The science fiction genre has evolved over time, influenced by authors like Jules Verne and HG Wells.

The genre now includes contemporary voices and underrepresented perspectives from authors like Octavia E. Butler and Nnedi Okorafor.

A science fiction book club should include works from diverse geographical fields to provide a realistic panorama.

Considering historical and social perspectives in science fiction is crucial, across various genres and media.

Diverse perspectives are now essential in modern science fiction, with authors from various backgrounds contributing to the genre.

Authors from diverse backgrounds, like Cixin Liu and Wang Jinkang, have made a significant impact on the genre, gaining international recognition.

Chinese science fiction has notably risen, with authors like Liu Cixin and Wang Jinkang gaining international recognition.

New technologies like AI, brain-computer interfaces, and quantum computing are expected to shape the future of science fiction.

The future of science fiction will likely be shaped by trends like net-zero carbon tech, autonomous computing, and human enhancement.

Speculative fiction is expected to become increasingly collaborative, with authors working with experts to imagine new worlds and ideas.

The science fiction genre now encompasses various topics and serves as a platform for social commentary.

The genre has been influenced by non-Western authors like Wang Jinkang, a Chinese science fiction writer and Hugo Award finalist.

Wang Jinkang's writing combines science and philosophy to explore human existence through cosmopolitan science fiction with local styles and themes.

Notable science fiction works like Ahmed Ali Mohammed's "Studies in Science Literature" and Nikolai Glazkov's "The Asteroid" incorporate diverse perspectives and address social and environmental issues.

These works are contributing to the genre's evolution with new and innovative perspectives.

The science fiction genre has evolved significantly since HG Wells, with modern authors exploring new ideas and themes.

Book clubs can choose science fiction works like "The Atmospherians" to discuss social and cultural contexts, including influencer culture and gender roles.

Selecting diverse science fiction works requires considering various topics, authors, and perspectives, and fostering open discussion.

Book clubs can ensure inclusivity by selecting diverse books that represent people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

Diverse narratives in books are essential for kids aged 0-3, and can be achieved by selecting books that reflect diverse demographics.

Inclusive book selections promote empathy and understanding of other cultures.

Lack of representation in literature affects children's self-image, making diverse book selections crucial.

Book clubs can select books featuring diverse characters, including those with disabilities and non-traditional families, and strong female role models.

Reading diverse books encourages creativity, education, and breaks down social and cultural barriers.

Libraries can partner with organizations to support diverse book collections and promote acceptance and tolerance.

Inclusive books foster empathy and tolerance by promoting respect and understanding of different beliefs and abilities.

Book clubs can include diverse books like "Gender Queer" to represent LGBTQ+ individuals and educate others.

Diverse books help young people feel seen, and libraries aim to provide materials that reflect society's diversity.

LGBTQ-inclusive books are vital for queer people and those who don't understand them, promoting adulthood and wellbeing.

Children's books often underrepresent ethnic minorities and overrepresent males, so book clubs should select diverse books.

Diversity initiatives are sometimes blamed for including banned books, but book clubs can still choose diverse books that promote empathy.

Banned books can provide representation and promote critical thinking when discussed in book clubs.

The science fiction genre has become more diverse and inclusive over time through online platforms, awards, and publications.

Online platforms like Wattpad and others have democratized writing, connecting new writers with global readers.

The Hugo Awards and other literary awards have recognized authors from diverse backgrounds, promoting diversity and representation.

Publications and online platforms like Science Fiction World and File 770 promote representation and diversity in science fiction.

The Xingyun Awards promote Chinese science fiction diversity and honor new authors and works annually.

Translated works and non-fiction books have increased diversity in fiction and explored new themes.

Diverse authors, including women and people of color, have significantly impacted the science fiction genre with unique experiences and perspectives.

Chinese female writers have thrived in science fiction, producing four anthologies of fantasy novels and increasing the genre's inclusivity and diversity.

Online platforms like BookTok and Goodreads promote diversity and representation by helping readers discover new books and authors.

The genre now includes diverse voices, such as Octavia E. Butler, who wrote "Dawn", a novel about humans rescued by aliens.

Butler's work, such as "Parable of the Sower", showcases underrepresented demographics in a science fiction context.

Nnedi Okorafor has made an impact with her Africanfuturistic science fiction, as seen in her novel "Binti".

N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy is an award-winning science fiction example exploring civilization's collapse.

Jemisin's work has helped facilitate discussions on diversity and representation in science fiction.

"Yellowface" by R.F. Kuang is a recommended science fiction book that showcases underrepresented demographics.

Books like "The Poppy War" by R.F. Kuang feature diverse characters.

Nikki Erlick's "The Measure" and R.F. Kuang's "Babel" both feature diverse characters.

"Chain-Gang All-Stars" and "This is How You Lose the Time War" promote diversity and feature LGBTQ+ characters.

"All Systems Red" by Martha Wells has a non-human protagonist, and "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir has a diverse cast.

"Noumenon Ultra" by Marina J. Lostetter and "Light Years From Home" by Mike Chen explore diverse space travel and alien abductions.

The Lady Astronaut series and Olga Tokarczuk's Nobel Prize-winning novel "The Books of Jacob" are recommended reads.

We Need Diverse Books and World Kid Lit promote diverse children's and YA literature.

Literature, such as "Gender Queer", can facilitate discussions on diversity and representation of human sexuality.

Reading about diverse experiences and representation in literature fosters empathy and reduces feelings of isolation.

Banning books can limit representation, exacerbating problems like mental illness and violence.

Books like "Ace of Spades", "Cinderella Is Dead", and "Rise to the Sun" showcase underrepresented demographics and facilitate discussions on diversity and representation.

These books have helped evolve the science fiction genre, providing a more diverse range of voices and experiences.

The genre has evolved beyond HG Wells, with diverse authors making a significant impact.

Authors like R.F. Kuang, N.K. Jemisin, and Octavia E. Butler have shaped the genre with a focus on diversity and representation.

The science fiction genre has evolved over time, influenced by authors like Jules Verne and HG Wells.

