US 'cannibal cop' defends 'fantasy' horrors

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QUILTBAG Protagonists in SF/F YA Literature

QUILTBAG Protagonists in SF/F YA Literature

By: Suzanne van Rooyen

Firstly, that’s a lot of acronyms for a title. Let’s unpack that.

QUILTBAG = queer, unisex, intersex, lesbian, trans, bi, asexual, gay - a convenient acronym, which pretty much covers the complete spectrum of human sexuality.

SF/F = science fiction and fantasy - self-explanatory really, this acronym refers to all the various subgenres contained within these two broader genres.

YA = young adult - a market in literature aimed at 12-18 year olds.

So now that we’ve got that out of the way, what’s the issue?

Science fiction and fantasy, as both a literary and movie/TV genre, has been dominated by straight white males for decades. Think Arnold Schwarzenegger in his roles from Terminator to Total Recall. Consider Christian Bale and Tom Cruise in their leading manly-man roles in science fiction films like Equilibrium, Minority Report, Batman and soon to be released Oblivion. Given that a good number of these films are based on the works by literary greats like Philip K Dick, Asimov and others, this straight white male syndrome seems prevalent in the genre, and is sadly true for YA fiction as well.

Let’s look at recent YA smashhits: Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games. J.K Rowling’s series featured a straight white male protagonist, Stephenie Meyer’s series featured a straight white leading couple (I’ll get to Jacob in a minute) and Suzanne Collins’s dystopian series featured a straight white love triangle.

Only after the success of Harry Potter, both as a novel series and as a movie franchise, did it surface that Rowling had always thought of Dumbledore as gay, not that this was ever made apparent in either the novels or the movies. Why not?

There are numerous articles about Twilight and possible racism floating around the net. Regardless of how you interpret the fact that Native Americans were the ‘animals’ in the story, what surprised me even more than a centuries old vampire willingly repeating high school, was the lack of sexual fluidity so apparent in vampire characters from the works of progenitors like Anne Rice. Even the True Blood vampires explored same sex partnerships. But Twilight didn’t feature a single gay main character. And neither does another super popular vampire series: The Vampire Diaries. Meet Damon and Stefan Salvatore - white and straight despite being centuries old vampires who confound just about every social more. Meet Elena Gilbert and her brother - straight and white. Meet the sidekicks Caroline, Matt, and Tyler - straight and white. Bonnie is the only smudge of colour on the cast and she’s a witch (why is no one screaming racial stereotypes?). There is one gay character but his appearance is fleeting and has little bearing on the mostly white, all straight main cast.

And now The Hunger Games. There was an uproar at the time of casting for the movie adaptation of the book when they cast Amandla Stenberg as Rue. Why is Rue black - fans protested. Why not? Is every character in a YA book white and straight until proven otherwise? Another character in The Hunger Games, played by Lenny Kravitz in the film, is referred to as ‘the gay guy.’ Kravitz is quoted to having said he didn’t want to play Cinna ‘too gay.’ In the novel, his sexuality is never expressly stated. He’s simply a stylist and designer, so once again stereotyping runs rampant.

YA protagonists are only gay, lesbian, bi or transgender when it’s a contemporary issue book like The Perks of Being a Wallflower starring the fabulous Patrick. I can’t name a single best-selling SF/F YA title featuring a gay, lesbian or bi - never mind transgendered - protagonist. Can you?

There is a huge gap, not only in the market, but in the mindset. Why can’t QUILTBAG individuals be the heroes? They can - just look at pansexual Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and Torchwood fame, played by the openly gay and awesome John Barrowman. This is the type of heroic character I want to see in YA SF/F. While getting this sort of book out to the public through self-publishing may be the easiest route, publishing this sort of book by traditional means is proving trickier.

My own book Obscura Burning - a hybrid contemporary issue (my character’s sexuality is the least of his issues!) come science fiction novel - features a white bisexual male protagonist who has relationships with a Native American girl and a Latino guy. When I submitted this novel to agents they liked it but were nervous about the content. Thankfully, an indie press wasn’t afraid of taking on my novel and all its ‘questionable’ content. This is the beauty of the indie industry: they’re not afraid to take on books that might be controversial.

