The missing middle initial!

[AE35Unit]

Hmm I thought Andre Norton was male!!

 

[j d worthington]

Hmm I thought Andre Norton was male!!

As noted, for many years, that was the intention... women writers had a devil of a time getting published under their own obviously female name when it came to sff. Even as late as the emergence of "James Tiptree, Jr." (Alice Bradley Sheldon) in the 1960s and 1970s, this was the case... and there was a certain amount of negative reaction when it became well known that "he" was actually a "she"....

James Tiptree, Jr. - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Unless a woman is writing for a very narrow audience (boys of middle school age, for instance) there is no longer any need in SF and Fantasy for her to hide the fact that she is female. That prejudice has passed away. Besides, since there have been and are so many female writers who go with their first and middle name initials, I don't think it hides their gender at all. For me, my first reaction to these names is that it must be a woman.

In fact, for just that very reason it would be a good idea for a man wishing to conceal his identity to go that route, because there would be no better way to hide his identity than to allow the presumption that he's a woman.

 

[j d worthington]

No, you are right; these days it is quite the reverse. But when many of these women began writing... well, that was another thing entirely. SF especially was widely considered (both by the public and by editors) to be almost entirely a male province... which is really silly, when you consider that we did have some rather good women writing the stuff even in the 1930s; but so it was.

Thank goodness that has changed.

As for a male using this route... that puts a rather interesting spin on the idea of Lovecraft publishing in this day and time, doesn't it?

 

[Connavar]

Frankly in fantasy today its seem to its a plus to be a female author. I mean they dominate popular epic fantasy shelf. Hobb,Canavan,Novak,Douglass,Bishop and co

I dont like the fact you use male name today. Why hide in this day and age. Like Robin Hobb come on.....

About C.L Moore i must say it sounds better as a name. She is a classic author so you knew she wasnt male,there is something about C.L that makes the name look good.

 

[Riselka]

A few years back I noticed that Eric Van Lustbader had dropped the entire "Van" from his name on his book covers. I figured it was so that his books would get shelved in the "L" section, rather than way back in the "V"s. I see the Van is back in his name now though.

And it would seem that Manda Scott wants to make her female identity a bit less obvious, since in her newest book she's going by M.C. Scott.

Rome: The Emperor's Spy: Amazon.co.uk: M.C. Scott: Books

 

[Montero]

I dont like the fact you use male name today. Why hide in this day and age. Like Robin Hobb come on.....
.

Robin is either male or female. Dual purpose.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Robin is either male or female. Dual purpose.

I think in the US the name is more common among females, in the UK among men.

But when I first saw the name I didn't know whether the writer was male or female, and was amused by those who automatically assumed a male. Robin Hobb aka Megan Lindholm is actually American, though, so the presumption should have been female.

But speaking of names that are dual purpose: What about all of the Terrys? Terry Brooks, Terry Pratchett, Terry Goodkind -- at least two of those are Terences, yet they chose the gender ambiguous Terry.

 

[Toby Frost]

In Pratchett's case, Terry in the UK is almost always a man's name (likewise, as you say, Robin). Similarly, I assumed for years that Tracy Hickman was a woman: Tracy isn't used as a man's name here.

 

[clovis-man]

I think in the US the name is more common among females, in the UK among men.

I once rode a horse named Robin. Robin was a she. I can't imagine a stallion being named Robin in the U.S. Robin kept trying to rub me off her back on low-hanging tree branches. Maybe she didn't like her name.

 

[Werthead]

But speaking of names that are dual purpose: What about all of the Terrys? Terry Brooks, Terry Pratchett, Terry Goodkind -- at least two of those are Terences, yet they chose the gender ambiguous Terry.

I've never encountered a woman called 'Terry', but I have met a few named 'Teri' in my time. I've always assumed it was Terry for men and Teri for women.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I have never, to my knowledge, met a Teri. I have met a few who wrote it Terri, some of whom (heaven help us) put little circles or hearts over the "i."

I have a tendency to keep track of these things because the name is, of course, a notorious domesticity for Teresa, and though I stopped introducing myself or writing my name "Terry" at about the age of 12, my family and some of my oldest friends still insist on it, both written and spoken.

