Can fiction explore male disposability in ways argument cannot?

Tharkun140 · 2026-06-15T19:59:58+00:00

I've tried something like that in my writing, as a subplot in my interactive novel. It did not spark much debate, but nobody seemed to mind it either, so maybe you should give it a try.

Cyber_Foxx · 2026-06-15T20:54:19+00:00

Fiction is one of the best way to transmit any message

So yes

Cantankerous_Tank · 2026-06-15T22:52:04+00:00

I can't think of any works that explore male disposability, but I have had this thought bouncing around in my head that the Space Marines of Warhammer 40k serve as a kind of exploration of what "male instrumentalization" by a society looks like when taken to ludicrous extremes. I'd say there's four broad stages, the spess muhrines enter the picture in various ways at stage 3 and 4.

Stage 1, you teach men and boys that it's honourable to give their life in service to a "higher cause"/the king/the emperor/the state. Essentially prepare them to be willing soldiers if there's ever a need for it.

Stage 2 is training. Any countries that maintain active conscription fall into this category, and it can be a spectrum from countries like Finland, Switzerland or North Korea that "only" require some years of military training, to actual warrior societies like Sparta where training starts at a young age and lasts a lifetime.

Stage 3 is body modification. At this stage it's not enough for the men to be trained and willing to give their lives; their bodies must be modified so that they can better serve as society's living weapons. Like I said, this is where Space Marines enter the picture.

Finally at stage 4 male instrumentalization, the idea of a man being a "living weapon" becomes much, much more literal and you lose most or all of your humanity. Body modification gets to the point where your original body becomes (mostly) unnecessary and your brain is simply hooked straight into various machinery and weapons. Space Marine Dreadnoughts inhabit this stage. Notice how the Imperium of Man treats Dreadnoughts: they're kept in a glorified weapons storage until there's killing to be done, at which point they'll be woken up and shipped to the frontline, and once their job is done they're put back to sleep and stuffed back into storage. Literally treated like weapons instead of the mortally wounded soldiers that they actually are/were.

ETA: The reason I bring this up is because you seem to be trying to explore somewhat similar themes with your work. Namely, "what happens when a society values males primarily for their function rather than their personhood?"

Local-Willingness784 · 2026-06-15T21:03:49+00:00

im not even sure reality, as in men that they care about dying because they are men, in wars and stuff, would make women care, or society in general, sorry if it sounds too doomer but thats how i feel.

Intelligent-Bird-313 · 2026-06-15T23:38:40+00:00

This is awesome, and I’m looking forward to reading it! I’ve written a few male advocacy books myself and plan on more. The best and latest one I’ve got is about an abused husband and how he navigates his extremely toxic relationship while also hiding the abuse from his family via physical covers and wild stories for his injuries. It’s really short, but I’ve never been prouder of any of my works like I have with this one.

Humble_Confusion_889 · 2026-06-15T22:08:21+00:00

Your idea is brilliant. I could see this like a sort of inverse to the Handmaid's Tale. And don't worry about coming across as too "preachy". As long as the world feels lived in (as in, this is how average men and women would respond to living in this world), then you could lean heavy into its themes.

Specific_Detective41 · 2026-06-16T07:06:55+00:00

The film and book All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque explores this in the context of WW1. Its a story of young men who are drafted to fight in WW1 and face the harsh realities of WW1. Both the book and movie lingers on your mind after you're done reading and watching both the book and movie.

I like the theme you are exploring with your book as well.

TobiasWidower · 2026-06-16T15:14:13+00:00

The problem with using media to explore male disposablity is that most people already know. When people in debates bring up workplace fatalities (average 92% male, but swings higher in some countries) it often gets straw manned into "gatekeeping" women from higher earning industries. Meanwhile, the average workplace death is an 18-25 yo inexperienced man, often making peanuts compared to the higher ups, but still risking his life, because his life in inherently considered less valuable by society.

I would even go so far as to say that common social rhetoric is fueling the suicide rate too. When a boy is growing up being told that he's going to become at best a social punching bag, or at worst a constant potential threat, unless he's useful. Some of societies most needed jobs (like sanitation for example) get treated like the absolute bottom rung of society even though it usually pays well, has good benefits/ unions, etc. If you look at the most dangerous jobs, not the highest earning executive positions, not seats in a board room, but dangerous jobs that cost lives, you'll notice they'll be overwhelming male, with almost 0 awareness or effort for gender Equality there, because it would mean putting more women in danger. Society has put women and girls on this pedestal of "to be protected" which only undermines actual Equality

MelissaMiranti · 2026-06-16T16:48:24+00:00

You mean like what happened in reality, where peoples names were based on their jobs? Smith, Cooper, Fisher, Wright, Carpenter, any of those ringing a bell?

FroggyRibbits · 2026-06-16T01:02:14+00:00

This sounds kind of like the Barbie movie, lol.

hello_marmalade · 2026-06-16T02:27:26+00:00

It's one of the things I've tried to think about on how to add to stories myself. There's gotta be a way, and just like all literature, it absolutely can help. Literature connects reality to emotion, and exposes people to ideas and experiences in a way that is able to more often bypass their defenses.

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Title	Can fiction explore male disposability in ways argument cannot?
Author	singalsbylandy
Upvotes	92
Comments	20
Date	June 15, 2026 7:23 PM UTC (1 month ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates/comments/1u6qjg5/can_fiction_explore_male_disposability_in_ways/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates/can-fiction-explore-male-disposability-in-ways.1582837 https://theredarchive.com/post/1582837

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