Writing the Other ®
Recommended Reading/Viewing
Good:
The following novels, stories, and movies present successful examples of authors writing about important characters (commonly, protagonists or viewpoint characters) who are of a different race, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, religion, or sex/gender than the writer:
- Jean Auel, Clan of the Cave Bear
- Kyle Baker, The Cowboy Wally Show; I Die at Midnight; You Are Here; Why I Hate Saturn (graphic novels)
- Steven Barnes, Lion's Blood; Zulu Heart
- Black People Love Us
- Samuel R. Delany, Dhalgren; Trouble on Triton (a.k.a. Triton)
- Greg Egan, Schild's Ladder, "Wang's Carpet" (reprinted in The Hard SF Renaissance, edited by David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer)
- Karen Joy Fowler, Sarah Canary; Sister Noon
- Gregory Frost, "The Prowl" (Mojo: Conjure Stories, edited by Nalo Hopkinson)
- Nicola Griffith & Stephen Pagel, editors, Bending the Landscape (3 volumes: SF, Fantasy, & Horror)
- Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs (novel & movie)
- Joe R. Lansdale, Hap & Leonard mystery series; "Night They Missed the Horror Show" (High Cotton [collection])
- Spike Lee, Do the Right Thing (movie)
- Maureen F. McHugh, China Mountain Zhang, Mission Child
- Vonda N. McIntyre, The Moon and the Sun
- Walter Mosley, Easy Rawlins mystery series
- Nisi Shawl, "The Tawny Bitch" (Mojo: Conjure Stories, edited by Nalo Hopkinson)
- Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
- Bruce Sterling, "Maneki Neko" (A Good Old-Fashioned Future: Stories [collection])
- Sheree R. Thomas, editor, Dark Matter; Dark Matter 2: Reading the Bones
- Cynthia Ward, "The Lost Homeland" (Bending the Landscape: Horror, edited by Nicola Griffith & Stephen Pagel)
- Sarah Zettel, Fool's War
Mixed:
The following novels, stories, and movies present mixed-success examples of authors writing about important characters (commonly, protagonists or viewpoint characters) who are of a different race, sexual orientation, (dis)ability, religion, or sex/gender than the writer:
Copyright © 2003 by Nisi Shawl & Cynthia Ward
Updated Friday May 12 2006 by webspinner
First published: August 2003
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