As I recall, it's because shapeshifting induces sterility in women, and that is such a horrifying thing that women who could shift naturally choose not to do so, ever. Even though I'm pretty sure active shapeshifters get an immortality bonus. Disclaimer, I've only read complainy reviews of Twilight, not the actual series, so I might be telephone-gaming the facts here, I dunno.
Btw- I would totes give up fertility for immortality yo. Realize not everyone is a dysphoric 16 year old dude though.
I just went on io9 and found the glorious question "What is the female equivalent of Jacob’s shirtlessness?" This rabbit hole just doesn't end, does it?
Yeah, I remember that! I feel like that was the only part where the reader wasn't expected to hate Leah, her one bit of sympathy was when she angsted about the sterility. edit: Wasn't Emily the girl who hooked up with a werewolf guy after he mauled her? wtf Twilight
This may be what Meyers actually believes, but it sure isn't what I believe: ~Women have wombs and the magic of childbirth is the most rewarding thing for a woman, followed by tending to their children and helping their strong supportive menfolk~. Women who can't give birth ~are so tragic and incomplete~. Fertility cult bullshit, basically.
But he didn't mean to maul her, he felt so bad about it, oh curse my terrible instincts feeling the need to attack anyone in sight on occasion, we're both such tragic individuals now oh gawd it's ok to be with someone dangerous as long as it's TRUE LUV haven't you discerned that yet?
dear god this makes me want to read it and draw it sports bra maybe? and then korra levels of muscular -fans self-
now that I'm thinking about this again, what sticks out most in my mind is how much more interesting the minor characters were to me. see: Leah, Jasper and Alice, that one mad OP dude (Benjamin, maybe?) who showed up for that Final Battle(tm) who was like the avatar or some shit, idk? also @Moss <swoons> that sounds so good
also what the FUCK kind of names are Edythe and Beaufort?????? whyyyyy off the top of my head, Edna and Isa??? Edith isn't a bad name but. that spelling. why.
He needs to be special. Get ready for Super Mary Sue levels of characterization. And I know that Bella is supposedly one too, but she isn't even a likable Sue. I like most Sues, but Bella needed some oomph. And she was whiny but not even laughably whiny? I read to series to bond with my mom, because I'm a completionist, Jacob, and at least the writing was okay.
Edward and Bella are fairly mainstream names, so the new ones are... bizarrely oldtimey/prosey in comparison. Maybe it's Meyer reminding us of the wonders of being ~literate~ like all of Bella's random references in the first book. I read the whole series, including the leaked manuscript, because I fucking hated it and I wanted to be sure I knew what I was talking about when I complain about it. >:)
SAME i originally read it bc i felt bad complaining abt something i hadn't read then it became like well.....this is surprisingly amusing and relaxing to read.......aight, i can enjoy this while also recognizing how awfullll it is
IIRC, she's Mormon, and Mormonism's attitudes towards women (and LGBT+ people, while we're on the subject) are uh...not super progressive. I honestly would not be surprised if she did believe that. :( I honestly think a genderswapped Twilight could, in theory, be interesting (especially if she made Edyth just as skeevy as a lot of people, myself included, found Edward)--could be a neat way to examine some of the issues in the originals regarding the whole "stalking is love" thing, among other things (since there's a major double-standard). But I doubt it'll be what I want it to be. :( Also, I read the first book in 10th grade and thought it was okay-but-not-amazing. Like, I found it surprisingly engaging writing-wise, but Edward and Bella were just super boring as characters. Seconding that the side characters were way cooler. (Alice for life, man.)
All of my limbs are in the car and I am ready to take this journey. I am legit tempted to run out to a bookstore and give her my money, but thankfully I don't have money. Has this actually been released? With zero buildup, just suddenly genderbent Twilight? I feel like I should have heard something about it before now.
@rats christ jasper and alice were my faves I just wanted them to adopt me, but in a poly relationship way, not in a anyway
