The Issue of Gender in Genre Fiction:
The Math Behind it All
Editor’s Note: Knowing that some people will be curious about the math behind Susan’s piece, we asked her to provide something a bit more technical for those more mathematically inclined among us.
Key Points for Understanding
Market | Time Period | Data Verified by Editor | Genre |
AE | Year 2013 | Yes | Science fiction only |
Analog | June 2013—May 2014 | Yes | Science fiction only |
Apex | Year 2013 | No | Mixed genre |
Asimov’s | Year 2013 | Yes | Mixed genre |
Bull Spec | Year 2013 | Yes | Mixed genre |
Buzzy Mag | Year 2013 | Yes | Mixed genre |
Clarkesworld | Year 7 (October 2012-September 2013) | Yes | Mixed genre |
Daily Science Fiction | Year 2013 | Yes | Mixed genre |
Escape Pod | Year 2013 | Yes | Science fiction-only |
F&SF | Year 2013 | No | Mixed genre |
F&SF Special Issue | July/August Special Issue | Yes | Mixed genre |
Flash Fiction Online | Year 2013 | Yes | Mixed genre |
IGMS | Year 2013 | Yes | Mixed genre |
Lightspeed | Year 2013 | Yes | Mixed genre |
Nature | Year 2013 | Yes | Science fiction only |
Strange Horizons | Year 2013 | Yes | Mixed genre |
Tor.com | Year 2013 | No | Mixed genre |
Across seventeen markets, the total number of published stories was 996: 559.5 by men, 422.5 by women, 1 non-binary and 13 unknown.
The gender ratio was therefore 56.2% men, 42.4% women, 0.1% non-binary and 1.3% unknown.
Hypothesis: publications by men are equally likely as those by women to be above the median or not above the median.
Given a median of 50%, each market was assessed for whether its publications by men and publications by women were above or not above that median.
Median chi-square total publications | |||
Category | Authors who are men | Authors who are women | Total |
Above median | 9 | 7 | 16 |
not above median | 8 | 10 | 18 |
Total | 17 | 17 | 34 |
Results:
Therefore I cannot reject our initial hypothesis.
Hypothesis: There are no significant differences in gender ratios relationship between markets.
To test this hypothesis, I performed a chi-square test between the variables of “market” and “gender ratio.”
Results:
Therefore I can with confidence reject the hypothesis.
I performed the same tests for published science fiction stories.
Across seventeen markets, the total number of published science fiction stories was 639: 395 by men, 235 by women, 0 non-binary and 9 unknown.
The gender ratio was therefore 62.1% men, 36.5% women, 0% non-binary and 1.4% unknown.
Median chi-square science fiction publications | |||
Category | Authors who are men | Authors who are women | total |
Above median | 9 | 6 | 15 |
Not above median | 8 | 11 | 15 |
Total | 15 | 15 | 30 |
Results:
Therefore I cannot reject the null hypothesis.
Hypothesis: There are no significant differences in gender ratios relationship between markets for science fiction stories.
Therefore I can with confidence reject the null hypothesis.
Across four markets that published only science fiction, the total number of published science fiction stories was 253: 182 by men and 71 by women. This gives a gender ratio of 71.9% men, 28.1% women, 0% unknown.
Across thirteen markets that published other genres in addition to science fiction, the total number of published science fiction stories was 386: 213 by men, 164 by women and 9 unknown. This gives a gender ratio of 55.2% men, 42.5% women and 2.3% unknown.
Hypothesis: there is no correlation between a market publishing only science fiction, and a greater proportion of science fiction stories by men.
To assess this hypothesis, I used a point-biserial correlation. Our result was 0.54 (considered moderate).
Is this significant? I performed a T test for independent means to get a T-value of 2.46, with a P-value of 0.01. At the 95% probability for a one tailed t test the critical value is 1.753.
Therefore I can reject the null hypothesis.
Using a Pearson’s Correlation analysis I found an R value of 0.8863 (considered a strong positive correlation.)
So there is a tendency for markets which publish a high proportion of overall stories by men to publish a high proportion of science fiction stories by men (and vice-versa.)
Note: One senior editor identifies as a genderqueer woman for political purposes and was included in the “woman” category for these assessments.