So, in fact, you have encountered a woman called "Terry" though only by a few and much against her will.

But to return to the subject of initials. It seems to me that their use by female writers has become so common that the situation is quite similar to that of all the little girls named "Ashley" and "Tyler," whose parents wanted to give them uni-sex names. Instead, being so frequently used in this way, the names (at least in the US) instantly suggest girl children.

When the middle initial is combined with a first name and last name, though, so many American girls of my generation had "Ann(e)" for a middle name -- when it wasn't "Lyn" -- that, alas, an "A" adds little distinction.

 

[clovis-man]

I've never encountered a woman called 'Terry', but I have met a few named 'Teri' in my time. I've always assumed it was Terry for men and Teri for women.

There's always Terry Moore, an Oscar nominated actress who was apparently married to Howard Hughes at one point. She seemed to have a tough time settling on a film name and went through several more feminine appellations before settling on Terry.

Terry Moore (I) - Biography

 

[Devil's Advocate]

As someone who is neither American nor British, nor a native English speaker, perhaps I should add in my two-cents (pence?) on the names from an outsider's perspective.

I think, as someone said earlier, initials can seem a bit more professional, even a tad sophisticated, to those who believe in such things (pretentious, to those who don't). Lawyers, in particular, seem quite fond of them. Or so my friend at M. Robert Wentworth & Associates tells me.

As for the "Look! Up in the air!Is it a guy? Is it a girl? No, it's... Superman!" names...

Robin - I would always assume female (unless told otherwise)
Terry - Male
Teri/Terri - Female (I don't know why, but something about the 'i' at the end makes a name sound feminine to me (with Italian names being exceptions).)
Ashley - Female. Very. (with all due respect to Mr. Cole)
Tyler - Is this a unisex name?? I've always assumed it was masculine

I personally don't see why anyone would really bother giving their children unisex (or even ambiguous) names. What's wrong with giving a girl a girly name, and a boy a boyish one? Is this some sort of warped attempt at equality? Is it more 'modern', somehow? Do people think their child might have a better life if they had a gender neutral name? I doubt it.

I suppose nothing's stopping me from naming my son Samantha (Sam, for short). Well, except the thought of him being attacked in the little boys' room at school, restrained by two dimwitted, brutish hooligans-in-the-making, while another forces him into a plaid skirt. On the bright side, such an experience would teach the boy the importance of standing up for himself...

Maybe I'll go with Elizabeth...

 

[Toby Frost]

Or Sue, for all you Country and Western fans.

 

[Connavar]

Robin is either male or female. Dual purpose.

Robin Hood


Seriously in UK,Sweden,many other countries its strictly male name.

If it wasnt a male name she wouldnt change from her real first name.

 

[Montero]

Connavar - I'm afraid I don't agree. . I am UK born and bred. The only Robin I know is the daughter of a friend. I consider Robin to be either male or female

I also think there are other reasons for changing your whole name - for example if you have a profession separate from your writing career, particularly one where your name is known - scientist (with publications), lawyer, then you might want to make a clean break.

Lesley and Leslie or Frances and Francis or Jo and Joe anyone?
Charlie?

 

[Urien]

I use a middle initial occasionally it's because I have a common first and second name. Other people more famous than me have the same name, hence if one is to be found then the middle initial acts as an identifier.

If you're called John Smith (as mentioned before), and you're a wannabe actor/musician/author etc then a middle initial is probably a good idea.

Another reason for changing your whole name is if it's unintentionally funny or embarassing... say... Moonlight Whompbottom.

 

[Toby Frost]

lawyer

Damn, I missed a trick there. Recently a book of one of those (IMHO slightly sad) sex blogs was published under a pseudonym. If I remember rightly the author was a scientist.

 

[Clansman]

I think it's more a thing with American business men of a certain age, and something they put on their business cards, not how they would introduce themselves in real life. Also a thing with American presidents, probably because there's a bit of tradition there.

Going back, it appears to be optional, as opposed to a tradition. Goerge H.W. Bush was always referred to as George Bush during his presidency (1989-1993), but as "George H.W. Bush" after George W. Bush (the lesser) started his run in 2000. Since WWII, some presidents do (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Nixon), some don't (Johnson, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Obama).