the problem with fantasy

I've been reading a fair bit of fantasy recently, and though the issues of racism and sexism are not exclusive to the genre, I've noticed a repeated pattern that these sagas are predictably full of white, straight men swinging swords. Women, and People of Colour are rarer than dragons.

Brienne, Maid of Tarth. George R.R Martin, Song of Ice and Fire 
Artwork by Rory Phillips
source

*warning small spoilers for Song of Ice and Fire/ Game of Thrones 
see after the cut for my opinion on the problem with fantasy

banned books and censored literature- is it ever right?

While listing all the banned books I've read I started thinking about my views on censored literature.

My first instinct is to preserve freedom of speech, that hateful books, even those like Mein Kampf, should be available, as even though the views expressed are disgusting, people still have the right to hold these views. Plus books such as these are historical documents, they are revealing of society and culture.

Some of the reasons for banning books is in my opinion puritanical, sex, drugs and swearing in a book written for adults doesn't bother me. If you are sensitive to these things, the solution is simple - don't read the book. Violence, drug taking and sex in literature isn't promoting these activities, it is just portraying human realities.

banned for 'promoting' lesbianism 

Also the banning of these books is obviously influenced by homophobia, racism and sexism. The inclusion of many books on the banned list by African-American women such as Toni Morrison and  Maya Angelo, is act of misogynoir, Black female sexuality is seen as obscene. I'm sure many more explicit books passed through the censors as they cover white, male, heterosexual sexuality, rather than the experiences of women.  

On the other hand- I can completely see why some of the novels have been banned, especially in schools. I am in favour of racial slurs being blanked out, or been moved all together. For example, references to g****w**** or the n-word have been taken out of new editions of Enid Blyton. These words are offensive and inappropriate and should not be read by impressionable children.

Novels such as Gone with the Wind and To Kill a Mocking Bird have been removed from schools because of the racist depiction of black people. In both books African-Americans are portrayed as infantile, servile, low intelligence and of need of a 'white saviour'. Without the contextualising these books, and discussing the historic and current impact of racism, these books could be problematic. Therefore, I totally approve of the restriction of these books in schools. However, I don't believe in a blanket ban, as again these novels provide a snapshot in time and are representative of time when these views were common place. In the right hands racist, sexist, ableist, homophobic or otherwise offensive novels can be a useful educational tool.


This all just my personal opinion of course, and I'll to hear yours! Leave your comments about banned books and censorship in the comments below.

Wesley Chu, The Lives of Tao

On the hunt for new authors, Wesley Chu's The Lives of Tao was one of the book I downloaded as a kindle sample. (for a full list of samples and mini reviews see here). Not wanting to part with my hard earned cash, as I wasn't sure I'd like it, I borrowed The Lives of Tao from the library.

The Plot: A civil war is raging between the peace-loving Prophus and the ruthless Genjix, and as both rival factions use humans and animals as hosts, the war is threatening the survival of Earth and humanity.

Rating: «¶¶¶¶ (1.5/5)

Full review under the cut:-

Women Writers- sisters doing it for themselves

Female authors are slowly gaining recognition in the media, for the first time the Granta list, which celebrates twenty  promising British authors under forty, comprises of more women than men. It is also refreshing to see the addition of authors from diverse backgrounds, including Somalian, Bangladeshi and Chinese. For the Granta list to remain relevant it is important that the authors chosen reflect Britain and modern British Literature, which is multicultural and complex.

 I've only read three of the authors featured on the Granta list, Xiaolu Guo, Ned Beauman and Zadie Smith, but I'm looking forward to checking out the others. 

Xiaolu Guo, one of the women of this years Granta list, I love her hat 

I have read debates recently about whether it is still necessary to still have female only awards for literature, such as the Women's Prize for Fiction, personally I believe it is still needed. I was shocked to read on VIDA about the disparity between the number of male authors reviewed compared to women authors. The men outweigh the women, clearly showing that male authors are getting more publicity, more acclaim and more notice than their female counterparts. Below are graphs, taken form VIDA, that show a gender count of bylines and authors reviewed in literary publications. Even Granta, if unequal, showing that the majority female list this year is an anomaly.