I Am So There
November 15, 2008
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20225323,00.html
Completely by accident I tripped across a recent column by Stephen King on the online version of Entertainment magazine (which I didn't know even had an online version. Go figure. I was looking for the trailer to the upcoming Star Trek movie, which I happened to just see prior to watching "Quantum of Solace," the new James Bond flick, which, by the way boys and girls, really rocked, no matter what the critics are saying).
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20225323,00.html
I'll let you read it for yourself, but King talks about the supposed demise of male readers and the difference between what he calls chicklit and manfiction.
You know what? I write manfiction. I read manfiction. I buy tons of books that qualify as manfiction. Robert Crais. Lee Child. Michael Connelly. Robert B. Parker. Jonathan Kellerman.
I've noted that my novel "The Serpent's Kiss" is the book that people--almost always men--come to me and say, "Oh man, I loved that book. That was just awesome."
Flatters the hell out of me, but I also sometimes know why. Derek takes on everybody in that book. He takes on the bad guy, he takes on the FBI, he takes on the local cops, he takes on his own team with the FBI. He gets to save thousands of lives. He's heroic and action-y and as King suggests, if women want to get their escapism and entertainment by reading about women who meet handsome and potentially dangerous strangers, men want their escapism and entertainment by reading about guys who take on a battalion of bad guys with a gun, a bayonet and, as King suggests, hand grenades dangling from their belt.
It's figurative, but not so far off.
You let me know. Do you agree?
Cheers,
Mark Terry
posted by Mark Terry at 5:44 PM
11 Comments:
Travis McGee is one of my favorite characters but he wasn't real big on guns and cars or even, by today's standards, mayhem. Having no interest in firearms or vehicles in real life, I also have little interest in reading about people using them in fiction. I know King is right. I'm out of step.
By his definition, (assuming he means all women's literature by "chick lit," and not the actual genre of chick lit, since he mentioned two authors who have never written chick lit, LOL) Lee Child is actually the epitome of both manfiction and chick lit, which is the reason why it is one of the best series characters out there, and why it's so popular.
I loved Alias, because you've got the girl kicking ass, blowing things up, and pointing the gun. Plus she's got the dark, dangerous dude. Well, not actually so dangerous. Dark, though.
I want my cake with icing, and I'm damn well going to eat it, too.
I love the hero to be dark, dangerous and carrying a gun. Grenades as a back up are cool too. But I do not like the heroine to be a damsel in distress. That drives me crazy. They must work side by side and save each other or you lose me as a reader.
And I love Jodi Piccoult and am not sure what King was talking about with her men being 'big and stupid'. That type of man has nothing to do with her books.???
Hey Mark,
Hahahaha @ the term "manfiction" I love it.
Anyway, your book sounds awesome described like that. I'm going to buy it for my dad for Xmas.
Actually buying both the "green one" and the "red one" for him.
Are they the only two in the series? My dad would love these.
"hand grenades dangling from his belt." How . . . illustrative.
Yeah, I like that hand grenades too. I have no idea what kind of stuff I like to read. I liked Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper. That was good but now that I think about it the father was not a memorable character. He just sort of lived his life around the women. Unlike say Ari in The Exodus who fights and at the end cries because the woman wanted him to feel emotion but she is unsettled by his crying. It's been twenty years since I've read the Exodus but I remember that scene because when strong men cry it's very unsettling. I like the men who wear hand grenades, the women who throw them, and the fall out afterwards.
I think we all admire emotionally strong human beings however that strength is expressed.
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Ahem.
Eric,
I was, for better or worse, influenced by Travis McGee. Dated? Abso-tively. Interesting character? Yes, I think so. In my earlier unpublished works--or almost published works--featuring Theo MacGreggor, a forensic toxicologist, he'd be lucky if he could figure out which end of a gun the bullet came out of.
Spy,
I think King was speaking very broadly. And I do know that a lot of women buy and read these books. I think the broader point of his piece was that yes, as a matter of fact, men do buy and read books.
Suzanne,
I can't stand the damsel in distress, actually. In my own books the women are just as likely to bail out the main male character and kick ass in the process. Read my DIRTY DEEDS to see a smart female character.
Zoe,
Just the two Derek Stillwaters at the moment. Maybe someone will pick up the next one, who knows?
Richmond,
I like all sorts of books, but I tend to lean towards "shoot-em-ups" although I get tired of those. I was also sort of curious about King's inclusion of Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware books in the "manfiction" category. Although essentially police procedurals (particularly recently), Alex doesn't carry a gun and his action-tendencies tend to be downplayed, although once or twice he's had to rescue Robin.
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I prefer man books.
And cheap gold.
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