Roundtable: Diversity in Fantasy
We invited Henry Lien, Lydia Kang, Monica Hay, Pintip Dunn, and Swati Teerdhala to answer a series of questions about their experiences and opinions regarding diversity in fantasy. Each question below is followed by the participants’ answers. As you read through them, note where there are similarities and repeated beats within the answers, and also where the authors diverge in their opinion. Use this collection of views to help you think critically about the subject and grow yourself and your writing as you work to include diversity in your own fantasy worlds.
1. In your opinion, why is it important to show diversity in fictional secondary worlds?
9. What do sensitivity readers bring when it comes to reading fantasy and invented cultures?
1. In your opinion, why is it important to show diversity in fictional secondary worlds?
Henry – I’m sure that others will raise the social justice reasons. I would also say that showing diversity in fictional secondary worlds makes for better stories. Speculative fiction that has monolithic/homogenous races, value systems, political/economic systems, languages, food, flora, fauna, etc., smacks of lazy worldbuilding.
Lydia – Even in fictional worlds, diversity keeps the world feeling more fleshed out and real, instead of one dimensional. It makes for a richer reading experience, and will feel more real than slapped together.
Monica – Some authors think that when writing fantasy, the world can be homogenous. The fact is, without diversity in your world, it isn’t a realistic world and will be much less appealing. Diversity exists everywhere, and it’s not only about skin color. It’s about the whole part of a human — mind, body, spirit.
Pintip – It is important to show diversity in fictional secondary worlds because we live in a diverse world. Too many children have grown up without seeing themselves reflected in stories, and it’s time that we change that. In my mind, there are two types of diverse stories, and I’ve written both: tales that focus on the issue of diversity itself, and tales that feature diverse characters having epic adventures, just like everyone else. In my opinion, both are equally important. I am a person of color, but my race is not the only or defining thing about me. I have feelings and thoughts and goals beyond my race, and I believe it is important to acknowledge that fact in fictional stories.
Swati – Diversity is a reflection of reality. As writers create their secondary worlds, they have choice and power. The best secondary worlds, and the ones that stay in readers’ hearts and minds longest, are the ones that reflect reality. Writers have the power to make readers feel seen, and it’s not a power we should take lightly. Our world today is a diverse one, and it’s important to represent that in fictional worlds as well and to give marginalized communities an opportunity to see themselves in their favorite stories. (Also, it’s just good worldbuilding.)
2. Is it okay to draw on Earth’s diversity (especially culturally) for inspiration? How can you do this successfully without it becoming appropriation?
Henry – I think that the most prescient question to ask oneself is, “Why are you leaning on existing Earth cultures?” If the answer is, “It’s too hard to make up an entirely fanciful culture,” then I would posit that you don’t understand how hard it is to truly, deeply, and broadly understand an existing culture not your own. Go back to the drawing board, or start doing a whole lot more research; your concept has a 98%+ chance of being both bad writing and bad representation. Sorry, does that sound harsh? Let me say it another way — your story will be BETTER if you draw on Earth’s diversity well. Your story deserves the extra retooling or research. Show your story love by getting the diversity right.
Lydia – Very carefully, is the answer. If you are going to pull from existing or historical cultures, you have to be careful you’re not picking and choosing to make it feel like bits and pieces, shod together. If it’s going to be inspired by a culture, be sure you have a depth of understanding and respect for the culture. Not just appreciation. Imagine how annoyed you would be if someone used your own family’s culture in a superficial and token-ish way, and do the opposite.
Monica – I think it makes sense to write about what you know, so it’s fine to use our world to set up a fantasy world. You just have to be thoughtful about how you write your characters. This means research, hiring a sensitivity reader, and having your friends in the communities you represent read your work and give you feedback.
Pintip – I believe it is okay to draw on Earth’s diversity for inspiration, so long as you do it carefully and with sensitivity. The best way to do so without appropriation is to use your own heritage. There are so many nuances to a person’s culture that are difficult to grasp, explain, and represent accurately. I would think carefully about whether this is a story that is yours to tell.
If you are using someone else’s culture, however, I would recommend using sensitivity readers. You may discover issues that you never dreamed were problematic.
