I've just found an essay by Neil Gaiman on his website called by that very title:
http://www.neilgaiman.com/exclusive/essays/essaysbyneil/essaygenders
I think it's an interesting point - perhaps for the people doing language and gender and perhaps for those doing literature or even just interested in reading and writing. I'm not sure, however, that I agree with it. Neverwhere, for example, which Gaiman cites as a 'male' book strikes me as having a central character who can be empathised with by both male and female, and who goes on the classic epic journey to discover himself. Also I've given up being surprised by the number of girls in Years 7 and 8 who are obsessed with the 'encouraging-boys-to-read, male-centric' Alex Rider series by Antony Horowitz. Ditto Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series.
So do books have genders? Does author gender or intention count for anything? Does it matter?
YOU decide....
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