I was not that impressed with Monstrous Regiment. It seemed to suffer from too much of its main premise. Truth is a good one that doesn't need a lot of backstory.

There's a couple of jokes that make more sense if you have some of the City Watch backstory, but on the whole, yeah. Same with whachamacallit, the one with Glom of Nigt.

Given the recent Discworld talk, I think some of you should check out this post from a friend of mine. She wants to organize a U.S. Discworld Con. Terry promises to come.

I'm reading a book by a male author, which is somewhat unusual for me (with a few notable exceptions, e.g. my Patrick O'Brian glom from last year). It's not that I have a conscious bias against male authors, but A) I read a lot of romance, and B) even in other genres I tend to be drawn to female protagonists, so I tend to pick mostly books by women.

I'm enjoying the book tremendously, but something about the two female characters I've met so far is really rubbing me the wrong way. It's not like they're flawed while the men are perfect--everyone in this story is pretty damn messed up in one way or another. But the women don't quite seem real, more like projections of male wishes and fears. I'm not naming the author, because it's still early enough in the book that the characterization may improve. Also, it may be that the unreality of the female characters is a reflection of the male protagonist's shallowness and immaturity at this point in the story. If further reading of this book or others by the same author lead me to that conclusion, I'll happily change my opinion from, "He doesn't get women--does he even like us?" to, "Damn, he's good. Must take notes for own growth as a writer."

But it's got me musing on the larger topic of how men write women and how women write men. While I've certainly encountered woman authors who can't write men well, I've also read many whose men seem realistic--at least going by my outside observer's perspective on what makes for a realistic man! I've had less luck with finding male authors who write women well--even some of my favorites just don't seem to quite get women.

So. I wondered how much of this is just my perspective as a woman. Do the men here have the same complaints about women authors just not getting them? Or am I just not reading the right male authors?

Susan, in too many romances I find the men to be complete fantasy projections of what the author wants (or maybe assumes her readership wants). But then the women are sometimes too romanticized for me, too.

In terms of male authors, I'm like you -- I don't read many. I always found Stephen King, strangely, to write women pretty well.

You know, you're right about King. And I get the same vibe off his nonfiction--that he likes and understands women.

You're also right that romance men can be fantasy projections. I try really hard to make my men real, but I'm probably guilty, too. I mean, what woman wouldn't want a Jack of her very own? The man's smart, thoughtful, good sense of humor, a generous lover, can kick serious ass when an action hero is called for, etc. But I try really hard to make him (and my other heroes) a guy too.

What gets me most are the sex scenes, where the guys are never rushed or, well, swept up. It's all, "Are you all right, my precious? Have I hurt you?" Ugh.

And the guys who are happy to talk, whenever and wherever, about their feelings. At length.

Romance guys *should* be heroes, and part of being heroes is being a little more sensitive and generally wonderful, but I want the guy to at least seem like I could meet him on the street.

What gets me most are the sex scenes, where the guys are never rushed or, well, swept up. It's all, "Are you all right, my precious? Have I hurt you?" Ugh.

Hee. I had a list of words you'll never see in a romance novel sex scene. (Current favourite: Grunties.) I think 'premature ejaculation' can be added to the list.

I think I'm fine by those criteria. My guys get good and swept up in the moment on a regular basis, and even when they're self-aware about their feelings, don't spend a lot of time talking about them.

Sean Stewart also writes good women, as does Greg Rucka. Earl Emerson, however, does not. Oy.