Across eight publications with men only as senior editor total stories published was 434, with 280 by men and 154 by women.
The gender ratio was therefore 64.52% men, 35.48% women.
Across five publications with women only as senior editor total stories published was 210, with 108.5 by men, 99.5 by women, 1 non-binary and 1 unknown.
The gender ratio was therefore 51.67%% men, 47.38% women.
Across four publications with mixed-gender editorial total stories published was 352 stories, with 171 by men, 169 by women, and 12 by unknown.
The gender ratio was therefore 48.58% men, 48.01% women and 3.41% unknown.
Hypothesis: Men-only senior editorial teams are not more likely to publish authors who are men.
I got a point-biserial correlation coefficient of 0.42, (considered moderate.)
I ran a T test for independent means to get a value of 1.80.
At the 95% probability for a one tailed t test the critical value is 1.75.
Therefore I can reject the null hypothesis.
I performed the same tests for science fiction stories.
Across eight publications with men only as senior editors, total science fiction stories published was 320, with 210.5 by men and 109.5 by women.
The gender ratio was therefore 65.78% men, 34.22% women.
Across five publications with women only as senior editors, total science fiction stories published was 110, with 70.5 by men, 39.5 by women.
The gender ratio was therefore 64.1% men, 35.9% women.
Across four publications with mixed-gender editorial teams, total science fiction stories published was 205, with 117 by men, 79 by women, and 9 by unknown.
The gender ratio was therefore 57.07% men, 38.54% women and 4.39% unknown.
Hypothesis: Men-only senior editorial teams are not more likely to publish science fiction stories by men.
Therefore, I cannot reject the null hypothesis.
Given the percentage difference, there may be a correlation between mixed-gender editorial teams and a smaller proportion of authors who are men.
Hypothesis: Single-gender senior editorial teams are not more likely to publish science fiction stories by men.
Therefore, I cannot reject the null hypothesis.
Four publications declined to provide age data: Apex, Nature, Buzzy Mag, Tor.com. This analysis used a Pearson’s correlation.
Mean Age vs. Total Publications by Men %
The value of R is 0.3198. This is technically a positive correlation, but the relationship is weak.
The value of R2, the coefficient of determination, is 0.1023.
Mean Age vs. Science Fiction Publications by Men %
The value of R is -0.0082. This is technically a negative correlation, but the relationship is weak.
The value of R2, the coefficient of determination, is 0.0001.
Median Age vs. Total Publications by Men %
The value of R is 0.3281. This is technically a positive correlation, but the relationship is weak.
The value of R2, the coefficient of determination, is 0.1076.
Median Age vs. Science Fiction Publications by Men %
The value of R is -0.0036. This is technically a positive correlation, but the relationship is weak.
The value of R2, the coefficient of determination, is 0.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan E. Connolly's short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in Strange Horizons, Daily Science Fiction, The Center For Digital Ethics and the fanzine Journey Planet. She is the author of Damsel, a middle-grade fantasy from Mercier Press and Granuaile, an upcoming historical comic book from Atomic Diner. Her degree in Veterinary Medicine given her strong opinions about the accurate portrayal of animal sidekicks in fiction. Susan lives in Ireland, near the mountains. Also near the sea. Also near the forest (Ireland is a small country).
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Michael Grosberg wrote on June 2nd, 2014 at 1:57 am:
Does Asimov's contain only science fiction stories? I haven't read an issue in years, but a cursory examination of an issue I have at home (dating from 1999) found a couple of stories which were clearly fantasy. Have their policies changed?
Susan Connolly wrote on June 2nd, 2014 at 5:26 am:
From their submissions guidelines, "Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine is an established market for science fiction stories" and "Borderline fantasy is fine, but no Sword & Sorcery, please. Neither are we interested in explicit sex or violence. A good overview would be to consider that all fiction is written to examine or illuminate some aspect of human existence, but that in science fiction the backdrop you work against is the size of the Universe."
I took that to mean it was a science-fiction-only publication, which was not contradicted in my communications with the editor, however it could be this is not the case. I'll double-check, thanks!
Susan Connolly wrote on June 2nd, 2014 at 1:41 pm:
Michael, you were correct and the articles have been amended. Thank you for pointing this out.