I think paranormal powers go partly toward an alternative, especially with shifters

This is a great point.

Nicola O. wrote:

At it’s base, economic success is still the caveman dragging the mastodon back to the cave — it’s providing for his mate and the clan.

Tumperkin wrote:

I think there is something very basic at work here with all these rich and powerful heroes.

Yes, I agree. Can you have a hero like the guy from Into the Wild — anti capitalist? A communist hero?

Class and economics ARE gendered, or gender is classed and economoized.

I tend to think that the role of capitalism in modern romance (and a lesser extent, historical) is used to show off the hero’s “alpha-ness.” If we’re not talking about a physical arena — military men of any era, SEP’s football heroes — we’re left with economic success as a proxy for a man’s ability to dominate other men, to show superiour intellect, to “win,” to accumulate power. At it’s base, economic success is still the caveman dragging the mastodon back to the cave — it’s providing for his mate and the clan.

And I would totally buy & read Roach’s book. It sounds fascinating.

“Many novels retain doubts about capitalism being an ideal system. Genre does not posit alternative to capitalism, but shows its shadow side, its flaw,”

Does genre here include paranormals? BC as far as alternatives to capitalism, sometimes I think paranormal powers go partly toward an alternative, especially with shifters. I especially think of it in Nalini Singh’s shifter cultures. I suppose it goes back to the pastoral weres thing brought up in a previous paper. I even think about the blue collar-ness of the Alcide and his guys – though they’re doing quite well for themselves, they’re not your classic capitalists.

Thanks for these updates. I really love reading them.