Equality in Fiction?

 This topic has had its online discussions. I've been thinking about Hollywood and casting choices. Along with exceptional older actresses that like Helen Mirren or Judy Dench and the loss of good roles as they get older. I believe it was Mirren who said that women end up as grandmas.

The problem is that good roles are not being written for women. Action heroes are males and even on the rare occasion that it's a female, they're written as emulating male heroes.

I used to watch Dr. Who, an interesting show that I'll always identify with Tennant. When they had a female it simply, imo, did not fit the character. I felt the same when there were resulting conversations about Bond. It was written for a male character. Again, I don't see Bond as a female. There is too much history.

Awareness is important, but fixing it with rewrites and remakes instead of original stories is not the answer. This is particularly bad in fantasy. Geared toward young males Jordan's Wheel of time series has a main character who on his path to rescue the world picks up a fellowship of "strong" female characters, all of whom love him. Game of thrones introduced a very cool character in Khaleesi, who the male author eventually discards as insane. She is the Queen of Dragons a strong mind would have made more sense.

Young geeks grow up. They still enjoy classic literature and fantasy. The only masterpiece of its kind; LOTR was written for an adult audience. The focus was no longer on relationships (as many young adult novels focus on), but the maturity of completing a seemingly impossible mission and friendship. Somehow that book seemed more progressive than what followed. The scene where Galadriel refuses the power of corruption remains incredibly memorable. I cannot imagine LOTRs fellowship to be all female, but I'd like to read an original story in the genre where the fellowship is female. It would offer a different perspective.

The Russian movie Attraction was a little different. Still geared towards teens, but an alien species of scientists and explorers. Apparently different stories can be written.