Nonbinary gender in fiction: Difference between revisions
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*In ''Crypt of the Necrodancer,'' the game's artist stated that the unlockable character Bolt is genderqueer and uses they/them pronouns; this was further confirmed by the game's official Twitter.{{citation needed}} | *In ''Crypt of the Necrodancer,'' the game's artist stated that the unlockable character Bolt is genderqueer and uses they/them pronouns; this was further confirmed by the game's official Twitter.{{citation needed}} | ||
*In ''Transistor'', the gender marker for Bailey Gilande in her character file is 'X', commonly used by, or in regards to, | *In ''Transistor'', the [[gender marker]] for Bailey Gilande in her character file is 'X', commonly used by, or in regards to, nonbinary people. | ||
*''[https://www.choiceofgames.com/versus-the-lost-ones/ VERSUS: The Lost Ones]'' by Zachary Sergi (published in 2015 by Choice of Games LLC) is a sci-fi interactive novel where it's possible to play a nonbinary character. The player's character, Thomil, comes from a planet where everyone telepathically shares their thoughts and feelings with one another. A couple chapters into the story, the player is asked about their character's gender. They can choose from six options: a cisgender woman, transgender woman, cis man, trans man, intersex, or "I don't subscribe to any gender categories". Choosing the last option sets Thomil's stats to say "Gender: Not Applicable," and brings up these remarks in the narrative: "You are both genders, but you are also neither gender. You believe gender defies categorization, operating on a kind of sliding scale-- one that can change every day. You've come across [foreign planets'] texts about other cultures where such thinking is considered taboo or even sacrilegious, but in a society where everyone can quite literally share their thoughts and experiences, it's fairly impossible not to accept others once you understand who they truly are. Besides, even the most staunchly 'male' or 'female' cisgenders admit that sometimes they feel more 'masculine' or 'feminine' at different times. You just take that kind of thinking to a whole new level." The narration in ''VERSUS'' makes clear that this is not an undisclosed gender or a fantasy sex, but a nonbinary gender identity. Though Thomil comes from a sci-fi setting where where this and other transgender identities are accepted, this is a realistic depiction of a nonbinary person. | *''[https://www.choiceofgames.com/versus-the-lost-ones/ VERSUS: The Lost Ones]'' by Zachary Sergi (published in 2015 by Choice of Games LLC) is a sci-fi interactive novel where it's possible to play a nonbinary character. The player's character, Thomil, comes from a planet where everyone telepathically shares their thoughts and feelings with one another. A couple chapters into the story, the player is asked about their character's gender. They can choose from six options: a cisgender woman, transgender woman, cis man, trans man, intersex, or "I don't subscribe to any gender categories". Choosing the last option sets Thomil's stats to say "Gender: Not Applicable," and brings up these remarks in the narrative: "You are both genders, but you are also neither gender. You believe gender defies categorization, operating on a kind of sliding scale-- one that can change every day. You've come across [foreign planets'] texts about other cultures where such thinking is considered taboo or even sacrilegious, but in a society where everyone can quite literally share their thoughts and experiences, it's fairly impossible not to accept others once you understand who they truly are. Besides, even the most staunchly 'male' or 'female' cisgenders admit that sometimes they feel more 'masculine' or 'feminine' at different times. You just take that kind of thinking to a whole new level." The narration in ''VERSUS'' makes clear that this is not an undisclosed gender or a fantasy sex, but a nonbinary gender identity. Though Thomil comes from a sci-fi setting where where this and other transgender identities are accepted, this is a realistic depiction of a nonbinary person. | ||
[[File:Fallen Hero Rebirth.png|thumb|Gender choice near the beginning of the interactive novel ''Fallen Hero: Rebirth''.]] | [[File:Fallen Hero Rebirth.png|thumb|Gender choice near the beginning of the interactive novel ''Fallen Hero: Rebirth''.]] | ||
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*In ''Long Story Game'' the character you play use whichever pronouns from 'she/her', 'he/him' and 'them/they', the physical depiction of the character can also be changed to suit the gender of choice. | *In ''Long Story Game'' the character you play use whichever pronouns from 'she/her', 'he/him' and 'them/they', the physical depiction of the character can also be changed to suit the gender of choice. | ||
* In the dating sim ''Hustle Cat'', the protagonist can be either male, female, or nonbinary with "they" pronouns, and the characters in-game will refer to them with the chosen pronouns. | * In the dating sim ''Hustle Cat'', the protagonist can be either male, female, or nonbinary with "they" pronouns, and the characters in-game will refer to them with the chosen pronouns. | ||
