Why are there so many male protagonists in all cool books?

[gypolord]

WAY too many books with a pale, hot chick in a black dress with something like blood or wings. It's really quite disappointing.

I picked up a book that had a flower on it, "In death" and it was ok. Female protagonist. But her boyfriend was awesome. . . There is much to be said for being a self made man in the future who literally owns almost half of the world.

ALSO which book is this: "He was tall, dark and handsome; she was small and ugly"

[Ary Svit-Kona]

Um, because they're so much more interesting. Think about it, they can do so many more death defying things! The girls, they can't do that! They can't go out into an epic battle with a final showdown! Guys can do that though!

[DilanMelis]

Other than the obvious examples, you can find 'cooler' girl protagonists in adult/older peoples books I find. So all throughout the Anne Bishop books, The Magician's Guild books, Millennium trilogy etc, you find stronger female protagonists.

I think quite a few children's/YA adult novel authors feel that girls may turn away from books about only girls. That being said, we're not even touching on books like Girls in Love and Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging books.

I think people are forgetting that there aren't just spy books. Even then, Nancy Drew is a favourite- she was a kick ass chick that was heaps cooler than the Hardy Boys I think. Teen Power Inc had a really good mix of guys and gals.

[Tai]

It just goes with the type of book, can you imagine percy jackson with a girl as percy? I mean im all for it, have a main girl character who snaps necks and wins battles but i havent read about many

[Schadenfreude]

Um, because they're so much more interesting. Think about it, they can do so many more death defying things! The girls, they can't do that! They can't go out into an epic battle with a final showdown! Guys can do that though!

Don't be sexist. Girls can be just as death-defying as boys can.

It's probably been mentioned before, but if you want an awesome Teenage/YA series with a female protagonist, try Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce. The main character, eleven-year-old Alanna of Trebond, wants to be a knight, but girls aren't allowed. So when her father decides to send her to a Convent to learn to be a lady, she disguises herself as a boy and goes the King's Court to train as a page instead.

It's one of my all-time favourite books.

--
EDIT:
Girls, just one thing I've noticed while reading through this thread properly... If you want people to take female protagonists seriously, do not, I repeat, DO NOT use Twilight as an example.
Ever.

[Pedro-ologist]

I like books where girls pretend to be boys and beat all the boys. It usually involves violence and epic battles and strategy. They are very entertaining. That is why Leviathan is so totally awesome!

If you are new, yes, I am male.

I am very pro female protagonists. I just am not a huge fan of pure romance books, although I am coming 'round to not minding them. There are so many cool books with female protagonists, just not enough...

[Tai]

she disguises herself as a boy and goes the King's Court to train as a page instead.

so....mulan?

[Schadenfreude]

so....mulan?

Kinda, sorta, not really... There are definitely similarities. And SotL came first.

[Rider rules]

whats a protagonist

[Tai]

whats a protagonist

.....just google it

[Pedro-ologist]

The main character of a story. The hero. Then there is the Antagonist...the enemy! And various other types of characters like the contagonist...

[Tai]

Derp

[Rider rules]

Derp? Anyway, even though I'm a girl, the main characters (or usually the toughest people in the story) are usually boys/men. And if you're a girl, you can say the main character was cute! Somehow, Katniss (GIRL) does not appeal to me as much as Finnick (BOY) or Gale (BOY) in The Hunger Games, even though she's the main character!

[Tai]

grrr dont bring them up.

[Rider rules]

Why? You hate The Hunger Games?