Ian Rankin's Sneering Sexism

A couple of times now I have blogged about David Hewson's books, and the graphic and to me disgusting portrayals of violence against women in them.

Hewson is not brave enough to respond.

Ian Rankin however posted a sneering tweet saying he read the post and laughed. You can read it on his twitter feed here.

Now, it is of course legitimate to disagree with me. Maybe violence against women in books does not encourage violence against women in real life? Maybe violence against women doesn't matter?

But it is surely a serious subject for debate?

Men like Rankin think it is just funny, while Hewson accuses me of lying.

This is typical of the Duns gang of right-wing sexist crime and thriller writers.They insult anyone who question their male-centric view of the world.

When I looked it up, it turns out that Rankin has a long record of abusing women who raise the issue of violence against them. He insulted women crime writers, saying that the most graphic depictions of violence were written by women, and 'they were mostly lesbians as well'. The details are here.

So, to Rankin, any women who complains about violence is a 'lesbian'. The implication is clear. 'Normal' women should presumably enjoy being beaten by men.

Also reviews have drawn attention to the sexism inherent in his books, particularly his main detective. 

I believe that violence against women is an important issue. The constant portrayal of horrific crimes as a form of light entertainment legitimizes them.

Writers like Duns, Hewson and Rankin encourage a culture in which that violence is seen as acceptable.