Jump to content

-


Guest

Recommended Posts

Prince Candy

I think some writers add ace characters because it's realistic to have ace people in a sample of the population. I don't think it's so that ace people feel comfortable reading their books, though I wouldn't know because I never wrote anything to pander to my readers- I write what I want to write, and the reader can choose whether or not they want to read it. Some stories will have an ace MC and will be about them navigating a world that is dominated by sex culture, others will be about ace characters finding platonic love in each other thus requiring no explicit mention of sex. Some writers also don't understand the concept of asexuality and they'll write stuff like an ace person realizing they just needed to meet the one to awaken their dormant sexuality (which donut get me wrong, maybe it happens but then it kinda renders it pointless that the character was labeled ace to start with). There's just too many writers and so they have different stories to tell. If you bump into a book that makes you uncomfortable, that just means it wasn't a right fit for you, but you don't need to be discouraged- romance stories without sex do exist since ace writers exist and many of them probably stay away from writing sex-related stuff since they aren't up their alley (I speak from experience) 😛

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've found a few books with representation.

Radio silence by Alice oseman

Thats not what happened by Kody keplinger

Lets talk about love by Claire Kann

They are all young adult though.

Good luck 😊

Link to post
Share on other sites

Because they’re annoying. Jk it’s probably because the writers are sexual so just add it in because why not? Or maybe to make you relate to the asexual character more by surrounding them in stuff that would make an ace reader uncomfortable to create contrast? 
That metaphor is good tbh, unless the author was writing a book for people who like dogs that just happens to include a character that doesn’t which is interesting to the people who couldn’t image not liking dogs?

Link to post
Share on other sites
Rhyn Corinn

While I haven't read any of those books, I understand why that would be annoying. It's possible they might include sexual references as simply a way to express how the asexual character is unique and different from the world around them, but I don't think that's the only way to write about an asexual character. A character could just as easily be asexual without the whole story revolving around sex. As a sex-indifferent asexual, I don't know that I would care that much, but I'll admit that if every book featuring asexual characters is only focused on sex and how the ace is different, I'd get tired of it. I'm asexual myself and I don't spend every moment of my life thinking about how I don't want sex.

 

And yeah, I'm not sex-averse myself, but I agree this could be a big problem for those who are. Wanting to read about ace characters, but also not wanting to because all the books talk about sex...not great. I tend to think it's probably a result of there being such little ace representation to begin with, so hopefully in the future we'll get more ace reps in a variety of books, not just ones about sex and sexuality.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Prince Candy
4 minutes ago, Mechanism Unknown said:

If Every Heart a Doorway had a content disclosure on it I would forgive it.

Ya that's a different issue. More than the content, and why writers add sexuality into their asexual books, it should be common sense for them to have content disclosure. Not just for sexual content but also violence and etc. People prolly suggest Every Heart a Doorway as an "asexual book" because it has an ace character, but the people who read it aren't sex-aversive or anything 😕 

Honestly I don't read romance because the stuff people usually write is too romantic for my almost-aromantic self 😅And the ones I've read haven't been recommendable tbh... it's definitely a difficult genre to find something non-cliché or not syrupy, for sure. My favorite romance book is Pride and Prejudice, though if you don't have a bias against classics. That one has no sex or kissing, as is to be expected.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Janus the Fox

Fictional representation is rare, unfortunate that example of book isn’t the best example.

Link to post
Share on other sites

This may sound cynical, but I don't believe traditionally published books with ace characters are intended to appeal to ace readers. Trad publishing is conservative, and mainstream publishers won't take a chance on a book unless they can be reasonably confident it will make money. To do that, it has to appeal to a wide audience, and that generally means a straight audience. The publisher will be much more wary of alienating straight readers than ace readers, even if the protagonist (or the author) is ace. You might have more luck with self-published or indie published books.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's faux inclusivity.  aka, inclusivity just for the sake of inclusivity, not because you really felt like making them feel included.

 

That tv series Sex Education suffers from the same sort of thing.  I've seen posts online outlining all the segments within each episode that contained material that aces (particularly the sex-repulsed ones) might find uncomfortable, and they're numerous enough that at that point, I'd just rather not fuckin watch it.

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 4/11/2020 at 10:59 PM, Mechanism Unknown said:

Can someone explain to me why writers include sexuality (e.g. graphic sexual content, crass sexual references, etc.) that is not related to the plot in books that feature asexual characters? If you're including asexual representation in a book, wouldn't you want as many asexual people as possible - including the sex-averse ones - to be comfortable reading it? I don't get it.

 

I have no idea why any writer should include sexuality that is not related to the plot (or the characters' interaction with the plot). If it's not related, then, regardless of the theme (ace/ non-ace, all non-ace,  whatever) why do it? Two of my own ace-related stories are free on Amazon at the moment (a novel until 20th April; a short story from 21st until 25th. Pen-name is Jude Tresswell.) They both have an ace character and each story does have one short intimate scene (in one case, not involving the ace character; in the other, well, sort of) but I feel that, in both cases, the intimate content is necessary at that point in the story. I'm just about to publish another ace-related novel (Got the cover sorted today) and there's no sex at all in it; it just didn't seem relevant. 

Tbh, I'm not sure I agree totally with your comment that minority rep is FOR people of that minority. I don't think it is that exclusively. I've been really pleased when  non-ace book reviewers have said that they have enjoyed the ace-rep in the stories. It's hard to write ace -rep, for the character will never represent all aces, so, even if it's included, there'll be aces who feel "This isn't me."

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...