So I’m reading a book (the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson...10/10 would recommend, by the way) and this particular entry in the series is set in a Victorian English/US Wild West hybrid. I’ve just come across a chapter where one of the female protagonists (who kicks ass) makes a note of what is expected of women in this relatively egalitarian society (and it is fairly equal in the story). She makes note that she can be a criminologist/police officer while also be feminine (wearing dresses, as is the fashion), but the male police officers have no incentive to be typically male and still be good at insert job here.

It’s a question that has probably been asked and answered before on this sub, but I haven’t seen it, so here we go again.

Both in modern life, and in literature such as this (where the author isn’t writing about gender issues as a focus, but using it to give a bit more complexity to the world), what does it mean to be a man? All too often we hear what it means to be a woman, and all the good things it entails, yet we hear nothing about being a man without the word “toxic” getting chucked around.

As a young-ish (27) bloke...and prospective author (who may or may not struggle to write male characters...and curious about his own identity as a man)...I have no idea what a man is, unless it’s ‘toxic masculinity’, ‘generic male parent’ or ‘deadbeat dad’ (none of which I have much experience of)