Diversity in Sci-Fi: Why Representation Matters

Welcome to Diversity in Sci-Fi! My name is Kirsten, and starting next month, I will be reviewing new, diverse, science fiction books. Today, I would like to offer some insight into why I have started this blog, and what you can expect to find in my reviews.

Why Do We Need Representation?

The science fiction genre is, unfortunately, saturated with books written by straight white men. Many of these books either lack representation or are racist, homophobic, or misogynistic.

This is not a new problem. In her 1980 essay The Lost Races of Science Fiction, opens a new window, acclaimed science-fiction author Octavia Butler said, “Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Amerindians, minority characters in general have been noticeably absent from most science fiction. Why? [...] Are minority characters—black characters in this case—so disruptive a force that the mere presence of one alters a story, focuses it on race rather than whatever the author had in mind?” She suggests that writers who have trouble giving black characters interesting backgrounds and stories, and writers who get sidetracked justifying “why” a character is black, are incapable of regarding black people as people. She compares this to the stereotyping that women have historically received and concludes, “It is no more necessary to focus on a character’s blackness than it is to focus on a woman’s femininity.”

Thirty years later, Octavia Butler’s words still hold true. Science fiction is getting more diverse, but minority characters are still sorely lacking. Books written by straight white men still flood the market, many of which conveniently forget the existence of people who exist outside of this demographic. However, Octavia Butler would be pleased to know that there are more black science fiction writers today than there were in 1980. Take a look at N.K. Jemisin, opens a new window, who broke new ground in 2016 by becoming the first black author to win a Hugo Award for Best Novel!

POC, LGBTQ+, and female writers are all becoming more and more common. While straight, white, male writers still need to diversify their writing, this blog aims to amplify the voices of minority authors.

Review Criteria

Each book that I review for this blog will adhere to the following criteria:

  1. The author must be a woman, a person of color, or an LGBTQ+ person.
  2. The book’s main character must be a woman, a person of color, or an LGBTQ+ person.
  3. Strong preference is given to recent releases, or books released within the past year.

In each review, I will share my thoughts on the plot and tone of the book and examine any issues with diversity. For example, does a book starring a white, queer woman lack characters of color? Does a book starring a male POC have unflattering depictions of women, with no positive representation to balance the scales?

Next Time...

Next month, I will be reviewing one of my most anticipated titles of 2019, a book with two WOC female leads, a female author, and LGBTQ+ representation: The Luminous Dead, opens a new window by Caitlin Starling, a sci-fi/horror book revolving around two characters: one woman descending in a cave, and another woman remotely monitoring her suit and environment. The two are in a messy and potentially toxic relationship. In reading an interview with the author, opens a new window, I learned that in a book-to-movie adaptation of The Luminous Dead, she would cast Afro-Latina actress Tessa Thompson and black singer/actress Janelle Monae to play her characters. I’ve not seen any reviews mentioning these characters as characters of color, however, so tune in next month to find out how race is handled within the book itself.    

To tide you over until then, please check out the following list of science fiction books with female lead characters!

BostonPL_12 Sci-Fi Reads with Female Leads

List created by BostonPL_KirstenD

The world of science-fiction is heavily populated with male writers and characters, making it challenging to wade through the genre in search of a good book written by a woman, with a female main character. Looking for something woman-centric to cleanse your palate? Check out one of these great books!

---





View Full List