Title:

Content: Science Fiction and Politics in Literature and the Arts (Symposium, Toulouse)

Science Fiction and Politics in Literature and the Arts

The aim of this symposium run by the LLA-Créatis laboratory at the University of Toulouse Jean-Jaurès is to develop open thinking about “political” questions, in the broad sense of the term, that science fiction narratives allow. Different types of stories can be considered, in different literary genres or in cinema, video series and comics. It can be studied and interrogated from a historical, political and social perspective by involving, where appropriate, the possible contributions of different analyzes (anthropology, semiotics, feminist studies, postcolonial studies, etc.) Diversity of perspectives and questions raised by gender.

The entire twentieth-century period produced works in San Francisco that were marked by ideologies such as capitalism and its “communist” counterpart, but also by threats associated with civilian and/or military nuclear power, religious-related abuses, racism, minority liberation struggles, and pollution. , etc. These perceptions persisted, but in the period from the last 20 years of the 20th century to the first 20 years of the 21st century, other concerns were voiced: ecological pesticides, the climate crisis, demographic crises, resource depletion, or the danger. The scientific and technical potential (transhumanism, “artificial intelligence”, etc.) is being carried away.

The link to the realities of the times (as in the collection “Le Passager Clandestin / Dyschroniques”) can of course depend on one or more authors, take into account a work or compare several (especially in the case of short stories and short films). The broader perspective will consist in considering the basic ideologies, either in relation to the literary prizes awarded, or in relation to the works themselves, the semantics of these presenting themselves from the outset sometimes as criticism, sometimes as propaganda, the two being able to be combined according to modalities that tend to be ironic, Satirical, disruptive, etc.

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In any case, it would be a matter of highlighting the “exploratory potential” in these works, of identifying the “problematic tools” and of making the ideas put forward in fictional form productive from the point of view of political theory. (Y Rambhala).

Of course, it is advisable to include works belonging to different geographical and linguistic fields so that the panorama of this search is sufficiently realistic.

Provisional schedule of courses (date adjustments possible)

Oct 20, 2-4 PM / Nov 17, 2-4 PM / Dec 15, 2-4 PM / Jan 19, 2-4 PM / Feb 9, 2-4 PM / Mar 15, 2-4 PM / May 31 , 2-4 p.m

Contribution proposals must be sent Before October 1, 2023 To the following addresses: frederics[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

The genre now includes contemporary voices and underrepresented perspectives from authors like Octavia E. Butler and Nnedi Okorafor.

Title:

Content: 60 Sci-Fi Books That All Science Fiction Fans Must Read

Are you looking for a new science fiction book to read? Looking to fill up your reading list with journeys to strange new worlds and fast-paced science fiction adventures? You're in luck because we've compiled a list of the best sci-fi books.

Whether you're looking to dive into the great sci-fi classics you missed out on or you're looking to delve into brand new tales from up-and-coming indie authors, you're sure to find something that will spark creativity and excitement for you. Science fiction and fantasy novels provide us with allegories, cautionary tales, and deep dives into the human condition told through the lens of the fantastical and the cutting-edge.

The Best Sci-Fi Origins Books

Where did it all begin? Read these early tales with impossible futures, fascinating creatures, time travel, and alien invasion!

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein brought us the iconic monster made by Victor Frankenstein. Considered the first true science fiction novel of the modern era, it would foreshadow genetic tinkering stories of the future.

The Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish (also called The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing-World)

Considered to be the first science fiction work, in the 17th century, Duchess of Newcastle Margaret Cavendish wrote of a utopian world.

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The third Oz book by L. Frank Baum features Tik-Tok, the wind-up clockwork man Dorothy Gale encounters in the Land of Ev. Tik-Tok is basically one of the first robots in literature. Other wacky features in Ozma of Oz include a sand-sailing boat and lunch pail tree.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

A 19th century classic by Wells, depicting time travel and inspiring science fiction tales for over a century.

The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

The book would go on to inspire a radio program that terrified people into thinking Martians were actually invading Earth. Wells would kickstart first contact stories and alien invasion at the same time, offering up a cautionary tale that touches sci-fi to this day.

The Best Sci-Fi Space Epics Books

Transport yourself across the universe with these pillars of world-building in science fiction, all of which are either now adapted for TV or film or soon will be.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Frank Herbert’s Dune is considered a masterwork of world-building and family intrigue, inspiring other famous series and their respective houses. In the first book, Paul Atreides encounters the resident free people of the planet Arrakis (Dune), the Fremen, and achieves a destiny of messianic proportions. Dune recently graced the big screen in a new adaptation by Denis Villeneuve.

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedi Okorafor's Binti novella series begins with Binti, a Hugo-award-winning Africanfuturistic science fiction horror story published by Tor.com. Binti is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the most exalted institution of higher learning in the galaxy. She faces the choice to accept the offer and give up her place in her family so that she can travel among the stars. Hulu has ordered a pilot for Binti.

Foundation by Isaac Asimov

The beginning of the Foundation series reveals the “psychohistory” developed by mathematician Harry Seldon. Seldon would establish a new empire called Foundation to preserve the culture from societal collapse. Foundation debuted as a TV show on Apple TV in 2021.

Embers of War by Gareth L. Powell

Gareth L. Powell's award-winning trilogy Embers of War follows the war-weary crew of the sentient spaceship Trouble Dog, who after becoming disgusted by her role in war joins the House of Reclamation. Trouble Dog and her captain Sal Konstanz are sent on a rescue mission, which intersects a mission to find missing poet Ona Sundak. The galaxy teeters on the brink of another war, just as an alien presence makes itself known, altering the course of things to come. Now under development for TV.

Rendezvous with Rama by Sir Arthur C. Clarke

A strange spacecraft enters the solar system, and humanity investigates. The secrets within the enormous craft, called Rama, reveal the heritage of an advanced alien civilization. Rendezvous with Rama is in development for a film adaptation with Denis Villeneuve at the helm.

The Best Hard Sci-Fi Books

If you like your science fiction taut with the edginess of battle and the implication of future wars, you must add these books to your collection!

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

This classic military sci-fi epic details the tragic effects of time dilation on a group of soldiers fighting a seemingly endless war.

Ringworld by Larry Niven

Set in the 29th century, Louis Wu and his companions explore a vast, Earth-orbit-sized, constructed world. Their adventures uncover the alien civilization that built it.

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

First set with the backdrop of China’s cultural revolution, this new epic involves secret scientific experiments, alien invasion, challenging moral dilemmas, and impressive world-building.

