--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think there's a concept that crime…" description: "\"I think there's a concept that crime fiction is or was male-dominated, but it really never has been.\" — Megan Abbott" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/megan-abbott-9549_crime-fiction_i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fic_969552.png" --- # I think there's a concept that crime fiction is or was… ![“I think there's a concept that crime fiction is or was male-dominated, but it really never has been.” quote by Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/megan-abbott-9549_crime-fiction_i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fic_969552.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/megan-abbott-9549_crime-fiction_i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fic_969552.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/megan-abbott-9549_crime-fiction_i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fic_969552.png) > “I think there's a concept that crime fiction is or was male-dominated, but it really never has been.” [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Crime fiction is often seen as male‑dominated, yet that perception is inaccurate. **In simple terms:** Crime fiction isn’t truly male‑dominated despite stereotypes. Key Takeaway Challenge gender stereotypes in genre perception. Themes gender literature stereotypes Mood critical reflective Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - book clubs - publishing decisions - marketing strategies - academic courses Key Concepts Feminist critique genre evolution Questions to Reflect On - How does gender perception shape reading choices? - What steps can diversify genre voices? A Different Perspective Industry bias may still affect opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime-fiction/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) ## Related quotes > [Most people assume wrongly that science fiction is a male-based genre, when, in fact, there are far more women who tune into sci-fi than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-hammer/most-people-assume-wrongly-that-science-fiction-is-a-male-based-genre/) [Bonnie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-hammer/) > [I think the great unspoken theme in noir fiction is male self-pity. It pervades noir movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ellroy/i-think-the-great-unspoken-theme-in-noir-fiction-is-male-self-pity-it/) [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) > [There is sometimes a feeling in crime fiction that good writing gets in the way of story. I have never felt that way. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-sometimes-a-feeling-in-crime-fiction-that-good-writing-gets/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [I grew up reading crime fiction mysteries, true crime - a lot of true crime - and it is traditionally a male dominated field…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/i-grew-up-reading-crime-fiction-mysteries-true-crime-a-lot-of-true/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [Reading Tomato Red-the first Daniel Woodrell novel I came upon-was a transformative experience. It expanded my sense of the possibilities not only of crime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/reading-tomato-red-the-first-daniel-woodrell-novel-i-came-upon-was-a/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [ The built-in form is a window frame. You can use this genre \[crime fiction\] to go where you want to go, and explore what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/the-built-in-form-is-a-window-frame-you-can-use-this-genre-crime/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“You spill a lot of beans in historical fiction. Crime fiction is about spilling no beans at all. You spill the least beans you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/you-spill-a-lot-of-beans-in-historical-fiction-crime-fiction-is-about/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Scandinavian crime fiction has become a great success all across the world and rightfully so. Sjowall and Wahloo ushered in a whole generation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-l-ckberg/scandinavian-crime-fiction-has-become-a-great-success-all-across-the/) [Camilla Lackberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-l-ckberg/) > [I joined a very male-dominated profession back in 1986. I wanted to work with big multinational Fortune 500 companies, but you don't come into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-engelbert/i-joined-a-very-male-dominated-profession-back-in-1986-i-wanted-to/) [Cathy Engelbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-engelbert/) > [Initially it was very male dominated and there were hardly any women director but now women have entered everywhere and they are making their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/initially-it-was-very-male-dominated-and-there-were-hardly-any-women/) [Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/) > [The American work environment has to change, not the women. We should be recognizing that what women are not fitting into is a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-marie-slaughter/the-american-work-environment-has-to-change-not-the-women-we-should/) [Anne-Marie Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-marie-slaughter/) > [Being a woman is power. Just because we live in a male-dominated world doesn't mean that you're incapable or less than a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mya/being-a-woman-is-power-just-because-we-live-in-a-male-dominated-world/) [Mya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mya/) > [If you're talking about intellectual and social equality for women, we're not much better off.America is still very much a male-dominated society. Most American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/if-you-re-talking-about-intellectual-and-social-equality-for-women-we/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [I've become aware of being in a very male-dominated industry where a door opens and it's like, 'Oh hello, it's 12 men and me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-nash/i-ve-become-aware-of-being-in-a-very-male-dominated-industry-where-a/) [Kate Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-nash/) ## More by Megan Abbott > [“She said I'd better not make her unhappy because I oughta know that she's never unhappy alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/she-said-i-d-better-not-make-her-unhappy-because-i-oughta-know-that/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [Reading Dorothy B. Hughes's novel 'In a Lonely Place' for the first time is like finding the long-lost final piece to an enormous puzzle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/reading-dorothy-b-hughes-s-novel-in-a-lonely-place-for-the-first-time/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [“Bobby pins crunching under my feet, I walk through, surveying the damaged girlness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/bobby-pins-crunching-under-my-feet-i-walk-through-surveying-the/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [If it hadn't been what it was, it would've been beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/if-it-hadn-t-been-what-it-was-it-would-ve-been-beautiful/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [I'm always surprised at the negative response to the women in my books who are openly ambitious or experience aggression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/i-m-always-surprised-at-the-negative-response-to-the-women-in-my/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [I will read anything at all by Kate Atkinson, Daniel Woodrell, and William Kennedy, who are all fearless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/i-will-read-anything-at-all-by-kate-atkinson-daniel-woodrell-and/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [“But she became Gabby’s friend in that way that can happen, because the girl with the cool boots always finds the girl with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/but-she-became-gabby-s-friend-in-that-way-that-can-happen-because-the/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [“Where’d that world go, that world when you’re a kid, and now I can’t remember noticing anything, not the smell of the leaves