Masculinity in Lesbian “Pulp” Fiction

Disappearing Heteronormativity?

Paul Thompson (University of St Andrews, UK)

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English

Routledge
29 August 2025

Literary studies: general; Social & cultural history; Gender studies: men; Sociology

Series: Routledge Research in Gender and Society

This book looks specifically and in depth, for the first time, at masculinity in cheap, lesbian-themed paperbacks of the two decades after WW2. It challenges established critical assumptions about the readership, and sets the masculinity imagined in these novels against the “masculinity crisis” of the era in which they were written.

The key issue of these novels is couplehood as much as sexuality, and the instability of masculinity leads to the instability of the couple. Thompson coins the term “heteroemulative” to describe the struggle that both heterosexual and homosexual couples have in conforming to heteronormativity.

As several of these novels have been republished and remain in print, they have taken on a new relevance to issues of sexuality and gender in the twentyfirst century, and this study will attract readers within that area of interest. A valuable read for sociologists studying gender roles, and social historians of the cold war period in the United States. It is suitable for readers of all academic levels, from undergraduate, through postgraduate, to scholars and researchers, but also for a general readership.

By: Paul Thompson (University of St Andrews UK)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 390g
ISBN: 9781032727998
ISBN 10: 1032727993
Series: Routledge Research in Gender and Society
Pages: 194
Publication Date: 29 August 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction A mass literacy event: introducing the cheap lesbian paperback 1. Male agency, and “the immense social power that accumulates around masculinity?” 2. Female masculinity: Bannon, Beebo, and butchness 3. Female masculinity beyond Beebo 4. “Everyone gets married.” 5. Conclusion: Failure and another normality

Paul Thompson, PhD from University of St Andrew’s, Scotland, is a former career civil servant who, on retirement, decided to become a scholar. Paul’s research continues in lesbian-themed paperbacks, not only looking at the erasure of diversity and the overlap of trans narratives but also setting up an archive of the paperbacks in Special Collections at the Library of the University of St Andrews. Paul’s most recent publication is a chapter outlining the philosophical influences on Sebald in W.G. Sebald in Context.

Reviews for Masculinity in Lesbian “Pulp” Fiction: Disappearing Heteronormativity?

""Using his gift for informed and inventive prose, and applying it to an unexplored topic, Paul Thompson has given us a unique view of masculinity in the lesbian-themed paperback fiction of the mid-20th Century."" Ann Bannon, author of the Laura Landon / Beebo Brinker novels ""Opening a critically neglected and often maligned archive of popular lesbian paperbacks from the mid-20th century, Thompson’s clear and accessible study fundamentally reshapes our understanding of American masculinity and sexuality."" Benjamin Bateman, author of Queer Disappearance in Modern and Contemporary Fiction ""Thompson has superbly derived an interdisciplinary approach from queer theory, masculinities studies, feminist scholarship, and literary analysis to present a rich, insightful reading of the texts in demonstrating how masculinity in these novels is not an exclusive property of men but something performed, challenged, and failed at by characters of diverse genders. … [T]he book renders a crucial intervention in the study of gender and sexuality in popular fiction."" Book Review by Sandip Paul, Men and Masculinities (2025), DOI: 10.1177/1097184X251330896