?

jes1 · 09-21-2010, 11:48 AM

I don't even know the gender of many authors I read, since they use initials or a gender neutral first name. Pseudonyms make it even harder. I believe I have a few more female authors on my TBR list than male, but that may not be true. At this time, I am reading more paranormal, urban fantasy, and romance, which would explain that bias. In the past my obsessions have been horror, science fiction and fantasy, so male authors dominated at that time.

SameOldStory · 09-21-2010, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I'm wondering if a preference for 'male' or 'female' genres might not be pretty much the same thing as a preference for male or female authors.

You may be right. Perhaps you should start a poll of genres with female/ male indicating which genre they prefer.

Looking at the stats on MR for men and women (as of right now) we have this;

Female
Taking the female total of 74 votes we have;
Prefer female authors = .16% (12 votes)
Prefer male authors = ....4% (3 votes)
No clear gender bias = ..80% (59 votes)

Male
Taking the male total of 105 votes we have;
Prefer male authors = ....24% (25 votes)
Prefer female authors = ...4% (4 votes)
No clear gender bias = ...72% (76 votes)

SameOldStory · 09-21-2010, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jes1

I don't even know the gender of many authors I read, since they use initials or a gender neutral first name. Pseudonyms make it even harder. I believe I have a few more female authors on my TBR list than male, but that may not be true. At this time, I am reading more paranormal, urban fantasy, and romance, which would explain that bias. In the past my obsessions have been horror, science fiction and fantasy, so male authors dominated at that time.

One of the first authors that I first read for enjoyment was Andre Norton. And even though I know her real name, Alice Mary Norton, I still think of her as Andre Norton. But would it have mattered if I had known that when I started to read her books? Not at all.

Like you I've read different genres at different times in my life. It never mattered one bit if the author was male or female.

JSWolf · 09-23-2010, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

You may be right. Perhaps you should start a poll of genres with female/ male indicating which genre they prefer.

Looking at the stats on MR for men and women (as of right now) we have this;

Female
Taking the female total of 74 votes we have;
Prefer female authors = .16% (12 votes)
Prefer male authors = ....4% (3 votes)
No clear gender bias = ..80% (59 votes)

Male
Taking the male total of 105 votes we have;
Prefer male authors = ....24% (25 votes)
Prefer female authors = ...4% (4 votes)
No clear gender bias = ...72% (76 votes)

Sorry, but the word prefer as used in the poll is incorrect. As we've read, most people here do not prefer a male or a female author. It's just that what is liked is written mostly by male or female authors (but not in all cases). So really, we don't (overall) prefer one sex to another.

JSWolf · 09-23-2010, 11:28 AM

Duplicate post

SameOldStory · 09-23-2010, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Sorry, but the word prefer as used in the poll is incorrect. As we've read, most people here do not prefer a male or a female author. It's just that what is liked is written mostly by male or female authors (but not in all cases). So really, we don't (overall) prefer one sex to another.

Sorry, Jon. I thought that we agreed?

From post #149

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

To your question.

I don't "prefer" one or the other.

But I no longer care for fantasy, and never could read more than a page or two of "Romance". And what ever the total percentage of female writers there are, I'm willing to bet that a very large number of them write to those two genres. And probably "Paranormal Romance", which I avoid like the plague. Another genre I rarely read any more is Detective/Mystery. That too, probably has a fair number of women authors.

So in the end, it's not that I prefer one, or the other. It's the fact that fewer women write in the genres I now prefer. Just as JSWolf said.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

It's OK, Ea. The only well done poll I've seen on MR is my Pet Poll.

Seriously, the poll question, "Do you general prefer to read books by authors of you own gender?" was fine. This isn't a classroom, and some leeway can easily be given.

jamesread · 09-23-2010, 03:33 PM

This thread is sexist.

FlorenceArt · 09-23-2010, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesread

This thread is sexist.

That's an interesting assertion. How can a thread be sexist? This is a discussion. Have you read it?

jamesread · 09-23-2010, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

That's an interesting assertion. How can a thread be sexist? This is a discussion. Have you read it?

It implies that there is or should be favoritism involved in who readers select to read based on gender bias and not necessarily on quality of individual authors.

TGS · 09-23-2010, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesread

It implies that there is or should be favoritism involved in who readers select to read based on gender bias and not necessarily on quality of individual authors.

It doesn't, but if it did it wouldn't thereby be sexist.

jamesread · 09-23-2010, 04:54 PM

You have a point.

Elfwreck · 09-23-2010, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesread

It implies that there is or should be favoritism involved in who readers select to read based on gender bias and not necessarily on quality of individual authors.

As mentioned, it does not.

If it implied there should be a gender bias, that could be sexist. If it implied that there *is* a gender bias, based on people's reading habits, how would it be sexist to point out that bias?

View Poll Results: Do you generall prefer to read books by authors of you own gender?
I'm a woman and prefer to read books by women authors	17	8.17%
I'm a woman and prefer to read books by men authors	4	1.92%
I'm a woman and there is no clear gender bias to the authors I read	64	30.77%
I'm a man and prefer to read books by men authors	26	12.50%
I'm a man and prefer to read books by women authors	4	1.92%
I'm a man and there is no clear gender bias to the authors I read	86	41.35%
My gender is undetermined, and I read books primarily by women authors	0	0%
My gender is undetermined, and I read books primarily by men authors	1	0.48%
My gender is undetermined, and there is no clear gender bias to the authors of the books I read	6	2.88%
Voters: 208. You may not vote on this poll

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Espionage authors you (and I) should read	dougbiss	Reading Recommendations	107	07-17-2013 10:26 PM
Fantasy authors you (and I) should NEVER read	Dr. Drib	Reading Recommendations	307	08-22-2011 07:58 PM
Sci-fi authors you (and I) should NEVER read	Dr. Drib	Reading Recommendations	186	03-11-2011 09:03 PM
Fantasy authors you (and I) should read	dougbiss	Reading Recommendations	65	08-23-2010 10:29 AM
Sci-fi authors you (and I) should read	dougbiss	Reading Recommendations	39	11-14-2009 07:48 AM

09-21-2010, 02:13 AM	#151
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	It doesn't make a difference to me what gender the authors is, but I just realized that I feel the need to know what gender the author is. I assume the gender. Sometimes I'll be reading a story and I realize I've been assuming the author is one gender, say male, and something in the storyline makes me think it's actually a female writing. So I check. I'm not sure why I think like this. Heck, I'm not sure why I think a lot of the ways I think Bet some of you might not be sure either... (and I really do like a wide variety of genres, sometimes surprising myself by liking a genre I thought I wouldn't like at all, so that gives me access to a variety of authors of each gender)

09-21-2010, 11:48 AM	#154
jes1 Zealot Posts: 139 Karma: 698 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Device: Astak EZReader, Dell Axim x50v, iPod Touch, nook	I don't even know the gender of many authors I read, since they use initials or a gender neutral first name. Pseudonyms make it even harder. I believe I have a few more female authors on my TBR list than male, but that may not be true. At this time, I am reading more paranormal, urban fantasy, and romance, which would explain that bias. In the past my obsessions have been horror, science fiction and fantasy, so male authors dominated at that time.

09-23-2010, 11:28 AM	#158
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,771 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Duplicate post

09-23-2010, 03:33 PM	#160
jamesread Banned Posts: 59 Karma: 22 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: none	This thread is sexist.

09-23-2010, 04:54 PM	#164
jamesread Banned Posts: 59 Karma: 22 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: none	You have a point.

Advert

Advert