Swati – The most important factor while using other cultures in your own worldbuilding is respect and research. If you’re looking to reflect our diverse world accurately in a secondary world, it’s vital that you do thorough research and hire sensitivity readers. Appropriation is when aspects of a culture are taken piecemeal for usage and the cultural context is discarded, so it’s important as a writer that you understand the context, do the research, and listen to your sensitivity readers.
3. If using Earth’s races as the basis for your own cultures, since you can’t use Earth’s labels for shorthand (e.g., African-American), how do you describe people without being insensitive?
Henry – This is hard to answer in a generalization. My gut instinct is that you need to be thinking hard about POV. What attributes would matter and [be] remarked upon by the POV character/narrator? Why would melanin levels, hair follicle shape, etc. matter the least bit to members of this character’s culture, given their history, lived experience, biology, etc.? I think that third-person [point of view] is particularly treacherous for this kind of story because your purported omniscience is probably filled with invisible biases that you aren’t aware of. Where I said “probably,” what I really meant was “certainly,” but I was trying to be gentle. 🙂
Lydia – I think it’s best to call colors what they are, and if you’re going to associate it with something, have it be a neutral item. Be cautious about how others have done this poorly in the past (using food as a metaphor; using certain words that imply dirtiness or poverty, for example, like mud or dirt).
Monica – Creating cultures can be hard in a fantasy world, but again I go back to research and education. When I think about writing differences in mental health, I think about how I’d feel reading work about depression and anxiety (both a diagnosis I have). You want to use the same sensitivity in your work about other identities. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Pintip – I’ve handled this in two ways. First, I will describe the way a person looks without using Earth’s shorthand labels. Even for these descriptions, I will run them by a person of that particular race to make sure that I am not being inadvertently offensive. Also, I’ve talked about the ancestors of a character. So, in my latest book, STAR-CROSSED, the setting takes place on a different planet, but I still reference my heroine’s Thai ancestry.
Swati – I think the best way to do this is by not ascribing adjectives or stereotypes to people’s appearance. By this I mean, if someone has brown skin, say they have brown skin. Not “exotic chocolate skin,” which carries a lot of real-world baggage. Exotic to whom? You’re assuming a Western POV by writing a description like that. Here’s a great guide to describing skin color.
4. What are your tips for blending diversity seamlessly into the worldbuilding and story, so it doesn’t feel tacked-on or token? How do you make it feel authentic and believable?
Henry – Again, I shrink from generalizations. I’d say that one easy rule is to show diversity within the diversity, i.e., have more than one token representative from a group and have them not all have the same opinions on a matter. Not all members of a group of people feel the same way about everything. I mean, when was the last time you got a room full of people to agree on a communal T-shirt design?
Lydia – Don’t spend long paragraphs describing it. Let it be part of the story or scene. A few words here and there are enough; no need to repeat what someone looks like over and over again. Be sure to hit different aspects of the culture in a way that you’re making the scene work, instead of proving to the reader that you’re an expert in the culture.
Monica – Make them real characters with flaws. Make them normal people! Don’t make them the “black person of the book.” Their role should stretch beyond just their skin color.
Pintip – Food, language, and clothing are markers of a culture, but I wouldn’t stop there. The diversity will be much more seamless and authentic if you can incorporate the attitudes and cultural norms that surround those markers.
For example, I was a sensitivity reader for a manuscript that mentioned “egg rolls.” In order for the food item not to feel like it was dropped in as a lazy cultural marker, I recommended that the author incorporate the cultural attitude that a Thai mother feeds her son and his friends as a sign of caring.
Swati – Write diverse casts as if you would any other cast of characters. The best way to avoid tokenizing characters is by treating them as fully fleshed out humans with flaws and beliefs and passions. Think of the people you know in your own life — their complexities and identities — and treat diverse characters the same way.
5. Aside from the (hopefully) obvious and harmful stereotypes such as the “savage native,” are there other things writers should bear in mind when developing their own races and cultures? What about other forms of diversity?
