By Annabelle Clare.
I talk a lot about books. They’re the cornerstone of my life, the start and the end of every day. They’re my primary form of escape and my absolute favourite hobby. But whenever I start talking about some of my favourite series, I feel almost embarrassed. I’ll be deep in a great conversation about reading, until the second I mention loving ACOTAR or how much I cried during the Throne of Glass series (SO much, by the way), where I’m met almost exclusively with the same reaction – really? You like those porn books?
Romantasy (a subgenre combining romance and fantasy) isn’t something new. Early examples of the genre date back to the 1980s, and it’s currently one of the fastest-growing genres in publishing. So why do we treat it like a dirty secret? I’ve had people tell me they could never read books like that – what if somebody saw? I could never have that out on the train/bus/around my family!
What people seem to miss is that these books are so much more than the odd smut scene (although we do love those, don’t get me wrong). They tell immense stories of love and life, with huge battles and immense personal growth for our heroines. There are real lessons and inspirations in these books, just in a more digestible format.
Yet it’s dismissed as ‘not real’ reading. I remember a conversation I had with a man on Hinge where, when I told him what I was reading (Fourth Wing), he sent me a long message ‘educating’ me on ‘real literature’. But I’ve read the classics – Great Expectations is one of my favourite books. I can almost guarantee I wouldn’t have gotten the same reaction if I’d talked about reading John Grisham or Dan Brown. The implication was clear: some books are ‘morally superior’, and they’re rarely the ones enjoyed by women. Women are the primary readers of romance as a whole, at around 80-90%.
I truly believe that this isn’t accidental.
There has always been a negative attitude towards anything that women more than men are perceived to enjoy. Something as simple as liking pink, enjoying makeup or watching reality TV is looked down upon. Being called a girl is an insult regularly employed by men. We’re taught that anything we find pleasurable is ‘stupid’, ‘pointless’ or just straight up a waste of time. Romantasy is often referred to as ‘trashy’ or ‘cringe’… words which are almost never attributed to male-dominated genres. That’s not a coincidence.
Something these books always have in common, and what I believe is really the crux of the issue, is that they centre the female gaze.
These books focus on women’s struggles, achievements, and – yes – women’s pleasure. It’s no secret that society as a whole seems to have an issue with female pleasure. It’s seen as taboo, something to be whispered about behind closed doors or just completely cast aside. Every day we’re surrounded by imagery and marketing tailored towards men. The female gaze is so quickly discounted, it’s become rote that our opinions are less important. So when a cultural phenomenon like Romantasy comes into the zeitgeist, it’s immediately looked down upon. Reading these books is seen as less important, less intelligent, less worthy than books that society deems ‘acceptable’.
Taking women’s stories seriously starts with letting them exist unapologetically. I refuse to see Romantasy as a guilty pleasure – enjoying a good book is something none of us should feel guilty about.
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