Re: What are you reading?

>> I've read Barker's "Man of Gold" and "Flamesong" and loved them.  I can't
>> say they don't have the female stereotypes because I never read them with
>> that in mind.  Also, I don't recall how sensitive I was to stereotypes when
>> I read them.  But the world-building is fantastic, and it's not a generic
>> medievelish fantasy setting.
>
> Hm. Perhaps I shall check them out. Thanks. I think a LOT of fantasy from
> that sort of era written by men is like that, alas. I blame Tolkien. I do
> think things have gotten better in recent years.

I'm not saying the women are stereotypes or poor characters, just that I
don't remember.  I'm pretty sure there were female major characters in both
books, and I *think* that the major characters were well-written.  It's been
years, though, so I could be misremembering.

"Man of Gold" started with this really cool concept.  The hero is a low-level
priest and at the start he has just completed a major scholarly task.  He's
finished a sculpture that is the representation of the grammar of a dead
language.  I really liked the grammar-as-sculpture concept.