Thursday, June 13, 2013

What If Ladies Ruled the World?

Posted by: Joely Sue Burkhart
That's the question that started it all for me.  Somehow all the things I loved as a reader--Regencies, Jane Austen, SF/F--mixed together in a slow boil, just waiting for the catalyst that would set my new story world into motion.  What was the catalyst?

Mrs. Giggles wrote a post about a Regency drinking game.  I can't find the original post now, but I remember just howling at some of the hilarious "tropes" we often find in Regencies today, like the virgin heroine who martyrs herself to save her brother/family, sleeps with a Duke, and then protests that she can't marry him because he doesn't love her.  The rake shagging anything and everything in Town, who then becomes enamored with the TSTL heroine's innocence.  I just loved the humor mixed with the love for those tropes.  I mean, we must love them as readers because we see them over and over.

It seems like Mrs. Giggles said something in her post about why the heroine had to act like an idiot.  If the HERO did some of these things....

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.  What if I took those tropes and switched the genders around?  What if young male debutants were expected to be demure and innocent?  While the ladies watched them promenade around Almack's?  What if the women had the social power?

What if ladies ruled the world?

Or in A Jane Austen Space Opera, what if ladies ruled the universe?

Part steampunk/part SFR with a heaping dose of sultry erotic elements, this series is at the heart a sort of Regency drinking game.  See how many traditional Regency elements you can find and laugh at.  Even in the first chapter of Her Grace's Stable, there are several nods to:

Socially powerful ladies ogling the new crop of young male debutants at Vauxhall's.

The "Black" or "Demon" Duchess instead of Duke with the misunderstood past.

The war-weary heroine with battle scars that only make her more "dashing."

Of course me being me, I take it all downhill pretty fast and end up in the bedroom.  Or rather, in this case, the stable.  *laughs*

What's your favorite Regency trope you'd like to see twisted around?  One commenter will win a e-copy of Her Grace's Stable!

7 comments:

  1. I'm a total sucker for bluestocking heroines of average looks (even better if they wear glasses LOL) who are experts in some science field but are not really allowed to use their knowledge. I would love to see this one turned around, where the women are the scientists and the men are not expected to be knowledgeable or smart. Give me a geeky hero (preferably with cute glasses) who has to fight to be respected!

    Best wishes on your new release.
    jen(at)delux(dot)com

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    1. Jen, I love love love this idea! I always loved Amanda Quick's heroines because they were so geeky/quirky. I could totally see a hero like this!

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  2. This sounds awesome! I'd love to see the "shy innocent virginal miss who discovers her sexuality in the arms of a dashing rake" gender-flipped.

    Congrats on your new release!
    sonya @ sonyaclark.net

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    1. Thank you, Sonya! I am totally going to do a virgin hero/dashing rake of a heroine eventually. I have the idea in mind but not the story yet.

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  3. The hero who acts the fop but who's actually honorably engaged in espionage for his country. That would be an easy one to be flipped and I'm sure it's been done before.

    My fav is always the bluestocking heroine trope tho.

    thumbelinda03@yahoo.com

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  4. Linda, kind of a Scarlet Pimpernel sort of story - that would be cool switched around!

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  5. We didn't have a lot of commenters, so if any of you would like a copy, please email me (joelysueburkhart AT gmail DOT com) and let me know your desired format. Thanks!

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