Lesbian werewolves on Dear Author*

[naomi_jay]

There's an interesting review/discussion going on over at Dear Author right now. Jill Sorenson reviews The Midnight Hunt by LL Raand and rates it a DNF (did not finish):
.
The raw animalism and overwhelming masculinity of the characters, disturbed me. About halfway through, I quit reading.

Sorenson opens her review by noting that I’m not a lesbian. My opinion on your character’s sexuality or how you choose to portray it carries little or no weight,

As a straight female writer who's best known (if known at all) for SILVER KISS, a novel featuring a strong gay cast and starring a lesbian werewolf, I find this comment fascinating. The implication seems to be that unless you're gay yourself, you can't offer any constructive criticism on a gay novel. It's like apologising in advance and giving the author permission to dismiss everything Sorenson says.

 In the comment thread, one commenter says that I think if you don’t like lesbian sex then you really shouldn’t be reading and reviewing the book, which hits me as drastically unfair. Leaving aside that I've read plenty of straight sex scenes that squicked me (Anita Blake, I'm looking at you), since when did being a lesbian become a requirement for reading lesbian fiction? Anymore than, say being American Indian was a requirement for reading books about American Indians or (pushing the point, I know), being a vampire was a requirement for reading a vampire novel?

Another interesting comment from the thread:

...as a straight reviewer of lesbian for a long time now, it is hard to review a book in which sexuality and gender roles are not a personal experience. I’ve felt the same as you in that I’ve wondered if I’ve had the right to review lesbian as a straight person. And I’m sure I’ve gone off the mark or said some things that a lesbian would be like, “what?”

I don't want to dismiss anyone's opinions here, but it irritates me to think, whilst there's a massive market for m/m romances read largely by straight women, that there's an apparent feeling that lesbian books should only be for lesbian readers. For one thing, that would mean I shouldn't be writing any more Urban Wolf books and that would make me sad. For another, I like to think anyone could pick up SILVER KISS and enjoy it, regardless of who or what they are.

In any case, it seems to me that Sorenson's reasons for disliking The Midnight Hunt are nothing to do with the characters' sexuality (she frequently reviews lesbian fiction for Dear Author), and all to do with the execution of the premise and the flaws she found in the plot:

I also thought Sylvan’s characterization was weak. Weres are hypersexual beings, needing constant physical release. If they don’t mate, or at least copulate, they can become violent and unstable ...Sylvan is reluctant to see to her own needs ... Sylvan decides she’d rather be alone forever than risk losing a partner.

The Alpha’s sexual frustration is bad for the pack. Her needy scent can trigger a snarling hump-fest by sending all of the females into heat and causing dominant members to fight for mating rights. I had trouble believing that Sylvan would continue to deny herself release and jeopardize the safety of her pack.

And whilst she does say that she struggled with the portrayal of sexuality in the book, again I don't think that means she's measuring all lesbian fiction by this one novel, and that all lesbian fiction is squicky to her. And the "don't like it, don't read it," mantra just pisses me off. It's decidedly unhelpful.

Someone else asks:

... where is that line between other-ing a character because you come from a certain POV and honestly speaking about your ability to empathize with a book?

Now this is an issue that I've seen before. Anyone remember #racefail? The YA Whitewashing Affair? It's so hard to take a sensitive subject of any kind - be it sexuality or race - and bring it in a public arena where personal opinion comes into play. A book is subjective. People will bring their own experiences and expectations to it, and there's nothing a writer can do about that except write the best book they can and hope. But if you comment negatively on a book that contains one of these sensitive subjects, it seems that people will immediately assume your issue is with that subject, not the writing, the characterisation, or whatever. They assume you're saying "this gay book didn't work for because it's a gay book," not "this gay book didn't work for me because I couldn't connect with the protagonist."

It feels like an impossible problem to solve to me. One of the things I've worried most about with the Urban Wolf books is whether my gay characters will ring true, given my own sexuality, and whether I'll be judged as the author because of my sexuality. In the end I kind of made peace with it by deciding that all I could do was write characters who felt true to me and let the readers judge the job I'd done. So far, the response has been great, so I guess I did fine.

I was delighted to see The Midnight Hunt up for review on Dear Author, A) because it's on my TBR pile, and B) because I'm very interested in reading lesbian UF/PNR, and I don't see the genre given a lot of exposure on mainstream blogs. It would be a massive shame if reviews like Sorenson stopped reviewing lesbian fiction because she feels, as a straight woman, she can't offer a fair review.

*I tried so hard to come up with something snappier than that for a title

Comments

[nathreee.livejournal.com]

I think if you don’t like lesbian sex then you really shouldn’t be reading and reviewing the book

I read that like: if you don't like Sci-fi, you shouldn't read and review Peter F Hamilton books. If you don't like high fantasy, you shouldn't complain about all the magic in Robert Jordan books. And if you don't like to read stories about two girls getting it on, why are you reading lesbian werewolf stories?

Of course everyone is entitled to an opinion, but some things are linked to taste. Personally, I don't like to read about sex. So I won't be picking up any romance or erotica anytime soon, and I haven't read a lot of that, so I don't have much of an opinion about that genre. It's not my thing. That's fine, right?

Isn't that what some of those people are saying?

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

I think it's perfectly valid argument up to a point. I don't care for sci-fi, so I don't go looking for it to read for pleasure. When it comes around in my critique group, on the other hand, I read the chapters and try to offer whatever constructive criticism I can, leaving aside that I don't know much about the genre. But I'm never going to be crazy about spaceships and aliens in books, and yeah, that is fine.