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

A man in his 70s is recruited as a soldier in the Colonial Defense Force, and altered physically in unexpected ways. Strong on character development, this kickstarts the Old Man’s War Series.

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein

This classic military sci-fi tale follows Johnny Rico and military recruits who become involved in a battle between humans and aliens nicknamed Arachnids or “Bugs.”

If you love Starship Troopers, check out our review of the wisdom of Grand Admiral Thrawn – Michael

The Best Sci-Fi Robot Stories

The future of robots is here and is complex and necessary reading in these sci-fi tales.

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov

Isaac Asimov’s intriguing work introduced the laws of robotics that all robots must adhere to work alongside humans.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

The first novel in the Murderbot Diaries, All Systems Red, follows a cyborg that goes by the name Murderbot contends with self-awareness in the corporate-dominated future.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

The beginning of the Lunar Chronicles series is a retelling of Cinderella from the point of view of a cyborg.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick

Famed for its eventual big-screen adaptation, Blade Runner, this novel recounts a future in which highly realistic artificial fugitives are on the run from bounty hunter Rick Deckard.

The Alchemy of Stone by Ekaterina Sedia

Mattie is an automaton in this steampunk and urban fantasy novel involving gargoyles, Mechanics, and Alchemists.

The Best Sci-Fi Mars Stories

Our neighbor, the red planet Mars, beckons to us. What would it be like to walk on the shifting red sands of Mars? Find out in these Martian classics.

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury’s mesmerizing prose introduces us to a Mars full of exotic possibility, soon plundered by humanity’s arrival.

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

The first in the Mars Trilogy, Red Mars, involves the colonization and terraforming of Mars and the conflicting moral questions that result.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Astronaut Mark Watney is left behind on a Mars mission and must draw upon his skills and ingenuity in order to survive.

Mars by Ben Bova

Navajo geologist Jamie Waterman joins the first expedition of scientists exploring Mars. The grounded approach Bova takes to all the interaction, politics, and bureaucracy help achieve a plausible future story.

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

The first book in the Red Rising Trilogy envisions a future of planetary colonization in which caste systems abound. Darrow must fight against this system of overlords.

The Best Sci-Fi Fantasy Books

Fly high with dragons, roam lands on epic quests, and learn the hearts of true heroes in the fantasy masterpieces.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnum opus spans three books, opening up a fantastically detailed and wholly invented universe in Middle Earth that was hinted at in The Hobbit. Considered the ultimate work of fantasy, The Lord of the Rings brings myth, allegory, poetry, song, war, and melancholy to heights of realism and wonder.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin

The first novel in The Earthsea Cycle tells the tale of the wizard Ged, and his journey to redeem his reckless past.

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin

Beginning with A Game of Thrones, Martin’s elaborate, dark fantasy series covers land in which seasons last decades, and a terrible force from the north threatens to bring an icy apocalypse to an area filled with rulers jockeying to take the Iron Throne.

The Dragonriders of Pern Series by Anne McCaffrey

This remarkable series takes place in the world of Pern, where people telepathically bond with dragons. Dragonflight is the first in the series.

The Fifth Season: The Broken Earth, Book 1 by N.K Jemisin

The Fifth Season marks the first book of the award-winning The Broken Earth trilogy. Set against civilization’s collapse and natural disaster, Essun endures great personal tragedy in her quest to rescue her daughter.

The Best Sci-Fi Dystopian & Apocalyptic Books

Set in a nightmare future, these dystopian and apocalyptic legends will keep you up at night.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

In a totalitarian future America, handmade Offred is forced to bear children to men of a ruling class. The tale follows her harrowing life in a bleak future, and the attempt to escape and bring down the subjugating class to restore rights.

The Stand by Stephen King

A deadly pathogen escapes a military installation, rapidly spreading and bringing civilization essentially to an end. A group of survivors makes its way to a form of a promised land while battling a malevolent group seeking domination.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

In the near future breakdown of the society of Los Angeles, empathic teenager Lauren believes in a better future entailing traveling to other planets. Lauren gathers followers to her belief as she makes her way north.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Set in the Great Lakes region of America, a group of nomadic creatives picks up the pieces after the fall of civilization due to pandemic flu. Station Eleven has been adapted for HBO Max.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The first book in the Hunger Games Trilogy follows the immense challenges that Katniss Everdeen faces in the post-apocalyptic version of America called Panem. She takes her sister’s place in the government-sponsored Hunger Games to compete for survival in a no-holds-barred and deadly competition.

The Best Sci-Fi Near Futures Books

The future is here, or nearly so, in these ground-breaking novels set close to our present day.

Contact by Carl Sagan

Scientist Ellie Arroway detects a potential extraterrestrial signal from space, which appears to instruct humanity in how to build a machine. She faces self-doubt amid scrutiny to uncover the mysteries of the discovery.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

This cautionary tale about genetic engineering in which scientists make living, cloned dinosaurs for an amusement park. Mayhem ensues.

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Mysterious monoliths appear across many worlds, seeding life with intelligence. Following the discovery of one such monolith on the moon, Dr. Bowman and a team of scientists investigate the signal it sends to Saturn’s moon Iapetus. The onboard AI begins exhibiting dangerous behavior during the journey.

Flashforward by Robert J. Sawyer

A physics experiment creates an unintended consequence of everyone on earth losing consciousness for two minutes. Each person sees a “flash forward” decades in the future while they are unconscious. The resulting accidents and visions challenge everyone’s ideas of free will.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In dystopian 2044, impoverished Wade Watts navigates through the virtual reality world of the OASIS, seeking to reverse his fortune.

The Best Sci-Fi Books for Younger Readers

Take adventures through time and space, no matter your age!

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

The Murry children and Calvin O’Keefe crosses universes and space-time to try to find their missing father. Their tale is a mind-bending adventure of good vs. evil.

His Dark Materials Trilogy (The Golden Compass/The Subtle Knife/The Amber Spyglass) by Philip Pullman

The Golden Compass/Northern Lights begins this sweeping saga of two children, one born in a parallel universe, one born in our own. In Lyra’s world, people’s souls exist in animal form, called daemons. Her father and mother represent warring factions determined to control all universes. Filled with talking animals, witches, airships, and strange creatures, His Dark Materials packs an emotional punch.

