ostrava's review
5.0
How is it that I didn't know of this essay-series up until now? I've been lucky to have found it online, otherwise I don't know if I would have bothered as regretful as that may sound. The articles themselves are very short, so it's a quick read that I would highly recommend if you have 10-15 minutes to spare.
Anyway, it's always great to read something which challenges your view of the world. I was aware of the problems surrounding the orientalist caricatures often found in speculative fiction, even if, granted, I am not well versed in its issues. I find the tone to be surprisingly calm too, so I don't think anyone can complain about the author's writing either. He works on a nuance much needed for dialogue and offers both bad and good examples of portrayals of PoC in the fantasy genre. Examples of some of the most popular fantasies are brought up, and they're mostly correct, even if they don't quite reject its otherwise successful ideas. Again, nuance. But self-awareness and a critical mind too, it's about having a better genre after all, not apologizing.
I was aware of the sometimes regretful orientalist elements in A Song of Ice and Fire, even if I don't believe they were done with bad intentions by Martin (although Essos has always been kind of a mess anyway). Bravoos for example is great, little depictions of culture here and there are not terribly realistic, but not problematic. The Dothraki are a shame though, as are the Ghiscari. I slightly disagree on Daenerys falling into the white savior trope, as I always perceived it as a deconstruction and rejection of the trope instead. It does depend on how things turn out in the last installments of the series, that is of course, if they ever come out. As for The Lord of The Rings and The Wheel of Time, I don't have much to say. In the case of the former, because of my overall lack of background on the discussion of race in the Middle Earth universe, in the latter, because I've honestly not read the work. I will keep the examples made in mind though.
In any case, a great take on the genre. And I am thankful for the examples of good depictions of PoC cultures made at the end, perhaps I should check them out some time in the future.
Anyway, it's always great to read something which challenges your view of the world. I was aware of the problems surrounding the orientalist caricatures often found in speculative fiction, even if, granted, I am not well versed in its issues. I find the tone to be surprisingly calm too, so I don't think anyone can complain about the author's writing either. He works on a nuance much needed for dialogue and offers both bad and good examples of portrayals of PoC in the fantasy genre. Examples of some of the most popular fantasies are brought up, and they're mostly correct, even if they don't quite reject its otherwise successful ideas. Again, nuance. But self-awareness and a critical mind too, it's about having a better genre after all, not apologizing.
I was aware of the sometimes regretful orientalist elements in A Song of Ice and Fire, even if I don't believe they were done with bad intentions by Martin (although Essos has always been kind of a mess anyway). Bravoos for example is great, little depictions of culture here and there are not terribly realistic, but not problematic. The Dothraki are a shame though, as are the Ghiscari. I slightly disagree on Daenerys falling into the white savior trope, as I always perceived it as a deconstruction and rejection of the trope instead. It does depend on how things turn out in the last installments of the series, that is of course, if they ever come out. As for The Lord of The Rings and The Wheel of Time, I don't have much to say. In the case of the former, because of my overall lack of background on the discussion of race in the Middle Earth universe, in the latter, because I've honestly not read the work. I will keep the examples made in mind though.
In any case, a great take on the genre. And I am thankful for the examples of good depictions of PoC cultures made at the end, perhaps I should check them out some time in the future.
scarr77's review
5.0
In the Introduction to Fantasy's Othering Fetish, Daniel Jose Older writes, "we're still treated to simplistic platitudes about art and stories being for the people. Which people? I always wonder. " Further, he points out, "fantasy is in so many ways our modern mythology. More than any other genre, fantasy lit slips into our daily lexicons and offers up instantly legendary memes, motifs and magic. And like all of literature, fantasy fiction is intimately tied to the white supremacist heteropatriarchal foundations of the culture it arises from."
This work is ever poignant, especially considering the racism in fandom communities!