Henry – I’m a big fan of choosing concepts carefully. I would ask yourself if you are the best person to write this story. It’s one thing to have a diversity of characters in your story. It’s another thing to choose a story that focuses on the subjective, personal experience of prejudice if it’s not drawn from personal experience, especially if it’s first-person [point of view]. That’s a pretty fine recipe for writing stereotypes. Regarding other forms of diversity, be cognizant that these are things that change with the times. Values that are accepted in one generation become reviled as hateful and prejudiced in the next, which births a new definition of diversity. For example, I predict that in 50 years, the idea of eating meat and the oppression of people who fight for animals will be seen very differently. You might sneer at that now, but you live in 2019. And that idea is not nearly as threatening, subversive, or wild as the idea of including genderqueer characters would have been to the citizens of the mid-20th century.
Lydia – Beware of the “Exotic Oriental” which drives me absolutely bananas. And the studious, or super sexy, or simplified naive, or super evil Asian character. We can do better.
Monica – Writers should always be thinking about representing the intricacies of the world. The world is not black and white, and should not be written as such.
Pintip – Along with “savage native,” another harmful stereotype is the “white savior.”
Other harmful stereotypes specifically about Asians include the nerdy man and the exotic woman. I think most stereotypes can be harmful, and I would veer away from writing a character based on qualities that are “generally” true.
Swati – The best way to reflect our world and be inclusive is to not write diversity as a monolith and to try your best to understand the nuances of a community and their history. It’s especially important to read history from different sources and points of view, as one will probably never accurately encompass the truth of the history. Also, challenge your assumptions. Talk to people from that community; get to know them and their lives, and write their stories with respect.
6. Does the level of diversity within a cast of characters need to tie into the story’s setting and worldbuilding? Or can high diversity exist separately from worldbuilding and still be believable? Does extremely high diversity risk coming off as “token”?
Henry – Again, I think generalizations are of little utility. It’s got to be a case-by-case basis. Look, for example, at Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom duology. Wildly diverse main cast of characters, many of which are multiply diverse and intersectional (race, sexual identity, ability), as is the larger world they come from. And it’s all pulled off effortlessly, respectfully, believably. So, I would say a case-by-case on this one.
Lydia – I believe they need to tie in, or it will feel like a shoddily put together mishmash. Sometimes, less is more, and you can have diversity without quantity, if that makes sense.
Monica – I would say that writing about diversity without acknowledging certain biases in others might not be realistic. For example, in most cultures people deal with stereotypes and prejudices. People with mental health issues can be seen as weak, etc. (especially when in therapy or on medications). Acknowledging these outlooks in society make for a more realistic plot.
Pintip – In my opinion, it’s great if the diversity of a story is tied into the setting and world-building — but it’s not necessary. As I stated above, I think that it is equally important to have stories that deal directly with diversity, as well as stories that feature diverse characters having epic adventures. For example, in my own science fiction books, the futuristic setting isn’t derived from Asian culture, and yet most of my heroines are either Asian or partly Asian. When I was growing up, I never read stories about heroines who looked like me, and it was very damaging to my self-esteem. I am very invested in making sure that my children and others like them don’t have the same experience. Literature so often reflects our world and shapes our sense of ourselves. I want my children to feel like they are represented in fiction as a whole person, which means that they need to read stories both directly about race and stories that are not. I’ve written both.
I think high diversity can be avoided as coming off as “token” if the author does the proper research to make sure the representation is accurate and sensitive.
7. Should writers stick to using their own cultures for their primary fantasy world influence? For instance, those of white/European-descent write medieval/European-based fantasy worlds and let Asian writers write Asian-based fantasy worlds, etc.? Is #ownvoices as important with fantasy as with contemporary?
Henry – I don’t think #ownvoices should be used to wall off particular subject matter. I applaud fantasy writers who try to explore other cultures. I would also say that I very, very rarely see it done well, at least in regard to Chinese/Taiwanese culture. I think that writers are often unaware of just how many nuances they miss in their Google research of a culture. I mean, for example, self-esteem stories where a main character goes from struggling with self-doubt to learning self-love and the truth that belief in one’s own self is all that one really needs is a particularly Western obsession and risible to many cultures. So is the emphasis on individual heroism. Lived experience makes a vast difference.
Lydia – I am comfortable doing European-descent fantasy (because I grew up with it as part of my American culture) and less so with Korean culture (because again, I grew up in America with less Korean culture, though my parents are Korean-born). I can’t do a Korean culture-based fantasy well yet, but I would if I put in all the work for it. Ultimately I’d feel more comfortable doing that than say, a work inspired by a Nigerian culture. That is a story for another author, and I wouldn’t want to take that spot on the shelf. So my personal answer is, yes.