The Apothecary Series by Maile Meloy

Set in the 1950s, The Apothecary starts this highly entertaining, thrilling adventure series in which American Janie Scott meets Benjamin Burrows, the son of an apothecary. After Benjamin’s father is kidnapped, the teenagers uncover a terrifying plot that could result in humanity’s end. They use potions with magical effects to try and stop the impending doom.

The Serpent's Secret (Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond #1) by Sayantani DasGupta

The first of the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series, book one begins with Kiranmala discovering her parents are missing, and there is a demon in her kitchen! Two princes recruited her and sent to another dimension, where she must battle the Serpent King and the Rakkhoshi Queen to rescue her parents and save the Earth.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

This delightful middle-grade novel recounts a discarded robot named Roz and her search for love and acceptance.

The Best Sci-Fi Ponderous Books

These mind-bending sci-fi novels will have you thinking for a long time afterward.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

Raised on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith returns to Earth and tries to fit in. His unusual upbringing makes him seem superhuman, but he attempts to help his Earth kin understand things from a different perspective.

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

Set in the 24th century when telepaths (“Espers”) are common, and police are telepathic as well. Ben Reich tries to evade the telepathic police for a murder he wants to commit. The story opens up the moral issues of using telepathy, regulated mostly by a guild, but raises concerns about the exclusion of telepaths who run astray as well as psychological intrigue.

Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

Solaris follows humans’ failed attempts to communicate with extraterrestrial intelligence. The sentient planet tests the researchers with their memories and emotions.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

A story spanning time and space and connections between various characters, Cloud Atlas explores the theme of fate with a mind-bending narrative.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

This classic tale follows the journey of Genly Ai on his mission to the planet Gethen. The ambisexual Gethenians present challenges and growth for Ai.

The Best Sci-Fi Cyberpunk Books

If you dream of the future lit by neon, shadowed by noir, and fueled with intrigue, these seminal cyberpunk novels are for you!

Neuromancer by William Gibson

In the first novel of the Sprawl Trilogy, hacker Henry Case is hired to help an AI take over the global network called The Matrix.

All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

A modern cyberpunk tale is weaving together magic and science, with wit and feeling.

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

Set in the 25th century, humans have spread through the galaxy and can be preserved after death via cortical stacks, then essentially regenerated or “re-sleeved” into another body. Takeshi Kovacs stumbles upon a vast conspiracy after his latest “sleeve.”

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

This early entry into cyberpunk sci-fi follows teleporter Gully Foyle, an outcast considered dangerous.

Synners by Pat Cadigan

The synthesizers, or Synners, are people who can turn mental images into products for consumption. The story is told via various characters’ viewpoints.

The Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books by Indie Authors

Discover the latest sci-fi and fantasy stories, while supporting independent authors!

Mindful Things by Mya Duong

Nineteen-year-old Lauren begins to experience visions and uncovers the fact her deceased parents were witches. A madman hungry for power pursues her, and she must embrace her magical heritage to try to stop him.

The Infinite by John W. Akers

The inventor Pax works on a secret project that can revolutionize human cognition. His plans are derailed by a computer virus that could end civilization, so Pax is forced to choose how he can help humanity survive.

Threadwalkers by Joanna Volavka

Miranda Woodward undergoes a discordant series of events following her father’s death. This is a young adult time travel tale.

Resonance by Jennifer Greenhall

In Book One of the Resonance Series, Sophia Walsh uses her psionic abilities for good but finds herself the next target of a killer.

Heliopause: The Questrison Saga®: Book One by J. Dianne Dotson

Heliopause by J. Dianne Dotson kickstarts The Questrison Saga®, a four-book series science fiction and fantasy series. In Heliopause, a mystery at the edge of the solar system reveals a galactic menace. A galactic natural disaster unfolds, aiding the monster in the void. Human Forster and human-looking, ageless Galla-Deia team up with telepaths, galactic mages, aliens, and androids to face the greatest threat to all life in the galaxy. Full of diverse characters and exotic worlds, found and made families, heartbreak, and whimsy, this space opera recalls Star WarsDoctor Who, and Game of Thrones.

At Your Money Geek, we are huge fans of the science fiction genre, everything from military science fiction to novels about space travel, parallel worlds, and fantasy novels. We are always looking for new books to read and exciting sci-fi writers to profile, let us know in the comments what authors you are currently enjoying.

This post was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.

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J. Dianne Dotson dreamed up other worlds and their characters as a child in the 1980s in East Tennessee. She formed her own neighborhood astronomy club before age 10, to educate her friends about the universe. In addition to writing stories, she drew and painted her characters, designed their outrageous space fashions, and created travel guides and glossaries for the worlds she invented.

As an adult, Dianne earned a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology, and spent several years working in research. She published Heliopause: The Questrison Saga®: Book One (2018) and its sequels Ephemeris: The Questrison Saga®: Book Two (2019), Accretion: The Questrison Saga®: Book Three (2020) and her last novel in the saga, Luminiferous: The Questrison Saga®: Book Four (2021).

Dianne is also a science writer, content writer and manager, short story writer, watercolorist, and illustrator. She lives with her family.

Who wrote "Binti," a Hugo-award-winning African futuristic science fiction horror story?

A science fiction book club should include works from diverse geographical fields to provide a realistic panorama.

Considering historical and social perspectives in science fiction is crucial, across various genres and media.

Diverse perspectives are now essential in modern science fiction, with authors from various backgrounds contributing to the genre.

Authors from diverse backgrounds, like Cixin Liu and Wang Jinkang, have made a significant impact on the genre, gaining international recognition.

Title:

Content: Interview with Wang Jinkang, 2024 Hugo Finalist

INTRODUCTION: Eight Light Minutes(8LM) Culture of Chengdu has given permission for File 770 to reprint the series of interviews with Chinese science fiction writers which they have been running this week on Facebook. The first one is a question and answer session with Wang Jinkang, whose novella Seeds of Mercury is a 2024 Hugo Award finalist.

SUPPORTING CHINESE WRITERS SERIES (1): 2024 HUGO AWARD NOMINATION INTERVIEW WITH WANG JINKANG

Translated by Joseph Brant.

