I feel that YA fantasy and science fiction could use a shot of ethnic and racial diversity.
So very much with you there. Particularly when it comes to women of color; when I was growing up, I can only vaguely remember reading one or two YA genre books with Asian girls (I think one was Lawrence Yep's dragon series). Now there are a few more, but I wish I could rattle off a list of ass-kicking girls of color in YA off the top of my head. And hopefully things like the Carl Brandon awards at Wiscon will help getting them promoted and read, since that's where I heard about Stormwitch and your book.
I'm also torn between wanting genre books that deal with real-world racial issues like Stormwitch does with the Civil Rights movement and wanting genre books that have fantasy non-white societies, like LeGuin's Voices. Preferably both! But I do want some confrontation of racial issues and young girls deriving a sense of power from that confrontation. I was reading the backs of YA books set in ancient Persia or somesuch, which is awesome, but doesn't talk about the issues that I currently want to read about. This is of course not to say that all books should talk about Race Issues with Capital Letters, because I love the non-European-mythology genre books as well. But just that... I think if I had read more ass-kicking girls dealing with race issues in fantasy growing up, it would have been really comforting and given me something to draw on.
Which is why I'm looking for them now!
And thanks for dropping by and for the recs; I will look those up! And am looking forward to your new book!
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Re: Okorafor-Mbachu's next novel and more recommendations
Mon, Mar. 12th, 2007 09:47 pm (UTC)I feel that YA fantasy and science fiction could use a shot of ethnic and racial diversity.
So very much with you there. Particularly when it comes to women of color; when I was growing up, I can only vaguely remember reading one or two YA genre books with Asian girls (I think one was Lawrence Yep's dragon series). Now there are a few more, but I wish I could rattle off a list of ass-kicking girls of color in YA off the top of my head. And hopefully things like the Carl Brandon awards at Wiscon will help getting them promoted and read, since that's where I heard about Stormwitch and your book.
I'm also torn between wanting genre books that deal with real-world racial issues like Stormwitch does with the Civil Rights movement and wanting genre books that have fantasy non-white societies, like LeGuin's Voices. Preferably both! But I do want some confrontation of racial issues and young girls deriving a sense of power from that confrontation. I was reading the backs of YA books set in ancient Persia or somesuch, which is awesome, but doesn't talk about the issues that I currently want to read about. This is of course not to say that all books should talk about Race Issues with Capital Letters, because I love the non-European-mythology genre books as well. But just that... I think if I had read more ass-kicking girls dealing with race issues in fantasy growing up, it would have been really comforting and given me something to draw on.
Which is why I'm looking for them now!
And thanks for dropping by and for the recs; I will look those up! And am looking forward to your new book!