Self-Published Only Club discussion

... PASS THE BECHDEL TEST

The Bechdel Test, created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel in the mid-80s, (albeit on a small scale), seeks to examine how women are depicted in film. Simply put, if two named female characters talk to each other about something other than a man, the movie passes the test as not being sexist ( https://filmlifestyle.com/what-is-the... ).

Since many authors dream of cinematic adaptation of their works, would your book [self published, of course] pass The Bechdel Test? If so post them here.
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I will start with 2 of mine:

The K-Frost Caper
The Diamond Head Deception

Luna Nightcrow is the Native American insurance fraud investigator heroine-- or perhaps an existential antagonist, depending on your view of the insurance industry--of my fledgling mystery series. She interacts many times with major and minor female characters throughout each book about solving the core insurance frauds comprising the plot. She also talks with them about career goals, hobbies, and other life pursuits outside work.

In K-Frost, Luna speaks with Miami Police Captain Mikhailah Alexander and Computer Forensics Chief Deputy Analyst Nicole Takamatsu at length about the caper. Luna also interviews female suspects Bekka Noon, Sharkie Sayles, and Quinn Wu. And, she also speaks with other women in supervisory or proprietary positions.

In Diamond Head, Luna speaks with the claims company CFO Evelyn Grace about the case. She is also assigned a female partner, jewelry appraiser Nani Nyoko, with whom she investigates the disappearance of a rare red diamond and befriends off duty. Luna also teams up with the Honolulu Police Department and its contact Detective Sergeant Earnesta Valerosa. And no mystery is complete without suspects; thus, Luna grills secessionist leader Ailani Haku and Alsia Aapt, Chief of Security aboard the sunken Indian luxury liner The Shilpa. She also works with a female Indian interpreter and, in the opening Iowa federal sting operation, an undercover government female special agent. The book also features female characters other than Luna interacting with each other.

The new audiobook for my novel The Key to Circus-Mom Highway just won an Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine for exceptional narration.

The book itself has won a Literary Titan Gold Book Award, a CLC Book Excellence Award (1st place in Contemporary Women's Fiction), and recently reached Finalist level in 2 categories of the International Book Awards 2023 (Fiction: Cross-Genre and Humor/Comedy/ Satire).

In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them as infants. This is a novel about family, forgiveness, the absurdity of the world we live in… and second chances.

On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that their birth mother has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her—and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.

For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings—Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a wounded, drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him at night—must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.

This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.


REVIEW EXCERPTS:

“In this rollicking family dramedy, debut author Rice sends three lovable siblings on a zany yet touching road trip… Comedy marks every page as Jess slings sarcastic one-liners, and wacky characters intervene in every quirky destination… Rice’s sharp observations of society’s absurdity verge on the satirical and even on occasion veer toward delightfully crude. To offset the humor, solemn moments add depth to the siblings’ inner journeys… Fans of family drama, road trips, and non-stop laughs will love this cross-country adventure. Great for fans of: Jonathan Tropper’s This Is Where I Leave You, [and] Steven Rowley’s The Guncle.”

–BookLife/Publisher’s Weekly

“5 stars… Must read 🏆
The Key to Circus-Mom Highway was an extraordinary story, exciting and enjoyable, from cover to cover…The three siblings are delightfully fun, yet each is hiding secret sorrows or traumas that come to light over the course of the story. Their no-holds-barred banter had me laughing out loud as the pages flew past. But even after the story is over, I’m still thinking about these sisters and brother and their families and hoping everything in their lives worked out as if they were real people…The plot moves fast, and there’s never a dull moment with these three. Then, just as I got comfortable with where the story was going, a twist or turn occurred, sending any feeling of complacency out the window… With engaging main characters in triplicate and a second chance plot, I recommend THE KEY TO CIRCUS-MOM HIGHWAY to contemporary fiction readers who enjoy a modern quest story and witty dialogue.

–Reedsy Discovery

“A humorous, moving family drama novel that is impossible to put down…Allyson Rice has managed to create a story that aptly explores family conflict, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It also balances hilarious moments and painful experiences with skill. The story is told through lovable characters who have relatable stories…Expertly blending dialogue, laughter, and drama, The Key to Circus-Mom Highway is a heart-warming novel that will draw readers in right from the first page. It is a contemporary work with a vivid set of unique and captivating characters and packed with unexpected adventures and entertaining twists. This is one of the best novels and stories I have read in a long time. I was highly entertained and didn't want the story to end. The Key to Circus-Mom Highway by Allyson Rice comes highly recommended“

–Chick Lit Café

James wrote: "... PASS THE BECHDEL TEST

Short answer: Everything I've ever written, easy, since strong female characters are what I'm interested in.

Long answer: For my high fantasy The Majaos Trilogy Chosen,Consequences,Choice I even did a chapter-by-chapter analysis of this very thing, and discovered to my surprise (not) the result was that around three out of four chapters passed the test. (Lowest result Book 2 at 60%.)

Haven't analysed by sci-fi/fantasy/time manipulating adventure Tempestria series Shifting Stars et al, in such an in-depth way, but given that I have 3 central female characters (one of them is trans, and that totally counts) I'm pretty confident of a similar score.

There are different interpretations of Bechedel-Wallace, of course, such as whether any reference to a male character means a fail, or whether it's OK as long as it's not in a romantic/sexual context. Personally, I take the latter view. For example, if 2 female medical professionals are discussing a patient, I don't beleive it fails the test if the patient happens to be male.

To avoid bias, however, in my analysis of my Majaos trilogy, I decided to do a reverse B-W test as well. (i.e. Two male characters discussing something other than a woman.) That way, any such biases should cancel out.

Incidentally, the reverse B-W pass rate was down at around 40% of chapters, and given the lack of male characters in my Tempestria series, I'm afraid it's going to struggle on that, but I see it as redressing the balance. :)

Bottom line, unless your story is set in a monastery, it's really not hard to pass the Bechedel test and it's disgraceful how much of fiction fails.

ETA: OK, now I've gone through Tempestria books 1-3, and the Bechedel scord on the doors are 52%, 70% and 89% respectively. As for the reverse test, I'm afraid Book has no dialogue between male characters, while Books 2 and 3 languish at 17% and 21% chapters with with such dialogue.