Smut is not a bad word.
They think theyre being cute, but their disdain and self-loathing is as transparent as a throne of glass.
Even if they’re a fan or enjoy it, it always comes with an asterisk.
Sarah J. Maas; House of Flame and Shadow.getty; amazon
But its all a bit too much damning with faint praise.
Why should something that taps into our most visceral, naked emotions be considered lesser?
Its just not what Maas is writing.
But Maas novels are hardly stuffed with sex scenes.
Theyre more plentiful than some books, sure, but theyre always crucial to plot and character development.
Maas has devised entire universes (possibly interconnected?)
But she (and other romantasy authors) are singled out, with a tee-hee, for smutty passages.
Those that employ the word smut want to imply that the sex is there purely for prurient reasons.
Even if it is, thats not a reason to dismiss, infantilize, or belittle a book.
And a framework through which to convey the needs that we are able to recognize through such understanding.
Whats more it helps remind us that such desires are normal, even essential parts of a well-rounded life.
Fiction has been and is increasingly becoming a battleground on which to police identity, self-expression, and self-reflection.
