“Now, in response to an anonymous query about the term “soap opera,” hell yes. Soap opera. A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE / GAME OF THRONES is the biggest and most glorious soap opera in the history of soap operas. It’s soap opera for people who like swords, magic, dragons, and sexy brooding people in armor. Next time you get some jackhole telling you he doesn’t like “girl stuff” (relationships, emotions, animal companions, family concerns!) in fantasy, see if you can catch him enjoying GAME OF THRONES. Then ask him HOW HE LIKES HIS FUCKING SOAP OPERA. Try “HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR HUGE-ASS SWORD AND SORCERY TELENOVELA, YOU GIRL-STUFF LIKING MOTHERFUCKER, YOU?”

You know who likes girl stuff in fantasy? George R.R. Martin.[…]

Now, it’s undeniably true that male writers (including yours truly) are generally and commercially allowed to write about “girl stuff” without being penalized for doing so. In part this is the same old shit it’s always been… I’ve said before that men who write mostly about men win prizes for revealing the human condition, while women who write about both men and women are filed away as writing “womens’ issues.” Likewise, in fantasy, the imprimatur of a dude somehow makes stuff like romance, relationship drama, introspection, and adorable animal companions magically not girly after all.

In a sense, we male fantasists are allowed to be like money launderers for girl cooties.  [….]”