This work is ever poignant, especially considering the racism in fandom communities!
miwsher's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
2.75
I found the essay very interesting, and globally agree with its thesis, but I found the analysis a bit superficial and would have liked it to go further, hence the 2.75 starts.
spacestationtrustfund's review
2.0
Before reading this essay (which is really three essays compiled in one volume), I told one of my friends:
First essay
The first paragraph links to a Tumblr blog, an article hosted by the Daily Mail, and the results of a Google search. Not a great start. This essay goes on to provide a handful of examples of fantasy stories in which non-white actors were underrepresented, such as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film series or G.R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. Also mentioned are Pixar's Brave (which I'd argue is meant to be depicting Scottish people, to be fair) and Disney's Frozen (I won't defend this one; I hate Disney). Note that these are all from "white" Western countries... except New Zealand, which is hardly Western by geographical standards.
Then P. Djèlí Clark links to a Tumblr blog called MedievalPOC, which has been called out repeatedly for editing art to look like there are non-white people where there aren't. The blog's owner is a white woman who has in turn faked being Indigenous American, African-American, and half Mexican, if I remember correctly. The blog also perpetuates incorrect and harmful conspiracies such as the "broken noses" conspiracy, an Afrocentric idea that archaeologists purposefully damaged ancient Egyptian statues to "hide" Egyptians' African ethnicity. Needless to say, this did not happen. Citing this blog as a legitimate source made me incredibly uncomfortable with Djèlí Clark's credibility.
The essay then gives an overview of how fantasy fetishises and exoticises non-white characters, referencing Edward Said and noting that:
Second essay
"In modern fantasy, with its fascination with medieval Europe," Djèlí Clark says, "it seemed almost fated that acts of 'othering' would take root." What interested me about this particular claim is the casual assumption that all "modern" fantasy authors are based in the West. Indeed, the overall scope of these essays felt very limited—to be fair, they were published in 2015, and the landscape of "modern fantasy" has changed significantly in the intervening nearly seven years, but the lack of any real mention of non-white and/or non-Western fantasy authors seems egregious. So far, the examples given are mostly Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time, a handful of mediaeval European literature (which I agree is horrendously offensive), and... Frank Miller's 300 (and its film adaptation). I'm not a big fan of Western fantasy myself, so I can't really comment much on the minutiae of those worlds, although I do completely agree with the positioning of Daenerys (from GoT) as a white saviour figure shouldering the White Man's (or Woman's) Burden. Thanks, Kipling, and go fuck yourself!
I also agree with his criticism of 300, a bad comic that got turned into a bad movie. I was only just reading a book which discussed how relatively contemporary ancient Greek depictions of the Persians portrayed them not only as "barbarians" but also as humans, capable and worthy of emotion in the same way the Greeks, their enemies, were—despite or even because of their differences. (I also find it amusing how we've decided retroactively that ancient Greeks were "white.") This last is only a minor detail, but I find it interesting that discrimination against those of African or African-American descent is racism but discrimination against Muslims and/or Arabs is xenophobia... interesting.
Third essay
This essay is by FAR the best, in my opinion. Djèlí Clark brings up Charles Saunders's Imaro series, and quotes Saunders: "I had a choice: I could either stop reading SF and fantasy, or try to do something about my dissatisfaction with it by writing my own stories and trying to get them published. I chose the latter course." I liked that, because my opinion is that positive action is always going to be more powerful than negative actions, i.e., supporting the stories you want to see is always going to be more powerful than tearing down the ones you don't. (Not that there's anything inherently wrong with complaining—I love complaining, personally.)
There's a wealth of fantasy—and all other genres, honestly—written by authors who are neither white nor Western. Supporting those authors and their writing is the solution to the "othering" and fetishisation of non-white non-Western characters and cultures.
I feel like I'm going to disagree with a lot of the phrasing in this, while agreeing for the most part with the overall thesis. I also predict a lot of it is going to feel like 21st-century Edward Said. But those are just guesses.Well, I was right on the money.
First essay
The first paragraph links to a Tumblr blog, an article hosted by the Daily Mail, and the results of a Google search. Not a great start. This essay goes on to provide a handful of examples of fantasy stories in which non-white actors were underrepresented, such as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film series or G.R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. Also mentioned are Pixar's Brave (which I'd argue is meant to be depicting Scottish people, to be fair) and Disney's Frozen (I won't defend this one; I hate Disney). Note that these are all from "white" Western countries... except New Zealand, which is hardly Western by geographical standards.
