Ange

Imagine Ready Player One meets the Hunger Games with an especially sadistic evil corporation as the games organizer instead of a fascist government. Everything is for the ratings of the broadcast, including abuse and manipulation of the NPCs and even the enemies. Maybe the true enemy here isn’t what they tell the dungeon crawlers…I have a feeling the real enemy is the corporation itself.

Darrow of Lykos and Paul Atriedes are the same archetype of character. What fascinates me the most, though, is the cemented masculinity in this “general turned religious figure” character. Perhaps I am blanking, or I’m colored by my own inherent misogyny. Anyway, I just finished (re)watching Dune Part Two and I (again) am reminded of the power of visionary leadership. But in the media and the literature that permeates our common consciousness, I flounder to find an example of a female visionary leaders. The thrilling thing to me, after all, is that there is power in these male prophetic generals. We’ve watched them grow from little boys who carry no influence to figures that head entire wars and break societies. They can bend people to their will by command. Which, according to Western tradition, is a masculine—not feminine—trait. Feminine influence is usually seen as quieter and more in the background, like a Lady Macbeth type of character.

Even in some of the most practiced religions in the world (namely: Christianity and Islam), the main prophets are men. I feel like there is this inherent je ne se quois that qualifies men to be conduits of religion and not women, at least in the Western world. It’s just interesting to examine, because say I wanted a woman to fulfill that prophetic warlord role. Would it have the same impact? Would I even perceive her the same as I would Paul or Darrow? Would she be likable because she gets things done damn the consequences because she believes in a better future, or would she be vilified for having so much power and also being a woman?