I was reading an excellent science fiction book a while back and it got me thinking about the process of creating a society for a story.

I mean, an author doesn't have to create a society, there is a serviceable one outside your door, and if that one doesn't suit you can go through history and find one as well.

But sometimes, an author wants to create a society of their very own, and there is a lot one has to consider if you want to take that route.

For example, since we focus here on transgender issues, you have to figure out how gender works in the society you want to construct.

Are there more than two acceptable genders? does one gender or the other make most of the decisions? how much pressure is put on a person to perform according to their assigned gender? If a person switched genders, how accepted would they be?

Lets give an example. Society A only sees two valid genders, with the males making most of the choices. Significant pressure is put on someone to behave appropriately, and concept of switching genders is alien.

In this case, a person who switches from male to female is gonna have a lot of troubles adjusting, if they can at all.

On the other hand, Society B has a specific role for people who are between genders, males and females both share in choices, there is actually pressure to break gender roles on occasion, and people often switch genders.

In this society, a person who switches from male to female will have an easy time of it, maybe even a little too easy.

Just something for you guys to think about when you're writing.