Then P. Djèlí Clark links to a Tumblr blog called MedievalPOC, which has been called out repeatedly for editing art to look like there are non-white people where there aren't. The blog's owner is a white woman who has in turn faked being Indigenous American, African-American, and half Mexican, if I remember correctly. The blog also perpetuates incorrect and harmful conspiracies such as the "broken noses" conspiracy, an Afrocentric idea that archaeologists purposefully damaged ancient Egyptian statues to "hide" Egyptians' African ethnicity. Needless to say, this did not happen. Citing this blog as a legitimate source made me incredibly uncomfortable with Djèlí Clark's credibility.
The essay then gives an overview of how fantasy fetishises and exoticises non-white characters, referencing Edward Said and noting that:
Said’s thesis has been argued and counter-argued for decades, with some criticizing his views of Western explorations of the East as overly simplistic....which is true; it was simplistic, because Said's intention was only ever to identify and label a phenomenon, not to provide a detailed treatise of every single racist perception of the fictionalised "East." (At this point I made a note: "this feels very American?") One detail that bothered me is Djèlí Clark's assertion that Said wrote about "the act of 'othering' of non-Western (more aptly put, non-white) peoples": I'd swap those, since Said's focus was more on the imagined "East" in contrast with the imagined "West," not necessarily based on skin colour (as evidenced in the variety of different countries, most of them decidedly not Eastern in geographical position, included in the definition of Said's "East").
Second essay
"In modern fantasy, with its fascination with medieval Europe," Djèlí Clark says, "it seemed almost fated that acts of 'othering' would take root." What interested me about this particular claim is the casual assumption that all "modern" fantasy authors are based in the West. Indeed, the overall scope of these essays felt very limited—to be fair, they were published in 2015, and the landscape of "modern fantasy" has changed significantly in the intervening nearly seven years, but the lack of any real mention of non-white and/or non-Western fantasy authors seems egregious. So far, the examples given are mostly Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time, a handful of mediaeval European literature (which I agree is horrendously offensive), and... Frank Miller's 300 (and its film adaptation). I'm not a big fan of Western fantasy myself, so I can't really comment much on the minutiae of those worlds, although I do completely agree with the positioning of Daenerys (from GoT) as a white saviour figure shouldering the White Man's (or Woman's) Burden. Thanks, Kipling, and go fuck yourself!
I also agree with his criticism of 300, a bad comic that got turned into a bad movie. I was only just reading a book which discussed how relatively contemporary ancient Greek depictions of the Persians portrayed them not only as "barbarians" but also as humans, capable and worthy of emotion in the same way the Greeks, their enemies, were—despite or even because of their differences. (I also find it amusing how we've decided retroactively that ancient Greeks were "white.") This last is only a minor detail, but I find it interesting that discrimination against those of African or African-American descent is racism but discrimination against Muslims and/or Arabs is xenophobia... interesting.
Third essay
This essay is by FAR the best, in my opinion. Djèlí Clark brings up Charles Saunders's Imaro series, and quotes Saunders: "I had a choice: I could either stop reading SF and fantasy, or try to do something about my dissatisfaction with it by writing my own stories and trying to get them published. I chose the latter course." I liked that, because my opinion is that positive action is always going to be more powerful than negative actions, i.e., supporting the stories you want to see is always going to be more powerful than tearing down the ones you don't. (Not that there's anything inherently wrong with complaining—I love complaining, personally.)
This is about the part where someone asks, “So are you saying that Westerners and whites can’t or shouldn’t write about non-Western/non-white cultures or people in fantasy?” And the answer is one big eye rolling, of course not. Don’t be dense. Writers and creators should explore the full breadth of human diversity in fantasy, if simply to break the Eurocentric norm. Does this come with risks? Yes. You may go out and create more diversity in your fantasy with the best of intentions, and find yourself being criticized for such things as “othering.”(You had me right up until you mentioned David Anthony Durham.) "That all these writers are also persons of color certainly helps," Djèlí Clark continues, "but that shouldn’t limit anyone—of any background—from trying to do better. I do not subscribe to the school of thought that it is solely up to PoC to write diverse stories."
