Niba discusses inclusivity in fiction and Mariquita reviews My Soul Looks Back

If a fantasy or scifi universe has wizards, aliens, fairies, spaceships, or whatever fictional element in it, can’t it also have dark skinned or nonbinary or queer characters in it? Niba guides us through arguments for and against inclusivity in fiction, as well as how writers can incorporate diversity if they themselves have not lived that experience. How can a fictional world be real-world inclusive? 

Then Mariquita shares a stunning, evocative review of My Soul Looks Back by Jessica B. Harris.

Follow and support today’s hosts:

Niba

Instagram // YouTube // Twitter // website

Mariquita

Instagram

Books Mentioned: 

The Mermaid, The Witch, and The Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

Lumberjanes: The Moon Is Up by Mariko Tamaki (also featured on our blog!)

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O’Neill

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse (listen to our interview with Rebecca here!)

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

A Thousand Begins and Endings edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman 

My Soul Looks Back: A Memoir by Jessica B. Harris

This episode was edited and produced by Renee Powers on the native land of the Dakota people.

Original music by @iam.onyxrose

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Renee Powers

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Renee Powers founded Feminist Book Club in 2018 to provide a space for intersectional feminists to learn, grow, and connect. When not reading or running the biz, you can find her drinking coffee and trying unsuccessfully to teach her retired racing greyhound how to fetch. Favorite genres: feminist thrillers, contemporary literary fiction, short stories, and anything that might be described as "irreverent"