Wang Jinkang(王晋康) was born in Nanyang, Henan Province in 1948. He is a senior engineer, and a member of the Chinese Writer’s Association (CWA), The China Popular Science Writing Association (CPSWA), The Committee of Scientific Literature and Art, and the Henan Writers’ Association. Since the publication of his first story, The Return of Adam, in 1993, he has published over 90 short works, and 20 full novels, including Cross, We Together, Escape from The Mother Universe, Parents of Heaven and Earth, and Cosmic Crystal Eggs, totaling over six million words. He has won China’s Galaxy Award 16 times, as well as The Chinese Science Fiction Nebula’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He is considered one of Chinese science fiction’s ‘Four Heavenly Kings’, and his emblematic work Seeds of Mercury was shortlisted for the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Novella.

Hello Mr. Wang! Before we start, I would like to congratulate you on Seeds of Mercury’s shortlisting for 2024’s “Best Novella” Hugo Award. This is news that has excited countless Chinese science fiction fans. Ever since the publication of Chinese Science Fiction: An Oral History, readers have commented that your contributions have particularly appealed to them and would like to know more about your life and work. Hopefully, this long-awaited interview will provide some of the insights the sci-fi community has longed for.

Q1Mr. Wang, despite having produced many great works, this is the first time you’ve been shortlisted for the Hugo. How did you feel when you learned that you’d been shortlisted?

Wang Jinkang: Of course I was elated. Although I’ve won many awards in China, in fact the most Galaxy Awards in history, this is the first time I’ve been shortlisted for a Hugo. It felt like 31 years ago, when I first saw The Return of Adam in print, and when I won my First Galaxy Award. I think every author experiences these moments of excitement. It’s excellent that Chinese science fiction has reached a certain level, after years of growth, it’s now more and more visible internationally, which is fantastic. Of course, what we value even more, is these works transcending their era, and surviving the tides of time to reach future generations.

Religion and Science are enemies who love each other.

Q2Mr. Wang, as one of the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ of Chinese science fiction, you’re already very well known in China, with a creative career spanning over thirty years, with works such as Leopard Man, Ant Life and Survival Experiment and so on. This shortlisted work is such a quintessential piece. However, this interview is not just intended for the Chinese sci-fi fans, but for readers around the world, who may not be familiar with Seeds of Mercury. Could I ask you to introduce it for the benefit of the overseas sci-fi fans?

Wang Jinkang: Seeds of Mercury is a two-threaded story. The first one follows a female scientist named Shawu, who discovers a new formula for life, and creates a fluid metal nano life form. When she dies, she entrusts that formula to Chen Yizhe, a businessman with a pure heart, along with the message “real life cannot be bred in pens. In the Solar System, there happens to be a suitable place for it to breed freely – Mercury”. Chen Yizhe accepts this monumental legacy enthusiastically, using his personal wealth to maintain the laboratory. In order take the next step, of “seeding Mercury”, he must turn to the society around him. Mr Hong, a multi-billionaire with a disagreeable personality but a benevolent soul, decides to liquidate his empire to facilitate the spaceship’s construction. Furthermore, Hong makes another astonishing decision: to relocate to Mercury, have his body frozen in the millennia-old ice caves of the planet’s north pole, to be awakened every 10 million years, to assist the evolution of these micro-lifeforms. In just 15 years, Chen Yizhe sends Hong to Mercury to seed the nano-life into the liquid metal lakes of Mercury, after which Hong settles down in its polar caves. Meanwhile, Hong’s lawyer, and soulmate named Yin, bids her painful farewells from the distant Earth.

The second storyline is set 100 million years later, when the Suola race have evolved on Mercury, their metal bodies adapted to the hundred-degree temperatures of the planet. They are sustained by light (drawing energy directly by photosynthesis). With no sense of hearing, they rely on the flashing of light through two orifices in their abdomen to communicate in binary. The entire Suola race are devout followers of Shawu, venerate the Star Father, the great god Shawu and her earthly incarnation. They have been initiated in science, and after studying their Holy Book, scientist Tu Lala discovers that much scientific knowledge has been disguised and hidden within. From this he deduces that life on Mercury originates from The Blue Planet. He implores the high priest to send an expedition to search for the Holy Site in the depths of the ice, with the excuse of reviving the incarnation of Shawu, as the Book prophesied. The high priest consents, sending a chaplain to supervise the mission. Tu Lala actually locates the Holy Site, and discovers the incarnation of Shawu (Mr Hong), frozen in the ice, along the sacred rites of “how to revive the incarnation of Shawu”.

However, unexpected occurrences, mainly due to the ignorance and blind devotion of the believers, result in Tulala’s unfortunate violent death (as metallic organisms, the Suola can easily resurrect after a sudden death, but those who do are considered an untouchable caste). In order to protect Mr Hong’s body, Tu lala risks the humiliation, but tragically, his student Qi Qiaqia denounces him, exposing his untouchable status, and inciting the crowd to him, During which time, Mr Hong’s body is destroyed in the scorching sunlight. To avoid blame, Qi Qiaqia suddenly declares that the incarnation of Shawu was a false god, which is why the Father Star could destroy it. This narrative is accepted by the devotees, who hail him as their new high priest. In the thousands of years that follow, Suola society descends into darkness, religious cruelly suppressing science, but from among the population comes a new “Sect of Repentance”, apparently founded by an untouchable. Silently they preserve everything related to science, awaiting the next rebirth of Shawu in future millennia.

Q3Seeds of Mercury was first published in 2002, and its appeal still endures, even after all this time. What inspired you to write this story?

Wang Jinkang: The initial inspiration probably came from a sad epiphany I had as a teenager. The human body is too fragile. Our proteins start to coagulate above 80°C, our brain suffers irreversible damage if we don’t breathe for five minutes, our body can’t withstand radiation, and we can die from disease, hunger, dehydration, drowning and freezing… It’s admirable that such a fragile life form has been propagated on for billions of years, but it also makes me apprehensive that humanity would not survive a disaster. Human civilisation is a great achievement, which is why we are proud of it; but it also makes me anxious, worrying that humanity may not survive the next cataclysm. I couldn’t help but imagine, what if a creator, or god of evolution, created a metallic life, invulnerable to fire and flood? Many years later, I combined these youthful imaginings with my subsequent concept of “Templates for Life” and turned it into this novella.