Making your fantasy world more diverse doesn’t have to mean adding in PoC and distant cultures as monstrous “baddies.” They don’t have to be noble savages, become hyper-sexualized or fulfill all your exotic fantasies. They don’t have to have white heroes or heroines give us a Marco Polo type travel narrative, or play the part of civilizer and savior. Writers like Saladin Ahmed, Cindy Pon and the aforementioned Joyce Chng show that non-Western worlds can be fantastic, magical and unique, without resorting to common exoticizing tropes. Others like David Anthony Durham and NK Jemisin have given us wholly new fantastic worlds rich in diversity.
In the meantime, there’s no escaping the “othering” fetish that permeates mainstream popular fantasy. All the new literary creations in the world aren’t going to make [the extant problems] go away–not any time soon. [...] All the rest of us can do is make certain to point out, address and deconstruct these troubling tropes when we see them. And strive to create countering visions.Overall I liked the third essay the best. I wasn't impressed with the source-citing (nor many of the sources themselves). The overall message was good, although I don't think anything was said in these essays that hasn't been said (no pun intended) before. I don't like the term "person of colour," and I don't use it, but that's a terminology issue, not a disagreement with the central thesis. If you have never heard of racism and fetishisation before, maybe these essays would be helpful, but they really did not tell me anything I didn't already know.
There's a wealth of fantasy—and all other genres, honestly—written by authors who are neither white nor Western. Supporting those authors and their writing is the solution to the "othering" and fetishisation of non-white non-Western characters and cultures.
lamusadelils's review
5.0
Mucho de esto lo había encontrado antes y es por eso que intento siempre buscar diferentes perspectivas y cuestionar cuando la fantasía (y ciencia ficción y horror y todo) caen en estos patrones. Creo que con el tiempo es bastante fácil detectar los ejemplos más clichés y los focos rojos saltan de inmediato.
Sin embargo, a pesar de conocer del tema, la forma en que Clark lo articula es precisa y directa. Al final me quedo con la idea de que a veces las formas no son tan sutiles y traemos ideas tan normalizadas que dejamos pasar cosas. Y dado que leer es un hobby para muchos, pareciera no afectarnos, como si no estuviéramos plasmando ideas en nuestras mentes que poco a poco permean la realidad y se replican irremediablemente hasta que si afectan a alguien. No se trata de decir lo que es bueno o no leer, sino de cuestionar y pensar lo que leemos, de apoyar a gente que está creando otras cosas con mucho más cuidado y de, cuando nosotros creamos, ser mas conscientes de los significados que hay detrás de nuestras elecciones.
No hay lector que lo sepa todo y que deje de aprender en algún punto, así que repensar lo que ya leímos y buscar nuevas perspectivas nos llevarán a mejores horizontes.
Sin embargo, a pesar de conocer del tema, la forma en que Clark lo articula es precisa y directa. Al final me quedo con la idea de que a veces las formas no son tan sutiles y traemos ideas tan normalizadas que dejamos pasar cosas. Y dado que leer es un hobby para muchos, pareciera no afectarnos, como si no estuviéramos plasmando ideas en nuestras mentes que poco a poco permean la realidad y se replican irremediablemente hasta que si afectan a alguien. No se trata de decir lo que es bueno o no leer, sino de cuestionar y pensar lo que leemos, de apoyar a gente que está creando otras cosas con mucho más cuidado y de, cuando nosotros creamos, ser mas conscientes de los significados que hay detrás de nuestras elecciones.
No hay lector que lo sepa todo y que deje de aprender en algún punto, así que repensar lo que ya leímos y buscar nuevas perspectivas nos llevarán a mejores horizontes.
bums's review
3.0
Fantasy's Othering Fetish By Phenderson Djeli Clark - 3/5
(Note: This is based on the free online version found in three parts on the Media Diversified website, if there are any differences between this version and the £5.65 Kindle version then sorry in advance - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3)
This is an incredibly interesting and informative article that I think any and every fantasy fan should read. It very effectively explains the huge issue that much of fantasy literature has with 'othering' non-European peoples, religions and cultures and how many non-Europeans are cast in both stereotypical and racist roles, intentionally or not, limiting their voices as actual characters and, by extenstion, the people they represent.
