You should read this wonderful, detailed article on the question of diversity in fantasy and science fiction, called PSA: Your Default Narrative Settings are Not Apolitical.
It makes a lot of great points, but the one that really stuck out for me is this: women have had very important roles - what we would call powerful roles - throughout history, and the modern view that women were historically weak is not due to an understanding of what happened historically, but to the fact that the history writers were biased, and thus silenced the stories of the many, many people of color and women and gays, etc, etc, who made major contributions to the workings of the world. Click through to see the argument, and also to hear it backed up with example after example. Don't let the prejudiced recounting of history convince you that portraying minorities as powerful in historically influenced settings is somehow unrealistic.
Read it.
Whoa. I need to include that article in my round-up.
ReplyDeleteChihuahua, it's also up at Tor.com, just so you know.
DeleteAwesome post! Also reminded me of thishttp://angryhistory.tumblr.com/post/35888050836/your-defense-of-brave-having-an-all-white-cast-because Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle, and thanks for the link!
DeleteI did see this article earlier and it's very encouraging for writing female characters in history. Especially as one of my stories is about a female pirate.
ReplyDelete