An Insight

[bloodyrosemccoy]

Another sign that my science-fiction-writing brain has been destroyed by the internet:

While trying to figure out a culturally-constructed gender role dichotomy for my arhode aliens that was not just some kind of variation on the common human provider/nurturer one,* I realized that the roles I did come up with still fit a dichotomy known to humans.

That’s right, apparently my aliens’ gender roles can be defined in terms of pirate vs. ninja.

I leave you to guess which is male and which is female.


*This is actually rather hard, what with my 23 years of cultural conditioning. I can see why writers default to Crazy Backwards Land where cultural norms dictate men are nurturers and women are providers. At least then you still have your bearings.

Comments

Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot!

[cougarfang.livejournal.com]

If they follow Earth-evolution-style sexual selection, I'd guess males are pirates and females are ninjas. :3

Re: Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot!

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Ah, but they haven't followed it. It's a long, complicated story that will be put together in the greater tales surrounding it.

Does it change anything if I tell you that males have about the same size range as human men and the females average about 1-2 feet taller and correspondingly heftier than that? (Seriously, I have a female arhode played flawlessly in my head by Ron Perlman.)

Re: Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot!

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

Ah! You and I were thinking possibly the same thing!

Re: Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot!

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Indeed! I do base a lot of my story ideas on Earth's sexual selection, which gives some really interesting alien societies. I have a tendency to trawl Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice For All Creation for ideas.

Of course, then you gotta make the culture surrounding their biological beginnings. It gets complicated fast.

Re: Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot!

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

That would mean females are pirates, wouldn't it?

Re: Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot!

[shadesofmauve]

AYE, matey!

I hope,anyway. I'm pretty much a pirate.

Re: Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot!

[fenmere.livejournal.com]

I can think of quite a few various animals where the reverse would have to be true. Spiders, in particular, where the female is 10 times larger than the male and not afraid of anything, and the male has to sneak in and have sex with her without her noticing.