Ellen
asked
Jo Walton:
Hi Jo! I adore Among Others, and a lot of the thoughts Mori has about romantic/sexual relationships really struck a chord with me. Being aromantic asexual myself, I would love to know if she was intended to be aro/ace-spectrum, or if something else was going on? (either way this book was a very refreshing read, and it's always top of my recommendation list for anyone looking for a book with little or no romance)
Jo Walton
This answer contains spoilers…
(view spoiler)[Oh that is a hard question.
I think the answer is very much the same as when I'm asked about her disabilities. I don't deserve any points for getting it right, because really that aspect of Mori is just me when I was fifteen, and the thoughts she has about that sex-and-love stuff are very much my thoughts about it at that age.
I like sex fine, though I seem to be wired to only be attracted to men, and only men I know. I'm about as romantic as a brick, always have been. Nevertheless, my first marriage lasted nine years and my second is at fifteen and counting. If you want to define me as demisexual and aromantic you could, and if you wanted to define me as straight and monogamous that also works, but I'm not actually all that interested in putting myself into any of those boxes because, like a lot of people on the ace spectrum, I feel there are more interesting things to think about.
(Oh hell, coming out in a Goodreads answer? But why not?) (hide spoiler)]
I think the answer is very much the same as when I'm asked about her disabilities. I don't deserve any points for getting it right, because really that aspect of Mori is just me when I was fifteen, and the thoughts she has about that sex-and-love stuff are very much my thoughts about it at that age.
I like sex fine, though I seem to be wired to only be attracted to men, and only men I know. I'm about as romantic as a brick, always have been. Nevertheless, my first marriage lasted nine years and my second is at fifteen and counting. If you want to define me as demisexual and aromantic you could, and if you wanted to define me as straight and monogamous that also works, but I'm not actually all that interested in putting myself into any of those boxes because, like a lot of people on the ace spectrum, I feel there are more interesting things to think about.
(Oh hell, coming out in a Goodreads answer? But why not?) (hide spoiler)]
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