or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/where-d-that-world-go-that-world-when-you-re-a-kid-and-now-i-can-t/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [“This girl, this girl, and he a man with a business and a secretary and a house with a furnace and bills and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/this-girl-this-girl-and-he-a-man-with-a-business-and-a-secretary-and/) [megan abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [The speed of the TV stuff vs. the self-imposed pace of novel writing has been a big adjustment, and going back and forth often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/the-speed-of-the-tv-stuff-vs-the-self-imposed-pace-of-novel-writing/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [“We’re all the same under our skin, aren’t we? We’re all wanting things we don’t understand. Things we can’t even name. The yearning so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/we-re-all-the-same-under-our-skin-aren-t-we-we-re-all-wanting-things/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [“I think she might cry. In her way, she is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/i-think-she-might-cry-in-her-way-she-is/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [The more I did it-the more it owned me. It made things matter. It put a spine into my spineless life and that spine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/the-more-i-did-it-the-more-it-owned-me-it-made-things-matter-it-put-a/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [“Here he is, the man who knows things and who should want to help me. But it is so hard to bring up things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/here-he-is-the-man-who-knows-things-and-who-should-want-to-help-me/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) > [On 'The Deuce,' the writers' room gets like group therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/on-the-deuce-the-writers-room-gets-like-group-therapy/) [Megan Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) [Explore all 72 Megan Abbott quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/) ## More Crime fiction quotes > [“We saved the lives of a whole family that night. Children, parents, uncles, aunts, grandparents, all sailed to safety in Sweden inside a little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steen-langstrup/we-saved-the-lives-of-a-whole-family-that-night-children-parents/) [Steen Langstrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steen-langstrup/) > [The danger that may really threaten (crime fiction) is that soon there will be more writers than readers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/the-danger-that-may-really-threaten-crime-fiction-is-that-soon-there/) [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) > [“Payne sought clarification. “Vertical or horizontal?” “Horizontal, of course.” “Sorry but I can’t help you.” “Will you pipe down for a minute? Naturally she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-lynskey/payne-sought-clarification-vertical-or-horizontal-horizontal-of/) [Ed Lynskey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-lynskey/) > [There is sometimes a feeling in crime fiction that good writing gets in the way of story. I have never felt that way. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-connolly/there-is-sometimes-a-feeling-in-crime-fiction-that-good-writing-gets/) [John Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-connolly/) > [“At that exact moment, 6-0-0, the sun climbed over the skyline of oaks, revealing its full summer angry-god self. Its reflection flared across the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-flynn/at-that-exact-moment-6-0-0-the-sun-climbed-over-the-skyline-of-oaks/) [Gillian Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-flynn/) > [Scandinavian crime fiction has become a great success all across the world and rightfully so. Sjowall and Wahloo ushered in a whole generation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camilla-l-ckberg/scandinavian-crime-fiction-has-become-a-great-success-all-across-the/) [Camilla Lackberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camilla-l-ckberg/) > [“You spill a lot of beans in historical fiction. Crime fiction is about spilling no beans at all. You spill the least beans you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/you-spill-a-lot-of-beans-in-historical-fiction-crime-fiction-is-about/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [ The built-in form is a window frame. You can use this genre \[crime fiction\] to go where you want to go, and explore what… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/the-built-in-form-is-a-window-frame-you-can-use-this-genre-crime/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [“Humanity thrown together in the equivalent of a Petri dish under a microscope bred malignant organisms as often as benign.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-v-lawson/humanity-thrown-together-in-the-equivalent-of-a-petri-dish-under-a/) B.V. Lawson > [“Life isn’t fair. Fair is somewhere you go to ride the dodgems and win a goldfish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-billingham/life-isn-t-fair-fair-is-somewhere-you-go-to-ride-the-dodgems-and-win-2/) [Mark Billingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-billingham/) > [“One of the two owners, the man who had been sitting in the front room, was stretched out in there asleep, stockinged-toes pointed at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornell-woolrich/one-of-the-two-owners-the-man-who-had-been-sitting-in-the-front-room/) [Cornell Woolrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornell-woolrich/) > [“The Professor is coming...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-professor-is-coming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call ‘out there.’ . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/truman-capote/the-village-of-holcomb-stands-on-the-high-wheat-plains-of-western/) [Truman Capote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/truman-capote/) > [I've been writing since 1973. I've written nonfiction things of that nature, but I'm probably best known for crime fiction and, to some extent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-r-lansdale/i-ve-been-writing-since-1973-i-ve-written-nonfiction-things-of-that/) [Joe R. Lansdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-r-lansdale/) > [My focus will always be crime, but it might not always be fiction, nor always for adults, nor books entirely in prose. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-weinman/my-focus-will-always-be-crime-but-it-might-not-always-be-fiction-nor/) [Sarah Weinman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-weinman/) [Browse all 189 Crime fiction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime-fiction/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think there's a concept that crime fiction is or was male-dominated, but it really never has been.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Megan Abbott" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fiction-is-or-was-male-dominated/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Crime fiction" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fiction-is-or-was-male-dominated/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/megan-abbott-9549_crime-fiction_i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fic_969552.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/megan-abbott-9549_crime-fiction_i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fic_969552.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d6/megan-abbott-9549_crime-fiction_i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fic_969552.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think there's a concept that crime fiction is or was male-dominated, but it really never has been.” — Megan Abbott", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Megan Abbott", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-abbott/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think there's a concept that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fiction-is-or-was-male-dominated/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-abbott/i-think-there-s-a-concept-that-crime-fiction-is-or-was-male-dominated/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```