In the same way that men do, women read fantasy because they enjoy exciting stories set in imaginative places, with clever plot lines and intriguing characters. Women also read fantasy because they like to imagine a world where men and women relate to each other on a level playing field. For better and for worse, fantasy provides a way for us to see just how level the playing field is between men and women, as well as what needs to be improved. In an ideal world, men are still men, and women are still women, but instead of being adversaries when they relate to each other, they are allies. Instead of one sex succeeding at the expense of the other, …