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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by choihanna@lemmy.zip to c/fiction@literature.cafe

I've noticed this in many fantasy, horror and supernatural books. It doesn't matter if the author is a man or a woman, they always write a scene that isn't really important to the story and repeat it many times in their work for no reason.

I'll give the examples and if you have read their books you'll know what I'm talking about; George RR Martin, Stephen King, Diana Galdon.

As far as I know Lord of the rings is safe from this, tho I'm not sure because I haven't read nor seen the movies due to a lack of female characters in the story, but I'm sure plenty of you can confirm.

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[-] speendle@feddit.uk 33 points 1 week ago

Unrelated to your original question, and not something I particularly want or intend to disparage you over, or discuss further - each to their own and all that - but I’d just be wary of dismissing entire works purely based on your perception of how women are represented, without taking into account the society in which they were written and the worlds in which they were set - I think you’ll make your life poorer for it. If anything, why not read it to see if it confirms your original impression? Plus, as I’m sure you’re aware, in LOTR there are a number of powerful and plot vital female characters, including Galadriel, Éowyn and even Shelob :)

I adore the idea that Shelob is a powerful female character, and not just a monster

[-] choihanna@lemmy.zip -2 points 1 week ago

Girl, I'm just not reading something I can't relate to. It's so easy to say this when you're a man and most of the fictional works are catering to you.

[-] essell@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

It's entirely possible reading stuff you can't relate to is how you come to be able to relate to it.

People are more than their gender, we can relate to each other on some many levels, so many ways, and we're missing out on human connections of all kinds if that's limited.

[-] dismay3915@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago

"I haven't read nor seen the movies due to a lack of female characters in the story," might be one of the most deranged things I've read this week.

[-] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Name one woman in Lord of the Rings.

I mean, ignoring Éowyn, Galadriel, and Arwen.

And maybe also ignore Rosie Cotton, some of the other women hobbits that I can't remember, or Shelob.

I bet you can't. Check mate.

[-] dismay3915@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

I think they should also add at least 6 female characters to the "12 angry men" remake.

[-] TubularTittyFrog@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

can't let reality get in the way of your perception that everyone is sexist and evil.

but also this account is a troll account.

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

I'll give the examples

Please do.

[-] choihanna@lemmy.zip 0 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Daenerys Targaryen getting raped by Drogo and her liking it... She's 14, with detailed descriprions of her boobs.

Outlander, a whole chapter of the male protagonist getting raped and tortured in explicit ways, the next chapter we start with the rape of a 10 year old boy also very explicit.

In IT there's a kid's gangbang, a group of boys taking turns on the only female protagonist.

Need anything else?

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Nope that’s fine. Thank you.

[-] FishFace@piefed.social 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

People put themselves into their work. It shouldn't be surprising. I think if you broaden your quest you'll find many "unimportant to the story" things besides fetishes repeated by many authors.

Things unimportant to the story make the story interesting. It's the difference between reading a novelisation of something and the Wikipedia article - if you want the latter in fiction, just stick to Brando Sando!

[-] rhymeswithduck@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago

Lol, Brando Sando has all his main characters obsessing over their own morality. That always seemed weird and mormon-esque.

[-] choihanna@lemmy.zip -2 points 1 week ago

So Stephen King writing about underage kids taking turns on the only female protagonist isn't weird at all to you. Because unnecessary things add so much to the story.

[-] FishFace@piefed.social 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I didn't say it's not weird. Maybe you could re-read?

[-] naught101@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

Not really? If you can, then why not?

(I don't know the scenes you're taking about though)

[-] choihanna@lemmy.zip -2 points 1 week ago

They're not just any fetish, it usually involves non consensual stuff happening to people in specific ways and described in sexualized ways. In the case of George RR Martin he sometimes describes the r*pe of underage girls in a sexualized way, putting too much details in the description of their chests.

[-] Zorque@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Ohhh, i thought it was going to be his obsession with peas porridge.

[-] Hazel@piefed.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 week ago

Oh LotR wasn't safe from this, Tolkien definitely had a thirst for those big hairy Hobbit feet.

[-] VitoRobles@lemmy.today 7 points 1 week ago

Mate, you're going to need to be specific because your third paragraph is a yellow flag and I'm curious what you think is a fetish now.

[-] choihanna@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 week ago

How is it a yellow flag...

[-] dkppunk@piefed.social 5 points 1 week ago

Honestly? No, I don’t see that. I’ve read over 300 books over the last few years, quite a few were even romance novels, but I don’t see what you are referring to. Authors often use trauma as a plot device for character growth and story development, sometimes it gets a bit tropey, which is probably what you are referring to as a “fetish”.

Now if you want more fetish books, you’ll want to get into the BDSM/dark romance books. Those have lots of delicious fetishes in them.

[-] riskable@programming.dev 5 points 1 week ago

Who else is going to write their fetishes?

You want something done right, you do it yourself! 😁

[-] SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago
[-] hanrahan@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 week ago

horse cocks accordingly to South Park

[-] MantisToboggon@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Edging people.

[-] choihanna@lemmy.zip -2 points 1 week ago

Underage girls getting raped and eunuchs getting mutilated

[-] SpruceBringsteen@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

It's been a good time since I've done a reread but as I remember in the books Dany's experiences with Drogo are unfortunately critical in forming her character. She's essentially sold into slavery by her brother and it is the driving reason why she goes on an emancipation crusade across the continent. The first scene in the book is the most graphic and in the moment. From there on her abuse is increasingly alluded to without giving a specific play by play. And each time her POV is revisited, it's of her carving out more room in that relationship by the limited means she's afforded. I could see it if Martin was increasingly putting her in those situations, but Dany's story is very much her insuring the she and no one else is put in that same predicament.

Writing a graphic scene depicting rape doesn't necessarily make Martin a fetishist towards it. You take umbrage that there are sexual elements in the depiction, but it's an act of sexual violence. It is both inherently sexual and violent. But what are the indications that it's something Martin himself enjoyed?

Theon's mutilation happens once. Varys exists as a eunuch, but it isn't an event you visit.

Sorry, but I don't see it as something Martin is revisiting over and over. If anything he's removing his main character from those situations as the story progresses. Unless I'm forgetting a character other than Dany? I mean rape is an element in the books, but it's only with Dany that you're actually brought into the moment.

[-] FluidBeef@quokk.au 2 points 1 week ago

Anyone else think this was going to be about Piers Anthony?

[-] BaraCoded@literature.cafe 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Author here. Careful, some of us are very aware of what we put and don't put in our books. It's baiting and hooking.

[-] kibblebits@quokk.au 0 points 1 week ago

Like how Steven King wants to fuck middle school aged girls while everyone on earth urinates themselves simultaneously.

this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2026
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