Monica – I think writers are more likely to be successful if they write about cultures that they relate to. That said, your world doesn’t have to be “European”-based if you’re white. There are a lot of ways to write fantasy without taking inspiration from the “king and queen” or medieval structure.
Pintip – While I don’t like to dictate what an author may or may not write, I do think that #ownvoices is an important consideration right now, in both contemporary and fantasy. It will continue to be important so long as there are a limited number of books being published that feature diverse characters. Since there are still relatively few diverse stories, we should be invested in making sure that these stories are “right” — i.e., that they are stories that represent a marginalized group in an accurate and non-harmful way.
Swati – I think this goes back to the idea of respect and challenging your assumptions. Are you the best person to be writing this story and representing this culture? Could you be taking away a seat at the table for an #ownvoices author or story? Is this your story to tell? If you still want to write it, are you taking the time, doing the research, and crafting a nuanced story that respects and reflects that culture?
8. Prejudice seems to be an inescapable part of humanity. Should prejudice be present in fantasy worlds? Is it unrealistic or idealistic to portray a world with no prejudice? If prejudice is included, do you have tips on how to do it without being harmful to possible Earth parallels?
Henry – Prejudice should absolutely exist. Making easy analogs to prejudices in Earth history rarely results in fiction of grace or power, though. Again, don’t use Earth analogs because you don’t want to go to the effort of coming up with something truly unique.
Lydia – It would be pure fantasy to think that there isn’t prejudice in fictional worlds too. When showing a scene with bigotry, racism, or prejudice, don’t have it there for the sake of “oh, alarming scene here!” Have it be addressed within the story somewhere, without being lecture-y; consider how it will change characters, and how they react. Don’t just put it there to put it there, you know?
Monica – I think it’s unrealistic to show worlds without prejudice. The tip I have is that the prejudice should likely be something the protagonists are fighting against.
Pintip – I don’t believe that prejudice *must* be a part of all fantasy worlds, as it is incredibly limiting to an author’s imagination and the type of story they would like to write. A setting or world will be realistic if you write it in a compelling and nuanced way. That might include prejudice — and it might not. If you are going to include prejudice, I would use sensitivity readers and research to make sure that it is not harmful.
9. What do sensitivity readers bring when it comes to reading fantasy and invented cultures?
Lydia – They will see and feel things that you will not, even if you have an experience being part of a certain culture. They’re valuable, and they need to be paid accordingly. I’m a fan of working with them!
Monica – They bring a perspective that you don’t have. They aren’t the “speaker” for their culture, but they can help you hone the pieces in your book.
Pintip – Sensitivity readers can tell you if some aspect of the fantasy culture is offensive or problematic. You may not see these issues yourself, either because you are too close to the story or because you are not part of that particular marginalized group. Writing a made-up culture doesn’t exempt an author from problematic representation.
Swati – Sensitivity readers are vital to the process of creating nuanced, multi-dimensional diverse worlds. As writers, we observe and tell the stories of the world around us, but there’s so much in this world that we do not know and are not the experts in. Sensitivity readers are able to bring their firsthand knowledge and experience from their community to help writers create fleshed out characters, worlds, and storylines that are authentic and inclusive. Many people think sensitivity readers are just there to catch offensive words or phrases, but I believe they’re a vital part of getting any story right. So view them as your partners.
10. What piece of advice do you feel is most important for fantasy writers who want to include diversity in their novel?
Henry – Include more than one character from each diverse group. Make those characters different from each other in important ways.
Lydia – Sensitivity reader. More than one, if possible!
Monica – Listen and learn.
Pintip – Take the steps necessary to make sure your representation is accurate and not harmful. This might include research and/or sensitivity readers. I am a huge fan of sensitivity readers, since I can’t know what I don’t know.
Swati – Do your research, and don’t rely on stereotypes. There’s a quote from Cynthia Leitich Smith — “Before trying to write any character outside one’s lived experience, I recommend reading at least 100 books by authors from that community. One hundred books — to start.” That might sound a bit overwhelming, but isn’t it our duty as writers to write authentically?
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