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| by Gustave Courtois |
A few years ago, I had the privilege of editing a new anthology series, Lace and Blade, from Norilana Books. The concept was a certain flavor of elegant, romantic sword and sorcery, witty and stylized, sensual yet with plenty of swashbuckling action (think The Scarlet Pimpernel with magic). Because we wanted to release the first volume for Valentine’s Day, I contacted a group of seasoned professional authors, people I could depend on to understand what I was looking for and to deliver top quality stories to deadline. For various reasons, the publisher wanted the second volume to be open submissions. If I'd had any idea what I was getting myself into, I would have refused. Insulated in the world of competent fantasy writers and readers who are versed in the grandeur of writers from J.R.R. Tolkien to Tanith Lee, I was ill-prepared for what mundanes think of when they hear “fantasy.”
Needless to say, when I talk about sexuality or eroticism or
sensuality or gender issues in fantasy, I do not mean pornography. It seems
that for far too many people, sexuality is such an emotionally difficult
subject that instead of facing it honestly, discussing it openly, they shroud
it in prurience and embarrassment, or else turn it into something salacious or
forbidden. Yet just about every human being over the age of puberty has had
sexual feelings (notice my delicate use of qualifiers). So if sexuality in
fantasy does not mean “your most
lascivious and pornographic imaginings, regardless of whether you’d really like
to do these things, because how would
you know what you enjoy if you’ve never been permitted to experiment,” what is
the role of sexuality in fantasy? Does it even have one? Should we keep sex out
of fantasy literature, restrict the love stories to a chaste kiss now and
again, and keep the hero/ine’s mind firmly fixed on nobler causes?
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| by Salvador Viniegra |
What are the attitudes and practices regarding sexuality in
this culture? Is it permissive, repressive, or a combination? Is marriage
live-long or fixed-term? Monogamous, polygamous, polyandrous? Do different
cultures in your world treat love, sexuality, and marriage in the same way?
(For example, how are sexual fidelity and jealousy regarded? Is marriage a
personal or a business relationship? Who determines what is acceptable in sexual
behavior? Have norms changed over time and if so, why? What are the social, moral
or legal consequences of transgressions? Are there times, places, or partners
for whom “anything goes”?
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| by William Blake |
Sexuality has a special role in fantasy stories because of
its universality (or near-universality) in human experience, and its power.
It’s fairly common to use sexual energy as the basis for magic. In some
systems, magicians create power by channeling the sexual energy either of
themselves or of someone else, making sex a necessary part of magical use. But
in other systems, sexual energy and magic are incompatible, leading to painful
choices for characters and societies.
"There was eating in your story" OMO! That is soooooo true. I get that from fellow Christians a lot. Ah me...well, Fellow Christian, I didn't mean to turn you on.
ReplyDeleteIt's almost canon among LGBTQ writers that there is at least one full-on, flat-out sex scene in every story of 10,000 words or more. As with such canonical matters the discussions on the grey areas often take up much more space than the actual canon.
ReplyDeleteThis was a response to the invisibility of positive imagery, let alone anything approaching consensual sexuality in our literature before Stonewall, before Gay Pride, before the second wave of feminism.
The tide turned somewhat as more LGBTQ characters started stepping out from the chorus line, and were able to experience all the aspects of their fantasy or SF adventures.
Personally, I'm all for reading well-written, in-context, sex scenes in my SF/F.
It's also fun to write!
One of the real-life tragedies of not having a vocabulary and skills for talking about sexual feelings and experiences is that we also lose connections between those areas of our lives and our hearts and spirits. This is one of the gifts of storytelling -- that we can show -- and learn -- the many, complicated, and sometimes painful ways people deal with sexual energy.
ReplyDeleteCarole, as a Christian, what do you make of the imagery in The Long Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross? To me, it's frankly erotic in its descriptions.
A lot of medieval religious poetry uses imagery that to us sounds actually sensual and/or physically erotic. St John of the Cross is well-known, but only one. May come from the much-used image of Christ as the lover of the Christian, which turns up in everything from Piers Plowman to Bach, and also of Christ as the Groom, and the Church (or individual Christians) as the Bride.
ReplyDeleteWe welcome the Sabbath as a Bride, and it is particularly meritorious to delight one's spouse on Friday nights (although, according to the Talmud, men who engage in physically exhausting occupations have a less frequent obligation, as do sailors and camel drovers). And there's no getting around the sensuality of the Song of Songs.
ReplyDeleteSong of Solomon etc. I don't think Christians are bothered by sexuality and Christian imagery as it pertains to Christ. It's just the "I didn't mean to turn you on" factor. I think the last sexual Christian book I read was Mariette in Ecstasy.
ReplyDeleteFoz Meadows recently posted a piece discussing the need for positive portrayals of sex (in YA).
ReplyDeleteMileage might vary into how much detail is wanted/needed for any story, but I definitely feel that it helps a great deal to readers to see sexuality dealt with in a positive, mutual manner.
http://fozmeadows.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/why-ya-sex-scenes-matter/