Cover Lover: #DiversityinSFF

Today's cover lover is inspired by the hashtag #DiversityinSFF.

In Conversations with Octavia Butler, my favourite author explains to her various interviewers that, when she began writing science fiction, the genre was dominated by 30 year old white male protagonists. Initially, she attempted to follow suit, but decided her work was crap. When she embraced a more diverse world and universe, an inspirational award winning author was born.

As a person of colour myself, I don’t actively hunt down books by PoC authors or featuring PoC characters, but it certainly makes me happy when I do find them. A new favourite  author, N.K. Jemisin inspired me to pick up and subsequently love love love her book, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, largely thanks to this quote:

This [fantasy] genre is rooted in the epic — and the truth is that there are plenty of epics out there which feature people like me. [...] So given all these myths, all these examinations of the possible...how can I not imagine more? How can I not envision an epic set somewhere other than medieval England, about someone other than an awkward white boy? How can I not use every building-block of my history and heritage and imagination when I make shit up?

But sometimes, all it takes is a cover to immediately attract my attention. I’m a sucker for a beautiful, vibrant, stunning cover and I most recently fell for the beautiful, vibrant, stunning ladies on the covers of these books.

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone is now high on my to-read list, and you may have already seen Ascension: A Tangled Axon Novel a few times here at BiblioSanctum. Ascension’s diversity goes far beyond skin deep and impressed me so much that I had to interview author Jacqueline Koyanagi to learn more.

There is a growing number of books about and being told by diverse people. These are merely the two that recently caught my eye. Science fiction and fantasy, of all genres, give us the opportunity to step so far away from our prejudices, and I'm really glad to see authors (and now publishers) finally realizing that there is more to our world and beyond than stories about 30 year old white guys.

Character Appreciation Post: Nahadoth

Nahadoth by sorskc

Who is Nahadoth?

Nahadoth is the first born of the Three gods of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. He is chaos and darkness incarnate; a true weapon of mass destruction that would consume all if he could. But when we first meet him, he is only a fraction of himself, imprisoned within mortal flesh by day, bound to the whims of the ruling mortals.

“The Nightlord cannot be controlled, child. He can only be unleashed. And you asked him not to kill.”

But who is he?

"Face like the moon, pale and somehow wavering. I could get the gist of his features, but none of it stuck in my mind beyond an impression of astonishing beauty. His long, long hair wafted around him like black smoke, its tendrils curling and moving of their own volition."

Nahadoth oozes sexuality and seduction as much as he does darkness, violence and chaos. He inspires these kind of thoughts and reaction GIFs, but, while I appreciated the tastefully done erotic moments, I loved more the tenderness, the pain, the loss, the loneliness, the heartache.

“...and when I lift my head to scream out my fury, a million stars turn black and die. No one can see them, but they are my tears.”

The rage and violence had their place too, but it was the moments spent as a father to Sieh,  and the moments of peace that Yeine coaxed out of him that had that much more meaning for me. The image I hold in my head is of him comforting her through her tears or letting her fall asleep on his shoulders.

Wendy: The Best Book I've Read This Year

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

This was actually  my favourite book of 2012, but after reading the ebook, I had to have it (and all of N.K. Jemisin's books) on my bookshelf. When it arrived early in 2013, I intended only to skim through to dog ear and highlight all the moments and quotes that had kept me up at nights during my initial read. Instead, I got sucked in all over again. It was even better the second time through, knowing what I did from my first read through. All the little things suddenly had that much more meaning.

Aside from the images and thoughts spilling across Tumblr, one of the things that really attracted me to the book was the author herself who is a woman of colour. It is rare to find people like yourself creating the things that you love so, while I try not to dwell on the paleness of science fiction and fantasy, it increases my enjoyment to be entertained by something that far better reflects life as it could and should be, rather than the reality that sometimes is. It disturbs me that science fiction and fantasy of all things remain bound to our prejudices when the worlds and creatures you can create within these realms should be limitless. It turns out, Ms. Jemisin has much to say on this subject herself:

This genre is rooted in the epic — and the truth is that there are plenty of epics out there which feature people like me. [...] So given all these myths, all these examinations of the possible...how can I not imagine more? How can I not envision an epic set somewhere other than medieval England, about someone other than an awkward white boy? How can I not use every building-block of my history and heritage and imagination when I make shit up?

I have not yet written what I would consider a proper review for this book because my thoughts are just too muddled with emotion, speculation and lots of spoilers. I haven't started the next book in the trilogy because I'm not quite ready for the emotional commitment. Both times I read THTK, it encompassed my thoughts for long hours - days afterward, which is enough for me to say that it is most definitely  five star book in my eyes. I've recommended it to everyone I know!

FanArt: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Hundred Thousand Kingdoms Yeine by Jemisin 

by *DubuGomdori

From The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

Musings: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

I adore this book. I could not sleep after reading it - after staying up ridiculously late to finish reading it - my mind was too busy. I bought the trade paperback of the book and read it again within two months because I love this book so much. It was even better the second time through, knowing what I knew now about the events and characters.

Perhaps one day I'll write a proper review for this, but for now, I can only tell you that I give this book five stars and I recommend it to everyone.

For now, some of the many thoughts inspired by The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. (SPOILERS)