A panel at BristolCon on October 20th 2012 considered this topic. It was introduced in the programme with, “Like the Girl in the Negligee, framed in a gun-sight in 50s detective novels, the inhumanly developed woman in Not Enough Armour has been an icon for SF. ... after 100 years of female emancipation is it time to move on and dress these women in sensible armour?” The panel was moderated capably by Philip Reeve, who directed questions to Jonathan Howard, Danie Ware, Joanne Hall (taking time out from excellently organizing the con with the brilliant Andy Bigwood – artist of my ARIA ) and Foz Meadows.
Geoff Nelder shares his detailed thoughts on the "Women in Sensible Armour" panel at BristolCon, which I was on. I'd just like to say that I have no objection to fleshy torsos in their right place ;) But their right place is not, for example, leading a cavalry charge....
In general I agree, unless the weather is very hot. For example in the battle of Isandlwana, the Zulus won decisively while wearing almost nothing. Still, it would have been more sensible for them to have worn Kevlar jackets then they would have lost fewer lives to bullets.
sometimes silly armour is there to show that these are women, rather than men, but even that is laughable, as often the gaps are right over the heart, the neck, the backs of the knees, the groin and all the other sensible targets for any fighter. The klingon women is a good example that springs to mind.
http://www.theschoolforheroes.com/SfHArt/cl_blog/picture_klingon.jpg
Anyone in armour looks like someone in armour, they don’t want to be hit, that’s the priority, not looking sexy.
True, if you are designing real battleground apparel, but don’t lose sight of what ficiton is all about: marketing.
I agree, but I think tastes are changing. Eowyn in the LOTR films, Noomie Rapace’s character in Prometheus – they are clearly women but have not had to resort to ludicrous life-risking armour to tell us that.
True, and that’s the point I make near the end of my blog article – and why I include a photo of Hit Girl. I haven’t found a contemporary, say 2010-12, novel with non-sensible clothing on a warrior woman. Perhaps our blog-readers will find one and tell us!
I think we should issue that as a challenge for the readers – best contemporary (2010 onwards) example of “Women in Stupid Armour” gets a prize!