I do have some issues with the article however (some of which may seem like nitpicks but I digress) which I'll discuss now -
Equation of skin colour with culture/religion
The article often seemingly paints regions/continents with the same brush. The world is an incredibly diverse place and undoubtedly more of it needs to be better represented in popular literature, however, this applies to Europe as well as the rest of the world.
This article argues that European's, or white people, are often over-represented in fantasy. I'd argue that whilst yes, white people make up an overabundance of main characters in fantasy fiction and that European-like cultures are less likely to be 'othered', this only applies to selective groups in Europe. The main focus of much of Western fantasy has been on western Europe or Greece, verey little time has been spent with focuses on Eastern European cultures or on true representations of Celtic peoples that are not stock savages from the Northern Wastes, coming to take your women and dance naked to heathen gods before the honourable Christian (or in-universe equivalent) goes to righteously slay them.
Europe is vastly over-reperesented yes, but only certain parts, the parts that Tolkien focused on (e.g. the Anglo-Saxon and Norse Legends). There is not much that actually lives and breathes Eastern European mythology (Witcher being an obvious exception) or Celtic mythology (please share any stories that do) without 'othering' it in a similar way.
Misrepresentation of some European art/fossil evidence
The examples used to represent a more diverse nature to Medieval Britian were not very accurate.
This is an image of St Maurice, found throughout Europe (he was patron saint of Holy Roman Emperors) he is the mythological leader of the Roman Theban Legion. He refused to worship the pagan gods of the Roman Empire alongside the rest of the Legion he led and was killed with them as a Christian martyr. It is unknown how true this story is but some of it was likely to have happened. However he lived during antiquity, not Medieval times and most likely never reached Britian.
This statue was carved in 1715, at the tail-end of what is considered the early modern period in European history when interaction with sub-Saharan Africa was much more common for Europeans (mainly through the Trans-Altantic Slave Trade which was at its hieght at this time). Not an example of Medieval art.
This is one of the Magi (wise men) who supposedly visited Jesus when he was born. Western Christianity (Catholisism and most Protestants) believe only 3 Magi came to Jesus' birth, other Christians say up to 12 did from across the world from Ethiopia (all of sub-Sahan Africa to the Europeans), India and possibly further.
Additionally another aricle is linked discussing the unearthing of a black woman's remains dating back to Roman times but again this was in the Roman era when the world was much more connected by a huge Empire and people moved much more freely. Whilst people of different ethnicities could be found in trading centres across Europe and the world, residents from Africa or Asia (excepting the Romani who, by their culture, travel large distances) were incredilby rare.
Finally, some comments on ASOIAF/Game of Thrones
The article makes a fair point about the 'othering' of the non-white characters as they are often shown to have 'strange, savage ways' or are 'decadent, slave-owners with no morals'. However, I disagree that the Westerosi are portrayed much better, most of those shown in the story are amoral bastards who kill, rape and burn for fun. Sure, the Seven Kingdoms have banned slavery but the lowborn peasants are treated little better than the slaves of Yunkai and Meeren. They are shat upon by the high lords and treated like dirt just the same, their ownership is just a little more vague and loose. However, there is little depth the the cultures outside of Westeros other surface detail and it should be improved.
Additionally, I see Daenerys (bookwise anyway) as more of a deconstruction of the white saivour trope, all of her attempts at 'saving' the people of Meeren end terrilby (people are selling themselves back into slavery for food, disease and dragons have destroyed the city, the noble class have completely turned against her, the economy of the entire region has collapsed and all of the surrounding cities want her dead. In Qarth she has plunged the city into chaos by killing much of its leadership and she'll do the same with the Dothraki). She's also a little insane as we can see from the perspecrtive of the other characters now meeting up with her (who are all white boys, yes another problem).
Overall
This may have seen incredibly negative but I really do agree with this article, I just had some serious problems with it as well. Thanks for reading if you have made it this far!
