Comments | coniraya: Independent Study & Computer Program

coniraya

Independent Study & Computer Program

Oct 06, 2009 20:58

This semester is killing me even more than last year but that might have to do with the fact that I'm taking four classes, hosting a reading series and editing a lit mag this semester. I'm trying to return to LJ (yeah right how many times have I said that?) but things haven't settled in a rhythm yet, I'm hoping they do in the next couple of weeks ( Read more... )

poc, help me obi-flist you're my only hope, sci-fi, grad school

Comments 9

vito_excalibur October 7 2009, 04:46:47 UTC

Brace yourself, I'm about to recommend something by Frank Miller. I think the first four Martha Washington books (Give Me Liberty) are pretty awesome.

kateelliott October 7 2009, 04:56:17 UTC

zillahseye October 7 2009, 05:55:03 UTC

Oh, man. I know I have a lot of books to recommend you, but I'd have to refresh my memory (when not on so much pain medication) about which had problematic areas. I would never rec a book where a character of color was portrayed in an offensive way because I wouldn't have finished it--but while reading purely for pleasure I might've missed some issues. I would also like to rec books written by men and women of color if possible. I'm lucky, my library has a lot. Remind me if I don't get back to you!

To tide you over, I've heard good things about Liar by Justine Larbalestier. She's a white author, but from her blog and Twitter and from actions she's taken I'd trust her to write characters of color. Maybe direct folks to that information so they can use it in processing the book.

I'll keep looking.

zillahseye October 7 2009, 05:57:14 UTC

Oh, an older series I loved as a kid--Meredith Pierce wrote The Darkangel Trilogy which. Dammit. Do you mind if I spoil you for the outcome? Let me know and I'll tell you why I think it's so interesting.

coniraya October 9 2009, 22:29:55 UTC

Feel free to spoil, I love spoilers!

zillahseye October 9 2009, 23:45:51 UTC

It's fantasy/sci fi. TThere are different races in the world as designated by skin color and geography, but skin color doesn't have a 1:1 relationship to our world's stereotype of certain skin colors (it's difficult to point to X race and say 'oh they're supposed to represent Y on our planet', in other words). It starts off as an ordinary--well, all right, a beautifully written but stereotypical--girl's fantasy novel. The main character, a kind, intelligent, and brave woman, has three novels' worth of adventures. She rescues a prince who once had no heart by giving him her own, and frees all his ghostly wives as well. She sails the seas and resurrects the ancient beings who rule the various territories. She finds the woman who first 'seeded' their world and built it, and takes from her the power to change everything for the better. Her companion through much of the journey is a woman who is described as 'black' and who serves as friend, confidante, and protection. But much of the time, the heroine thinks of her poor rescued ( ... )

Thread 5

wild_irises October 7 2009, 06:05:07 UTC

Zelde M'tana by F.M. Busby is space opera with a kickin' African-American protagonist. Not great fiction, but well done racially, IMO. She's also actively bisexual. Depends what triggers you; she's never a victim for very long (to say the least) but in some self-defensive circumstances she's a perpetrator.

I think one of Cirocco Jones and her sidekick Gabby in Varley's Titan trilogy is not white.

Racking my brains for Asians, but not there yet.

If you're looking at short fiction, look at Le Guin's "Sur," in The Compass Rose for very interesting Latina women, not very developed individually but fascinating in the group context.

I doubt you could read Beloved given your considerations.

More perhaps later.

heyiya October 7 2009, 15:48:35 UTC

I love Pryn in Delany's Neveryona -- there are also some amazing secondary women characters there, and of course lots of weird philosophy/theory to chew on. There's Rydra Wong in his Babel-17, too.

Le Guin's The Telling has an Indian lesbian protagonist. I have some issues with the book (somewhat tragic-lesbian-ish, and when I realized that it was written as an allegory for the Cultural Revolution in China rather than a critique of global capitalism as I first read it I was also somewhat bothered), but I also love it and I think it would be great to study.

Vandana Singh's Distances -- the protagonist is *green*, but the issues of cultural difference are really deeply explored imho.

Nisi Shawl's "Deep End" in Filter House and also in Dark Matter -- because of the way it brings a consciousness of race and gender into a common sf trope.

If I were doing this course I would include film and teach Lizzie Borden's Born in Flames, Children of Men and 28 Days Later.