Writing Fiction: Women and Post-Apocalyptic / Dystopian Fiction

Hello. So, as a writer who has recently finished a dystopian piece of speculative fiction, I wanted to talk about how this popular genre is very revealing in its examination of women. Often victims of a violent world, women also become explicit prisoners of their ability to give birth - critical in landscapes where birth rates are devastated. All great for pertinent observations of society today. But in DARKNESS I'm trying to do something different, and have women as the perpetrators of violence and have women push to challenge that victim status.

[Hyzentley]

Thank you for this analysis. Very interesting and very scary. Your book concept sounds really fascinating and like a new perspective too, but I fear with all the attacks on women today it hits to close to home for me

[eattheright]

I'm writing a post-apocalyptic novels and I'm looking at developing realistic gender roles and how roles will play out in my novel. I think you have missed the conditioning of women and men into their gender roles. For example, many women faced with the potential of unrelenting violence and fear will volunteerly mate with the strongest and most powerful man in their community.

How do we know this? It the past two general elections in the USA, the majority of white women voted for the party with all the guns despite the GOP/Republican Party looking to ban abortion and curtail the rights of women. So, 57% of white women voted for Trump even though he was running against Hillary Clinton.

Also, there's the whole issue of class. In a post-apocalyptic world - those with the power, education, and materials will emerge as the rulers and no egotistical man will seek to rule without a woman and a family around him. Now, how do we know this? Most truly powerful men are always married and always have children. Elon Musk might not be married now, but he has 13 children and counting.

Gender roles and class dynamics will play out in the same way in a post-apocalyptic world.

[arithmetikmilitantpoetry]

is this feminist science fiction? I will read this because i believe you might be the first author i came across not oozing with misandry. cool i will order this it sounds really cool!

[angryrabidfoxes]

But what about how to write an obscenely gory scene