I’m a prolific reader. I always have nine or so books on my Kindle Unlimited subscription, along with the numerous paperbacks and hardcovers that I pick up while on a book shopping spree (I really shouldn’t; my bank balance doesn’t thank me, nor does my never-dwindling tbr pile). I try to read a few pages of each one every day, and leave reviews for the majority on Goodreads and Amazon.
Characters with money for readers with money
More often than not, I find that the main characters are upper middle class. They have money to burn, and can buy a house on a whim – even if the house later turns out to be haunted. I was curious about why most books feature upper middle class characters and the results were unsurprising; because the majority of readers tend to be upper middle class and therefore want to read books featuring characters like themselves.
Books to cater for a changing demographic
While the big publishers still tend to focus on moneyed characters with privileged lives, the changing demographic of readers today requires a wider variety of characters – at least, in my humble opinion. Millennials and Gen Zers are fast becoming known as ‘Generation Rent’ through no fault of their own; the economic situation for adults under 40 today is so dire that many are forced to live with elderly parents, or are stuck in rent traps, unable to get onto the property ladder. I have noticed a change reflected in Indie and small press books focusing on characters from disadvantaged backgrounds, or other underrepresented groups. These characters may be from working class backgrounds, or have difficult living circumstances. I’m currently reading a great Indie horror novel featuring a Hispanic woman working as a prostitute to make ends meet.
Why I prefer underrepresented voices in fiction
Let’s face it, literature is oversaturated with boring, privileged, middle class characters with more money than sense. It gets tiresome to read after a while when yet another character buys a charming cottage in the countryside, only to discover it has a sinister past. Where’s the variety in that? On the other hand, a renter forced to stay in their haunted property because they can’t afford to leave is much more interesting. It gives many more avenues to develop the storyline in interesting, non-cliche ways and create some tough character-building situations too.
This is why, in my own stories, I prefer to use underrepresented characters in my own writing. My characters rent their houses, like Kimberly in The Buddha’s Bone, or are from a disadvantaged, working class background, like Megan and Sabrina in The Blue Man. Because, that is real life for the majority of people in the UK, and I’m sure elsewhere worldwide – and they are readers too. Books aren’t only for the rich.
Leilanie Stewart 
I always believed rightly or wrongly that reading was escapism that we read books that took us away from our reality into a fantasy world. If you lived in poverty why would you want to read about people who were struggling the same as you.
Snow White and Cinderella were poor or badly treated made good in the end. Reading such stories were the characters give you hope that things can get better or at least with a struggle improve their lives is what we all can relate to. If the story shows that no amount of wealth brings happiness and the main character finds true happiness in a simply life a reader learns an important lesson.
Most classic novel from Jane Ayre to Dracula are stories with a moral perspective in them.
Yes, I do agree that certain genres cater to escapism; certainly rom-coms and high fantasy like Lord of the Rings. I think in the genres I prefer such as psychological thrillers and horror, it’s not so much escapism as it is an expectation for things to go wrong for the MCs, and readers enjoy seeing the characters overcome the hurdles. I disagree that people living in poverty don’t like to read about hardship; this is why ‘misery porn’ books are so popular especially among the disenfranchised, as it makes people appreciate what they have, however little, knowing there is always something worse. On the other hand, extreme wealth is unobtainable for the masses, so I don’t think it gives hope to the majority. Of course, the big publisher book that inspired my post was published in 2001, and times have since changed to cater to post-covid, cost-of-living hardship times. More recently published books seem to be moving with the times and have characters from a wider variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.
Check out Kitchen Sink Realism novels:
Up the Junction (1968) Neil Dunn
A Kind of Loving (1960) Stan Barstow
Look Back in Anger John Osborne
Yes, I’ve read loads of literary novels and social realism focusing on working class communities. But I find that horror and even more so, psychological thrillers, are dominated by rich MCs. Was looking for more variety within those genres specifically. Probably should’ve clarified that in my original post.
I suppose authors find it easier for the MC to rich because they don’t need to worry about finances and can focus on telling the story
Very true, good point. The story is definitely the most important focus in genre fiction too. Aside from my post, which probably focuses on the negative, I’m enjoying the book that inspired my post, mostly because the MC is indeed facing hardship despite having money to burn, which is making her more relatable as the book progresses. Good discussion, thanks for commenting! ☺️
In Seeking the Dark Amanita’s housekeeper was a single mother. The Jacob the journalist wasn’t wealthy. I suppose you could say that Amanita was wealthy she was able to support herself as she had through the centuries. Vampire have to be wealthy they don’t want to be worrying about have to paid taxes or the electricity being switched off because of unpaid bills. I suppose in the future with solar panels they won’t have to worry about such things.
It’s a great book, I really enjoyed it! I think mundane chores and bills, etc would definitely detract from stories where suspense is a big part of the plot. I’ve noticed in quite a few big-name thrillers, more so than in horror, because money is no barrier the protagonists can do things that normal folks wouldn’t be able to and I guess it has to be that way to serve the plot, especially as so many of these stories focus on deadly rivalries with fellow rich suburban neighbours, for example.
That’s what you have to focus on. It’s why it’s taken for granted that characters don’t worry about showering, stopping for toilet breaks, meals, doing housework, repairing leaking taps etc. These things are only adding in if they are needed to carry the story forward.
I’ve read your conversation with Paula below, so won’t get too into things: you both make good points. In my own ‘You Know What You Did’ (psychological suspense) I have a rich, privileged characters who’s upset somebody much poorer–and the action derives from the revenge chosen by the poor character. My ‘Criminal Conversation’ series begins with the story of a girl – not WC, but lower MC, I guess – who’s in need of money. Her finding of an extremely rich and poweful man, and what transpires between them, is what drives the story forwards. The book, and the five which follow, have a mixture of rich and poor. Class friction, or the classes meeting and understanding each other, generates a great deal of the action. Maybe it’s because I’m English (of WC origins) that I do this. 🙂
Sorry Laura, your comments had gone to spam so I’m only seeing these now. My phone doesn’t show me updates so it’s lucky I checked in via my computer today while doing updates!
No worries, WordPress can do some very strange things. Usually it tries to get me to log in when I’m already logged in, and publishes my comments on others’ sites as by Anonymous. We live with it lol. 🙂
Yes, and I agree that class fiction would serve the plot of a psychological suspense, so ultimately it is what would serve the plot best. 😊
If we didn’t have class and other differences life would be too good to be true, and we wouldn’t have anything to write about! 🙂