The Truth Behind the Fiction

Well, at least in PNYA he has an excuse for being a monumental jerk, in that he's not actually human. Which I think is another backwards way of saying that human men are monumental jerks who can't be expected to behave morally.

Even genetically it has its pros and cons. A male who beats his mate and offspring lowers their chance of survival (and may increase her tendency to mate with other males) which seriously hurts his chance of passing on his genes.

And some environmental challenges respond better to cooperation than single combat.

Genetics is rarely clear-cut. There are always checks and balances.

*ponder* I actually have a setting where that dichotomy is one of the underlying themes. The Whispering Sands Desert is kind of an edgy place to survive, especially because people think the high desert is beautiful and even though you can't live full-time in open dunes they love to go there. The Daughters of the Wind, and eventually Waterjewel, followed the principle of cooperation; together they could survive where violence and individuality would fail. The bandit tribes followed the principle of ruthless practicality; they can't afford to carry anyone who can't pull their own weight or destabilizes their culture. But both methods work, just in different ways and for different people.

Waterjewel accretes more over the centuries, though.

>> women still like to fantasize about jerks but feel more comfy if they can't help it because they're vamps/weres/demons, etc. rather than mundane assholes.<<

Maybe that's how some women feel about their hormones. "Oh no! He smelled so sexy, my ape-brain ran away with the vagina while my fore-brain was still listing reasons why he's No Good!"

>>I think it's more that we are finding daily life unsatisfying, and so entering fictionally into worlds in which there are more possibilities- especially for plucky women who can kick butt- helps us get through boring and overly-responsible days.<<

Also true; not just unsatisfying but insecure. Sometimes it's nice to be able to kill the things that are ruining your life.

I would still like to see more characters in play who are actually likable people worth spending time with. I swear I'm getting washed out of more books these days because there are no characters I want to be around. I try to have at least one character in all my stories that I'd enjoy having a cup of tea with, or something.

>> "Human nature is what we were put on earth to rise above." Yeah, partly this is a joke... but partly I really believe it. If we do not aspire- what's the point??? <<

Good point.

>> I may not be an armed kick-ass heroine, but if i'm reading a novel about such I want her NOT to be an asshole! <<

I'm seeing more and more Obnoxious Bitch protagonists these days, nearly interchangeable personalities. That's not what I want as a steady diet. Also, I'm wondering when writers will remember that a woman can be strong without having to be crude. I mean, look at Cordelia Naismith-Vorkosigan. She has class ... and even the testosterone-poisoned Barrayarans eventually learned not to light the lady's fuse.