Some Selected Readings I've Come Across Recently:
Spears, Sorcery, and Double Consciousness (Part 2) (Part 3) - a series about African-inspired fantasy and the Western vs Non-Western writer.
Sexy Loki, Queer Tricksters, and the Problem with LGBT Villains - an opinion piece on how lgbt+ villains are written and used in fiction.
Postcolonial Fantasy and African Against the Word “Tribe” - a discussion on the use of the word “tribe” in fiction, especially fantasy.
The “Other” Histories of Fantasy - about (the lack of) non-European settings in fantasy and drawing from history.
Fantasy’s “Othering” Fetish - about the portrayal of POC in fantasy, particularly how they are “othered”.
Green-Eyed Asian - about giving POC traits that are more common in white people in an attempt to “beatify” or “exotify” them.
Respective Portrayals of Asians in the Media and How to Balance Them - a primer on stereotypes and portrayals of Asians and Asian-Americans in American media.
No Queens in Afrika: Women Rulers in Sword & Soul and Other African-Inspired Fantasy - about the use of the word “queen” in relation to non Western European (mostly African) female rulers.
Tropes of Women of Color in Sci-FI - an eight-part series looking at five tropes that surround women of color in sci-fi.
Why Sci-Fi Keeps Imagining the Subjugation of White People - an article about the popular topic of colonialism and anti-colonialism in sci-fi.
On Black Women, Teen TV, and Fantasy Space - a short article about the desirability of black women in fiction and its relationship with women being validated “through heteronormative romantic success”.
On the Erasure of People of Color from Dystopian Fiction - about the absence of POC in speculative fiction, particularly futuristic settings.
Mary Anne Mohanraj Gets You Up to Speed Part I (Part II) - a two-part essay about race and racism in fiction and about writing a race other than your own.
You’re Hurting My Head Again SF/F - a rant on erasing an entire race for the sake of an alternate history.
Diversity and Disability - about the lack of representation for disabled people in YA fiction and the two tropes that often surround disability in fiction.
No, Really, Stop Raping Your Women! - disputing arguments that favor rape and sexual assault against women in fantasy.
Monstrous Females and Female Monsters - on the difference between the portrayal of male monsters and female monsters, and on what makes a female character a monster.
How White Writers Should Address Racism - a short post on how characters address racial and ethnic prejudice in fiction.
Dystropia: Why the Sassy Gay Friend Isn’t Progressive - an article on writing “sassy gay friends” and how it can turn bad quickly.
titsay
origamiaround
gummygunk
ellievsbear
discoholicmusic