(Note: This is based on the free online version found in three parts on the Media Diversified website, if there are any differences between this version and the £5.65 Kindle version then sorry in advance - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3)
This is an incredibly interesting and informative article that I think any and every fantasy fan should read. It very effectively explains the huge issue that much of fantasy literature has with 'othering' non-European peoples, religions and cultures and how many non-Europeans are cast in both stereotypical and racist roles, intentionally or not, limiting their voices as actual characters and, by extenstion, the people they represent.
I do have some issues with the article however (some of which may seem like nitpicks but I digress) which I'll discuss now -
Equation of skin colour with culture/religion
The article often seemingly paints regions/continents with the same brush. The world is an incredibly diverse place and undoubtedly more of it needs to be better represented in popular literature, however, this applies to Europe as well as the rest of the world.
This article argues that European's, or white people, are often over-represented in fantasy. I'd argue that whilst yes, white people make up an overabundance of main characters in fantasy fiction and that European-like cultures are less likely to be 'othered', this only applies to selective groups in Europe. The main focus of much of Western fantasy has been on western Europe or Greece, verey little time has been spent with focuses on Eastern European cultures or on true representations of Celtic peoples that are not stock savages from the Northern Wastes, coming to take your women and dance naked to heathen gods before the honourable Christian (or in-universe equivalent) goes to righteously slay them.
Europe is vastly over-reperesented yes, but only certain parts, the parts that Tolkien focused on (e.g. the Anglo-Saxon and Norse Legends). There is not much that actually lives and breathes Eastern European mythology (Witcher being an obvious exception) or Celtic mythology (please share any stories that do) without 'othering' it in a similar way.
Misrepresentation of some European art/fossil evidence
The examples used to represent a more diverse nature to Medieval Britian were not very accurate.
This is an image of St Maurice, found throughout Europe (he was patron saint of Holy Roman Emperors) he is the mythological leader of the Roman Theban Legion. He refused to worship the pagan gods of the Roman Empire alongside the rest of the Legion he led and was killed with them as a Christian martyr. It is unknown how true this story is but some of it was likely to have happened. However he lived during antiquity, not Medieval times and most likely never reached Britian.
This statue was carved in 1715, at the tail-end of what is considered the early modern period in European history when interaction with sub-Saharan Africa was much more common for Europeans (mainly through the Trans-Altantic Slave Trade which was at its hieght at this time). Not an example of Medieval art.
This is one of the Magi (wise men) who supposedly visited Jesus when he was born. Western Christianity (Catholisism and most Protestants) believe only 3 Magi came to Jesus' birth, other Christians say up to 12 did from across the world from Ethiopia (all of sub-Sahan Africa to the Europeans), India and possibly further.
Additionally another aricle is linked discussing the unearthing of a black woman's remains dating back to Roman times but again this was in the Roman era when the world was much more connected by a huge Empire and people moved much more freely. Whilst people of different ethnicities could be found in trading centres across Europe and the world, residents from Africa or Asia (excepting the Romani who, by their culture, travel large distances) were incredilby rare.
Finally, some comments on ASOIAF/Game of Thrones
The article makes a fair point about the 'othering' of the non-white characters as they are often shown to have 'strange, savage ways' or are 'decadent, slave-owners with no morals'. However, I disagree that the Westerosi are portrayed much better, most of those shown in the story are amoral bastards who kill, rape and burn for fun. Sure, the Seven Kingdoms have banned slavery but the lowborn peasants are treated little better than the slaves of Yunkai and Meeren. They are shat upon by the high lords and treated like dirt just the same, their ownership is just a little more vague and loose. However, there is little depth the the cultures outside of Westeros other surface detail and it should be improved.
Additionally, I see Daenerys (bookwise anyway) as more of a deconstruction of the white saivour trope, all of her attempts at 'saving' the people of Meeren end terrilby (people are selling themselves back into slavery for food, disease and dragons have destroyed the city, the noble class have completely turned against her, the economy of the entire region has collapsed and all of the surrounding cities want her dead. In Qarth she has plunged the city into chaos by killing much of its leadership and she'll do the same with the Dothraki). She's also a little insane as we can see from the perspecrtive of the other characters now meeting up with her (who are all white boys, yes another problem).
Overall
This may have seen incredibly negative but I really do agree with this article, I just had some serious problems with it as well. Thanks for reading if you have made it this far!