Q4Seeds of Mercury is a piece about the sublime act of Creation, and a reflection on the transitory nature of life. Did you write it with the intention of exploring the contradiction between Science and Religion? Or did that grow naturally out of the creative process? Also, do the sentient beings you write about reflect your own views and positions?

Wang Jinkang: I didn’t intend to construct that dichotomy between Science and Religion, but it’s exactly what happened on Earth, so when I created a history for Mercury’s civilisation, those episodes just appeared naturally. Religion and Science are enemies who love each other. European Papacy cruelly persecuted Galileo, Bruno, and other ‘heretics’, and strictly forbade the theory of evolution, but medieval Europe became the birthplace of modern science. When we look back at the history of Civilisation over millennia, you can’t help but sigh that history is full of paradoxes, and that The Creator is always full of mischief, making fun of the theories of Cause and Effect. As to whether this new life carries some of my own views or positions? Of course. Tu Lala is the heir to the human spirit, with his scientific rationality, adventurous spirit, sense of responsibility, fortitude, and self-sacrifice. In the story, when Tu Lala meets the holy body of Shawu Incarnate, and he figures out that the great god was a scientist. Thus, demonstrating that the intellectual spirits of all scientists are inter-relatable, even if they are alien. That is what I believe in my heart.

Today’s AI isn’t quite up to the standard of “Return of Adam”

Q5Mr. Wang, the world has moved on 22 years since the first publication of Seeds of Mercury. What changes do you think have occurred in science fiction writing in the present day, compared to the early years both in terms of the environment, and the core themes?

Wang Jinkang: These 22 years have brought great changes, and it could be said that civilisation has reached a critical point, that we’re on the cusp of drastic changes. However, for the science fiction writer, who is used to seeing the world from a god-like point of view (through the eyes of science) we think in millennia, so 22 years is too short a period to affect the themes of my work. For example, my debut story Return of Adam showed a society where AI had overcome natural humanity, though it had taken on a parasitic approach, augmenting the processing power (IQ) of the human mind to far outstrip the basic brain, and in fact, became the core of human consciousness. The rapid development of AI today, especially the LLM systems, is amazing, even frightening, but in general, today’s AI isn’t quite up to the standards of Return of Adam. Still, I’m saddened that some things I wrote about, which I assumed would be far in the future have come to pass in my lifetime. For example, in 1997, when many Chinese people asserted that AI could never triumph in the field of Weiqi (Go), I was convinced it eventually would, and wrote a scene of an ‘AI beating a human chess master’ in one of my stories, before it actually happened. I just never expected to see it in my lifetime.

Q6Before Liu Cixin appeared, you “held up half the sky” in Chinese Sci-fi. When you first appeared in China’s science fiction circles, you were relatively older, and more experienced. Do you think that maturity allowed your work to appear more rounded?

Wang Jinkang: My life and experiences have been quite unique. I’ve lived through a very special time in China’s history, worked as a rusticated youth, a miner and model maker. I went to university at 30, became a mechanical engineer, wrote literary novels, and only broke into the science fiction world by chance at 45, publishing my first sci-fi story. If anything, my near-fanatical reading of literature at university paved the way for my future writing. At that time, the reforms were already happening in China, and it was opening up to the world. A huge amount of foreign literature was pouring into the country, dazzling readers like me. There may be another special factor, which is, because I was studying engineering, I was standing atop this wall of science and watching this river of literature racing by, I had a sense of detachment. Add to that I only started writing SF decades after experiencing the rise, fall and distilling of the wave of literature. I suppose that’s why my writing style has a poised, bleak, and sombre character.

Q7What sort of stories do you think are expected from the current literary ecosystem? Which sci-fi genres do you expect to take off in the future?

Wang Jinkang: I have always felt that science fiction is unlike any other form of literature. The richness of mainstream literature does not necessarily coincide with the strength of a country. As the aphorisms go, “classics are born from chaos”, and “poets are fortunate when the country is not”. However, the success of science fiction is reliant on enough readers and authors being educated to a certain threshold, and so depends on the country’s economic, scientific, and technological development, which can be proven by the movement of science fiction’s centre from Britain and France to the United States over the last century. Over the past 40 years, China’s overall economic development has been good, and as one of the oldest sci-fi writers in the country, I’ve experienced this first-hand. I feel that as China continues to modernise and converge with the rest of the world, the creative environment of Chinese sci-fi will continue to improve. As for which themes, I feel will start to emerge? It’s expected that artificial intelligence and space themes, with more emphasis on exploring the human condition, are going to be the stories of importance, but other themes will also develop immensely.

Science fiction writers are used to seeing the world from a god-like viewpoint.

Q8 Mr. Wang, science fiction has taken root in China now for around a century, and you have played a pivotal role in the history of science fiction in the country. Irrespective of whether or not you win this Hugo Award, you have influenced a generation of sci-fi fans and creators. How do you view your own Creative Achievements?

Wang Jinkang: I’m flattered, but I only really played a leading and inductive role in the early stages of the so-called “New Generation” of Chinese sci-fi back in the 1990s. I’m content with the two aspects of my writing career, firstly, in forming the genre of Philosophical Science Fiction, which is based on the latest technological advances, and digs deep into the influence it has on alienation, civilisation, and so forth, to discover this genre’s philosophical uniqueness. This genre did not originate in my work, foreign writers including Mr. Arthur C. Clarke have long created excellent works of philosophical sci-fi, but these elements in my work are more concentrated. Furthermore, with regards science fiction as “the most cosmopolitan form of literature”, I consider my work, whilst still cosmopolitan, to be imbued heavily with Chinese styles and themes, which adds a certain flavour to the genre.

Q9Do you feel that science fiction writing is shifting from short-form to long form, and what difficulties do you feel are associated with that?

Wang Jinkang: In my experience there are three main issues faced when moving into the long-form. Firstly, there must be enough knowledge, from the accumulation of experience and information. Secondly, there must be a more mature view of Nature and human society, in their entirety. These are not necessarily the dominant trait of the novel but will play important roles in the story’s development. Thirdly, the ability to comprehend the entirety of the larger story. This ability to grasp the complete story is equally important to mainstream literary writers, but in science fiction, concepts always play a driving role in the whole work and should be logically consistent in themselves.

