Well, you've got two things going there, gender ambiguity, and gender disguise. About which I think I am going to agree with you at length.
Ambiguity I think is less risky when it doesn't matter, in which category I would put Caudwell's series. Or when it _does_ matter and that's the point, your reanalysis--alas I have to spoiler-protect a book title here, which is really not optimal, but there's no other way of doing it: rzzn ohyy'f obar qnapr.
The only time I can think of that gender disguise would be a narrative strategy is when the POV character is passing as one gender but the reader doesn't know that--like a murder mystery in which the POV character is also the murderer. That's a very tricky thing to do--which isn't to say it couldn't work, but would be tough, just from a "playing fair" perspective.
Gender disguise as a plot element does have a lot of stereotypes to navigate; I think you should make it another Bittercon panel, done well and poorly, and then leave a link back here! =>
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timeasmymeasure
Re: More risks:
Date: 2007-05-26 01:52 pm (UTC)Ambiguity I think is less risky when it doesn't matter, in which category I would put Caudwell's series. Or when it _does_ matter and that's the point, your reanalysis--alas I have to spoiler-protect a book title here, which is really not optimal, but there's no other way of doing it: rzzn ohyy'f obar qnapr.
The only time I can think of that gender disguise would be a narrative strategy is when the POV character is passing as one gender but the reader doesn't know that--like a murder mystery in which the POV character is also the murderer. That's a very tricky thing to do--which isn't to say it couldn't work, but would be tough, just from a "playing fair" perspective.
Gender disguise as a plot element does have a lot of stereotypes to navigate; I think you should make it another Bittercon panel, done well and poorly, and then leave a link back here! =>