There is a conspicuous lack of QUILTBAG main characters in science fiction and fantasy literature especially in YA, just as there is a conspicuous lack of racially diverse characters in this genre. I can’t believe this is still an issue in 2013. But here’s to hoping things will change thanks to the efforts of courageous authors, fearless publishers and unprejudiced readers.

Suzanne van Rooyen

About Today's Contributor:

Suzanne is the author of the cyberpunk novel Dragon’s Teeth (Divertir), the YA science fiction novel Obscura Burning (Etopia) and has had several short stories published by Golden Visions Magazine, Space and Time and Niteblade. Her non-fiction articles on travel, music and other topics can be found scattered throughout the Internet. 

• Suzanne van Rooyen's website
• Follow Suzanne on Twitter
• Visit/Like Suzanne's Facebook Page

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6 Tricks That Impostors Use To Deceive People

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There are generally two types of impostor. One type simply pretends to be a kind of person they are not. For example, there have been several cases of adults passing as teenagers and enrolling in high schools. The other type of impostor actually pretends to be a specific person. This may be a person who was missing for many years and returns to the family left behind. 

Read on to learn about some of the tricks of the impostor trade.

Why London Or A Similar City Would Make The Perfect Bond Villain's Lair

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The Email from Leonardo DiCaprio

Dear friends at Avaaz,  

Across Africa, elephants are being slaughtered by poachers in record numbers -- and their tusks hacked off with chainsaws -- to make luxury items, statues and trinkets in Asia. But in days, Thailand will host a key global summit on illegal trade in endangered species, giving us a rare chance to stop this futile massacre.

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This is the best chance we’ve had in years to have a meaningful victory for Africa’s elephants -- we just need to put people power behind it. Join me now to stop the bloody ivory trade. Sign the urgent petition and share it with everyone: 

>> www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_elephants/?bOksxab&v=22460  

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Get more details on your favorite modern music programs and what they would have been like in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s by checking out the infographic below.

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That's why it's no surprise that there exist a set of media corporations that are bigger than all the rest. They broadcast programs that people watch each day, publish the latest in current events and put out new movies for people to go see. While all of these activities are extremely entertaining to the people watching and reading, they're also profitable to the companies involved.

These media corporations haven't gone without controversy. Each one has something surrounding their names, whether it's a massive wardrobe malfunction during a major event or it's discriminatory hiring practices. One of these media corporations that is a household name to anyone who has a child has even been accused of trying to broadcast subliminal messages to its audience.

Pope Benedict XVI's final audience

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Cover Reveal: 'After Summer'

'After Summer' is Hannah Harvey's second book and is due to be released on March 1st 2013.... 

Today, we are hosting the 'Cover Release' for it. So, not only you'll be able to have a peak at its great cover before the book is released, but you'll also have a chance to find out more about the book and its author in the process. Cool, isn't it?

(Oh, and we have re-opened our virtual coffee./tea area especially for the occasion. of course.)

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

The Self-Driving Car: Will Google Lead the Way? [Infographic]

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Google has some advantages over other who have tried in the past. Their Maps platform features some of the most sophisticated maps and mapping algorithms available, and their databases have been tested by drivers armed with video cameras. When it comes to navigating cars, Google has the technology necessary to succeed.

Google is large enough company that they can afford the investments necessary. Google has already tested cars that drive with minimal human assistance, and their progress has been encouraging. The states of Nevada and California now allow Google to test their cars on public roads. While the self-driving car is not a realistic option yet, Google might have a shot at succeeding.

Licensed To Thrill - Following 007 Around The World

The James Bond franchise is one of cinema’s most long-running and enduringly popular series of films. There are many reasons why they appeal to people (mainly men admittedly): the girls, the gadgets, the cars, the villains and their nefarious plots, the witty one-liners. And one other key component – the exotic locations. Put yourself in the shoes of the world’s most famous spy and visit some of the scenes of his most explosive exploits.