Q10In your eyes, what is the role of Morality and Ethics in Science Fiction?

Wang Jinkang: Science fiction authors often look at the world from a godlike point of view, and in the eyes of a creator, survival comes first, and morality and ethics are just auxiliary codes established by humans once they reached a certain level of civilisation. They are also conducive to the overall survival of the human race. As Humanity develops, and “co-operation” becomes more central to society, the role of morality and ethics becomes more and more important, but they certainly won’t stay the same, and the rules will certainly have additions and deletions. For example, once technology becomes suitably advance, the ethics of “strict prohibition regarding editing the genes of a human being” are very likely to change.

Q11Throughout your career, which of your stories are you most satisfied with?

Wang Jinkang: Of my short and medium length works, I like Seeds of Mercury’, Bee Keepers and The Song of Life, and of my longer works, I’m most satisfied with Ant’s Life and the Alive Trilogy (Escape From The Mother Universe, Parents of Heaven And Earth, and Cosmic Crystal Eggs).

Thank you, reader, for giving meaning to my life.

Q12Mr. Wang, some sci-fi fans have pointed out you are ‘the oldest non-American writer shortlisted for the Hugo Award’, which is an impressive feat. What are your hopes for the Hugo Awards?

Wang Jinkang: There’s a bit of a special circumstance here, where a story I wrote 22 years ago, was only translated into English last year, and shortlisted according to the translation’s publication date, even though, I’m very happy to hold this “World Record”. I hope it will go further than just being a finalist, but even if it doesn’t, I still consider it a great honour to be shortlisted.

Q13What would you like to say to the readers regarding the inclusion of Seeds of Mercury in the Hugo Awards shortlist, which was voted for by individual sci-fi fans one after another?

Wang Jinkang: I’ve always had a reverence for my readers. The two most common inscriptions I write to fans at signings are “The reader is the god of authors”, and “Thank you reader, for giving meaning to my life”. Out of the millions of publications each year, in a sea of stories, to have any number of people read your work, enjoy it, and keep it in their memory after that relentless tide of time, is a rare blessing. One might even call it a great gift from the readers to the author.

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Chinese science fiction has notably risen, with authors like Liu Cixin and Wang Jinkang gaining international recognition.

