I'm over at Black Gate magazine today (technically yesterday, but whatevs), continuing pride month with a chat about representation in speculative fiction.
It’s pride month, so I’m going to talk about representation.
As much as speculative fiction can be an escape from the world, it is also a reflection of the world in which we live. It reflects to us our failings, fears and hopes in fantastical settings. Often times, these are set in worlds which are supposed to closely reflect our own world, or its history. But there’s a problem.
They don’t. Not really. Or rather, not often.
In fact, so pervasive is this psuedo-representation that now there is outrage when something closer to reality is portrayed in speculative fiction, be it book or film.