 Jamie Krakover, Diana Morgan, Debbie Manber Kupfe, Lyri Ahnam |  New friends at Archon |
I recently had the honor of moderating a panel on Gender Identity and Sexuality in Science Fiction/Fantasy at Archon 45 with fellow authors Jamie Krakover, Diana Morgan, and Debbie Manber Kupfe.
Science fiction and fantasy are uniquely suited to explore gender identity and sexuality--to deepen characterization, enrich worldbuilding, and as a way of expanding our understanding of possibilities in our own world.
I like to tweak gender expectations in my own writing to texture my stories, and had a ball exploring this topic with the other panelists.
A number of creative works came up during our panel, including (but not limited to):
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin (early attempt to write nonbinary characters)
Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold (an all-male planet that grows new members in incubators)
Recent iterations of Star Trek, a television series created by Gene Roddenberry
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (third gender with xe/xir pronouns)
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (f/f romance and a female implanted with a male's memories)
Black Water Sister by Jen Cho (a lesbian struggling with traditional Malay culture)
“Love May be Too Strong a Word” by Charlie Jane Anders (short story with multiple genders & pronouns)
Spear by Niccola Griffith (retelling of the Percival myth with a trans man)
Science fiction and fantasy are uniquely suited to explore gender identity and sexuality--to deepen characterization, enrich worldbuilding, and as a way of expanding our understanding of possibilities in our own world.
I like to tweak gender expectations in my own writing to texture my stories, and had a ball exploring this topic with the other panelists.
A number of creative works came up during our panel, including (but not limited to):
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin (early attempt to write nonbinary characters)
Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold (an all-male planet that grows new members in incubators)
Recent iterations of Star Trek, a television series created by Gene Roddenberry
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (third gender with xe/xir pronouns)
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine (f/f romance and a female implanted with a male's memories)
Black Water Sister by Jen Cho (a lesbian struggling with traditional Malay culture)
“Love May be Too Strong a Word” by Charlie Jane Anders (short story with multiple genders & pronouns)
Spear by Niccola Griffith (retelling of the Percival myth with a trans man)
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