*In ''Read Only Memories'' the character TOMCAT uses they/them pronouns. While it is not directly stated in-game that TOMCAT is nonbinary, artist and director John James has stated in an interview that TOMCAT "is [[gender fluid]]"<ref>{{cite web|first=Jesse|last=Tannous|title=Read Only Memories Director discusses LGBTQ themes in gaming.|date=June 20, 2015|work=The Examiner|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023215026/http://www.examiner.com/article/read-only-memories-director-discusses-lgbtq-themes-gaming|archive-date=October 23, 2015|url=http://www.examiner.com/article/read-only-memories-director-discusses-lgbtq-themes-gaming}}</ref>.The game also includes other | *In ''Read Only Memories'' the character TOMCAT uses they/them pronouns. While it is not directly stated in-game that TOMCAT is nonbinary, artist and director John James has stated in an interview that TOMCAT "is [[gender fluid]]"<ref>{{cite web|first=Jesse|last=Tannous|title=Read Only Memories Director discusses LGBTQ themes in gaming.|date=June 20, 2015|work=The Examiner|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023215026/http://www.examiner.com/article/read-only-memories-director-discusses-lgbtq-themes-gaming|archive-date=October 23, 2015|url=http://www.examiner.com/article/read-only-memories-director-discusses-lgbtq-themes-gaming}}</ref>.The game also includes other nonbinary characters, including the robot Turing and the protagonist if the player chooses so. [[File: ROM pronouns 1.png|thumb|A screenshot of pronoun selection in ''Read Only Memories''. Selecting 'more options' allows you to choose from 'ze/zir/, 'xe/xir', or your own custom pronouns.]] | ||
*In ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nights_into_Dreams... NiGHTS into Dreams]'' the character "NiGHTS is neutral, and therefore has no gender. The impressions of the character with regards to gender are totally up to the player" according to Takashi Iizuka, the lead designer of the game.<ref name="Taylor2007">{{Cite web |title=Interview: Takashi Iizuka Talks NiGHTS |last=Taylor |first=Mike |work=Nintendo Life |date=5 December 2007 |access-date=23 September 2020 |url= https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2007/12/interview_takashi_iizuka_talks_nights}}</ref> | *In ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nights_into_Dreams... NiGHTS into Dreams]'' the character "NiGHTS is neutral, and therefore has no gender. The impressions of the character with regards to gender are totally up to the player" according to Takashi Iizuka, the lead designer of the game.<ref name="Taylor2007">{{Cite web |title=Interview: Takashi Iizuka Talks NiGHTS |last=Taylor |first=Mike |work=Nintendo Life |date=5 December 2007 |access-date=23 September 2020 |url= https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2007/12/interview_takashi_iizuka_talks_nights}}</ref> | ||
*The dating sim ''The Office Type'' (scheduled for release mid-to-late 2020) has equal numbers of male, female, and nonbinary characters for the player to romance. Every character's bio, even the cis ones, lists their pronouns. The nonbinary characters listed so far are Syl ([[demiboy]]), Benny ([[agender]]), Cal ([[demigirl]]), Toni ([[aporagender]]), Ty ([[anogender]]), Addie ([[egogender]]), Bee ([[genderfluid]]), and Mx. Hura Stapleton ([[bigender]]). There are also binary trans women and binary trans men among the cast.<ref>[https://www.heavythoughtstudios.com/projects/ Heavy Thought Studios - Projects]</ref> | *The dating sim ''The Office Type'' (scheduled for release mid-to-late 2020) has equal numbers of male, female, and nonbinary characters for the player to romance. Every character's bio, even the cis ones, lists their pronouns. The nonbinary characters listed so far are Syl ([[demiboy]]), Benny ([[agender]]), Cal ([[demigirl]]), Toni ([[aporagender]]), Ty ([[anogender]]), Addie ([[egogender]]), Bee ([[genderfluid]]), and Mx. Hura Stapleton ([[bigender]]). There are also binary trans women and binary trans men among the cast.<ref>[https://www.heavythoughtstudios.com/projects/ Heavy Thought Studios - Projects]</ref> | ||
*One of the player characters in the 2019 game ''Borderlands 3'', FL4K, is an emergent AI who uses they/them pronouns and wears a pin with the | *One of the player characters in the 2019 game ''Borderlands 3'', FL4K, is an emergent AI who uses they/them pronouns and wears a pin with the nonbinary flag. | ||
*In ''Tokyo Afterschool Summoners'', the player can set the protagonist's gender to male, female, or "other", regardless of which appearance they choose. The character Arc is also referred to with they/them pronouns in the official English translation. | *In ''Tokyo Afterschool Summoners'', the player can set the protagonist's gender to male, female, or "other", regardless of which appearance they choose. The character Arc is also referred to with they/them pronouns in the official English translation. | ||
*In the MMORPG ''Runescape'', there is an NPC who can change the player character's avatar from male to female or female to male, as well as change the player's skin color. The NPC also switches their own avatar's "sex" at 10-second intervals. They are officially called "The Makeover Mage", but in a 2006 letter they wrote "My name is Pete, or Peta, depending on my mood", implying they may be [[genderfluid]], [[bigender]], or some other type of nonbinary.<ref>https://runescape.wiki/w/Makeover_Mage</ref> | *In the MMORPG ''Runescape'', there is an NPC who can change the player character's avatar from male to female or female to male, as well as change the player's skin color. The NPC also switches their own avatar's "sex" at 10-second intervals. They are officially called "The Makeover Mage", but in a 2006 letter they wrote "My name is Pete, or Peta, depending on my mood", implying they may be [[genderfluid]], [[bigender]], or some other type of nonbinary.<ref>https://runescape.wiki/w/Makeover_Mage</ref> | ||