I think the reason it annoyed me here is because Jill Sorenson does like and look for lesbian fiction. So the argument just seems reactionary to me, and I don't think it contributed much to the discussion.

[intothenyght.livejournal.com]

I think it's all about developing a relationship and having the reader care about that relationship regardless if its hetero- or homosexual. It's about the connection not if both characters have a vagina or a penis. I think if you can make the reader care about the character and what they're feeling, then you've achieved your goal.

I've read about both hetero- and homosexual relationships and my sentiments are the same about both. I don't think its hard to relate to love or caring about someone, regardless of their sex!

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Yep, that's how I feel!

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

I've read about both hetero- and homosexual relationships and my sentiments are the same about both. I don't think its hard to relate to love or caring about someone, regardless of their sex!

Perfectly said!!

[intothenyght.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you agree! :D

[mermaiden.livejournal.com]

That IS frustrating. :/ For me, the idea that it's probably best to be gay and read gay books, and they're not all that accessible to straight people perpetuates the idea that we're somehow different from straights. I mean, okay, I'm attracted to ladies--but I'm not an alien. My love and deep bond with my wife could be understood by anyone if they looked past the idea that we're both women. That's the exact same way it is with stories. I don't write GAY BOOKS, I write books with gay characters in them, and ANYONE can read them and enjoy them--you don't have to be a card carrying lesbian. :P Oy, oy, oy, I'm telling you, Naomi. Oy.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

the idea that it's probably best to be gay and read gay books, and they're not all that accessible to straight people perpetuates the idea that we're somehow different from straights

This! This is what I wanted to say but wasn't quite eloquent enough for, lol.

My love and deep bond with my wife could be understood by anyone if they looked past the idea that we're both women. That's the exact same way it is with stories. I don't write GAY BOOKS, I write books with gay characters in them

Also this - I write about people first. Whether they're gay or straight, human or werewolf, they're all people and we should all be able to empathise with that!

[naeko.livejournal.com]

The retarded reverse of "if you're not gay, dont read gay fiction" is the fact that you're also saying, "if you're not straight, don't read straight fiction." The latter would have an entire Internet on your ass, so why doesn't the former get the same treatment?

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

I think there's always just one person who has to throw out the "if you're not X, don't do X" argument, whatever the subject. It's like that argument then makes it your fault you didn't get/enjoy whatever X was. I'm not sure I made sense there...

[naeko.livejournal.com]

You made sense, don't worry!

[dwg.livejournal.com]

Personally, I love that there's more diverse maine characters happening in genre fiction, and this is slowly making its way toward mainstream.

But I am making >:\ faces at some of the comments in that post because it sorta looks like no, you can't have an opinion about, write, or read certain things unless you've got the right credentials. I have no idea what even amounts to the 'right' credentials, but by golly the internet will tell me if I'm wrong. That kind of attitude makes me horribly uncomfortable.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Yep. It makes me very wary of expressing any serious opinion online because someone is bound to tell me I'm wrong and here's why, and I can't deal with conflict. *cries*

But yeah, I love that I'm starting to find more diversity in genre, and I don't want to feel like I have to pass some kind of secret test before I'm allowed to talk about it.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

I think part of it is Sorenson going out of her way to say "I'm not a lesbian, I don't want to offend anyone with my views," and people are picking up on that instead of what she's saying about the book itself. It's a great intention to not want to upset people, but the review would have gone down a whole lot better if she hadn't mentioned that.

[spiderling.livejournal.com]

I think it's fine to read or not read what you want but if you're honestly trying to review a book don't lead with a disclaimer. Humans don't really vary a lot from place to place, prefference to prefference. I agree it sounds like the reviewer's issue with the book have less to do with the lesbians and more to do with some gaping plotholez.

[yolandasfetsos.livejournal.com]

I find this really strange, and don't understand why it's even an issue. *scratches head* If a story grabs me and the characters interest me, I don't care what race/sexuality/color/etc they are. It makes no difference, and it shouldn't. A good story is a good story. Full stop.

I can't wait to read this book and the main character's a lesbian. Makes no difference to me, the story sounds awesome. And of course, I'm looking forward to reading your Urban Wolf books. :)
BTW, well said!

[katherineokelly.livejournal.com]

Ooof. I can relate to characters even if I don't personally resemble them.

I think it's insulting to readers' intelligence to assume that there's no market for gay books among straight readers, protagonists of color among white readers, female protagonists among male readers, etc. I daresay most of us can think & empathize outside our own experience.

ESPECIALLY in paranormal/SF/F genre. I read what I read because I like reading about characters, settings, and culture that are far different from my own. The thought of reading only about characters and situations in my own experience--white twenty-something women writers living in suburbia--sounds boring as hell. Bring on the effing queer monsters already.

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

Bring on the effing queer monsters already.

Hell yeah!

[allison moon (from livejournal.com)]

I agree with everyone's sentiments here. It seemed to me from the review that Dear Author wasn't reacting to the fact that it was lesbian sex, but what kind of sex it was. To assume that lesbian sex is some sort of indistinct monolith is just silly.
Not knowing the writer, it sounds to me more like she was triggered by the way the sex was portrayed, not who was doing it.

And yes, let's keep it up with the lesbian werewolves, shall we?

[naomi-jay.livejournal.com]

let's keep it up with the lesbian werewolves, shall we?

I'm certainly doing my bit! :)