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Online Commentary: Turn Beautiful Imagination into Reality Creativity
http: / / www.CRNTT.com 2023-11-27 10: 27: 46
Beijing, Nov. 27 / Net Review: Turning Beautiful Imagination into Reality Creativity
Source: People's Daily Author: Yu Sinan
Contemporary Chinese science fiction novels are popular all over the world, local science fiction films have gained a good reputation, and science fiction theme parks are favored by tourists... In recent years, China's science fiction industry has entered the fast track of development.
Recently, the World Science Fiction Conference was held in China for the first time.
This science fiction event showcases the profound innovation potential of China ’ s science fiction industry, injecting fresh energy into the development of the world science fiction industry.
Combining science and fantasy elements, science fiction is an important vehicle for cultivating the imagination, which can stimulate innovation and creation.
Guided by humanity ’ s ongoing quest for the natural universe, science fiction contains fantasies that can sometimes inspire scientific research.
From interstellar exploration to human-robot dialogue, many of the scenes that were once thought of in science fiction are now a reality.
Science fiction works satisfy people's curiosity and wonder, and have a natural advantage in promoting popular science.
For example, thanks to the popularity of film and television works such as "Wandering Earth 2" and "Three Bodies", space elevators, digital life, nuclear fusion and so on have become popular topics, which have inspired the whole society's vision of the vast space and determination to explore.
Today, from quantum science, brain-computer interfaces to the future network, the ever-expanding scientific frontier has also opened up space for science fiction creation.
At present, China's science and technology construction of a stable pace, major achievements continue to emerge, face recognition, intelligent driving and other new technology applications into depth, more and more people pay attention to science fiction, love science fiction, science fiction industry development foundation is more solid.
The "2023 China Science Fiction Industry Report" shows that in 2022, the total revenue of China's science fiction industry reached 87.75 billion yuan, and the development momentum of science fiction reading, science fiction vision, science fiction culture and tourism is stronger.
Times provides the soil for the development of science fiction, and people have more expectations for science fiction.
Compared with the rapid scientific and technological progress, China's science fiction industry is generally in its infancy, science fiction writers, audience groups and high-quality works are still lacking, and the atmosphere of science fiction to stimulate imagination and cultivate creativity has not yet been formed.
Facing the future, promoting the high-quality development of science fiction industry can not only provide people with rich cultural products, but also help illuminate the public's curiosity and love of the unknown, improve the scientific quality of the whole people, and cultivate a batch of scientific and technological innovation.
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Content: People 's Daily Online > > Economy and Technology
Science fiction writer Liu Cixin: Someone must dare to dream like this
June 16, 2024 08: 58 | Source: Xinhua News Agency
Small number
"No one knows what the future holds, but someone must dare to dream like this."
At the recently concluded 8th China Science Fiction Conference in 2024, a science fiction short film adapted from the novel of the same name by science fiction writer Liu Cixin, "Earth Cannon", was unveiled for the first time.
The classic quotes and shocking pictures complement each other, bringing the audience into a futuristic world full of science fiction.
On the wings of imagination, what kind of future will science fiction arrive? Recently, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters, Liu Cixin, who is the president of the Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction Future Technology Research Institute, further explained the underlying logic of science fiction imagination.
“Everything needs imagination. ”
During this science fiction conference, Liu Cixin, who is over 60 years old, is very busy, and the topics and questions related to science fiction converge to this representative of the Chinese science fiction community.
Liu Cixin, born in 1963, worked as a computer engineer at a power plant in Shanxi Province and began publishing science fiction works in the 1990s.
Its published novella "Wandering Earth", imagines the human race struggling to find a suitable home when the sun is destroyed; the subsequent novel "Three Bodies" leads the reader to explore unknown civilizations outside the world with a more strange and bold imagination.
The latter won the Hugo Award, the highest honor in science fiction, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has recommended the book to his tens of millions of fans.
Many readers are curious about the "underground city" in "Wandering Earth", the refuge of mankind in the face of the sun crisis. Liu Cixin said that the "underground city" that will be built in the future is completely different from what we imagine now.
It doesn't have to be closed, it can be very expansion.Where humans need to build underground cities the most, it may be on the moon or Mars.
There, the underground city can effectively block the strong radiation in space, while creating a breathable and temperature-appropriate environment, "Liu said.
Liu Cixin believes that science fiction is based on the imagination of science and technology, and with the rapid development of science and technology, many scenes in science fiction are gradually becoming reality.
For example, in the sci-fi imagination, humans can achieve "brain networking", connecting the brain to the outside world and even other brains.
In the current reality, brain-computer interface technology has enabled paraplegic patients to use their thoughts to control the cursor to move.
In Liu Cixin's view, when humans use brain-computer interface technology to 100% identify, store information in the brain, and then send it to the computer - this is digital survival.
Science fiction originates from the rational expansion of cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements and scientific discoveries, and constantly "ignites" people's imagination and curiosity, and technological innovation is also changing the connotation and extension of science fiction.
The 2024 China Science Fiction Industry Report predicts that the impact of innovative technologies on the science fiction industry will be further manifested, and the deep integration of science fiction and future industries is expected to provide assistance for the development of new quality productivity.
"New quality productivity itself must have a strong innovation factor, and innovation requires us to have an open vision, active thinking."
"We hope that the development of science and technology in the future will enable mankind to build a better earth, and at the same time allow mankind to develop a greater living space," Liu said.
“China is a country full of a sense of future. ”
"Three Body" has been translated into dozens of languages to spread around the world, "Wandering Earth" series of movies overseas to win praise, "Earth Age" "first series" as the representative of a number of Chinese science fiction online literature works have been included in the British Library Chinese collection books … In recent years, more and more Chinese science fiction works "out", Chinese science fiction "go out" step up.
"The rapid progress of modernization has made China a country full of 'futuristic' and promoted the rapid growth of Chinese science fiction literature." Liu Cixin said that the rapid development of China has also attracted the world's attention in culture, and Chinese science fiction will be exported to more parts of the world in the future.
The 2023 Chengdu World Science Fiction Conference held Liu Cixin signing activities attracted many science fiction fans. Photo by Xinhua reporter Shen Bohan
The "China Science Fiction Overseas Communication Report (2018-2023)" jointly developed by the China Science Fiction Research Center and the International Communication Big Data Intelligent Service Platform of the World Research Institute shows that the overseas search popularity of Chinese science fiction works and the number of relevant mainstream media reports are increasing year by year, and Chinese science fiction is becoming an important force in Chinese culture "going global".
From the animated version of "Three Body" to Tencent's domestic drama series "Three Body", to the Netflix version of "Three Body" launched in March this year, the film and television dramas and animation works adapted from the science fiction novel "Three Body" have frequently attracted attention at home and abroad.
The "Three Body" IP Sea Observation Report jointly developed by the China Science Fiction Research Center and Tencent Penguin shows that nearly 80% of overseas respondents want to understand China after watching the original domestic TV series "Three Body", and most want to further understand "China's cultural tourism" and "Chinese history".
This is a Japanese translation of the Three Body.
Photo by Wang Hao, Xinhua News Agency
For the "Three Body" has garnered so much attention overseas, Liu Cixin believes that one of the important reasons is that the "Three Body" describes human beings and human civilization "as a whole."
In the vast universe, humanity is a very small existence.
The idea of "jointly facing future crises and challenges" transcends cultures and countries, and arouses the resonance of people in different cultural backgrounds.
"We have seen the proposition of human existence beyond the individual, even beyond the country, civilization and culture, and the relationship between people and the universe and the possible existence of intelligent civilization in the universe, which should attract everyone." Liu Cixin said.
“Put your eyes on the whole scale of human civilization. ”
Since the rise of the concept of "science fiction" in the 1920s, the connotation and extension of science fiction literature have been continuously expanded in the past century.
In Liu Cixin's eyes, science fiction is a literary subject facing the future and facing a wider space of time, which should "give people the pleasure of imagination and let people appreciate the possibilities of the future and the universe."
On December 1, 2023, “Jianfa · Three Body Immersive Art Exhibition ” opened in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
The picture shows the model of the three-body warship "Natural Selection".
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Bohan
For people who want to engage in science fiction writing, Liu Cixin gave his own advice: “As much as possible, broaden your mind. Don ’ t limit yourself to the joys and sorrows of things and individuals around you. You should put your eyes on the scale of human civilization and think about its future and future as an existence in the universe. ”
At the 2023 Chengdu Science Fiction World Congress, “post-90s ” Chinese writer Hai Hai won the“ Hugo Award ” for Best Novel in Time and Space. This honor was awarded to Liu Cixin, who is very young and looks forward to his future development.
Science fiction talent team continues to grow, science fiction creative forces, especially the number of young creative talents is rapidly increasing; young people are more and more interested in science fiction, science fiction film and television literary works, science fiction travel and so on are deeply loved by young people; science fiction industry structure continues to expand from reading, film and television, video to games, cultural tourism and so on.
On April 27, the 8th China Science Fiction Conference opened in Beijing.
The picture shows that children experience VR games in the field of science fiction carnival.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Chenlin
The latest report released by the 8th China Science Fiction Conference shows that in 2023, the total revenue of China's science fiction industry reached 113.29 billion yuan, and typical formats such as science fiction reading, science fiction film and television, science fiction games, science fiction travel accelerated, and the science fiction industry ushered in a golden opportunity period.
Supervisor: Wei Tiemin, Liu Chang
Planning: Ding Jing, Qi Rong
Reporter: Yang Shujun, Wang Yihui, Ding Jing, Yang Na
Editor: Liu Chang
Video source: Xinhua News Agency, official microblog of film "Wandering Earth 2", official microblog of TV series "Three Body", Qianku network
Thanks: Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction Future Technology Research Institute
Xinhua to the outside
Xinhua News Agency Beijing Branch
Economic Reference Newspaper
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Produced by Chinese Story Workshop
(Editor: Wang Renhong, Li Nanhua)
Public Number ： People 's Network Finance
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New technologies like AI, brain-computer interfaces, and quantum computing are expected to shape the future of science fiction.

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Content: Sony turns to science fiction for new ideas
Technology
What about the mask that allows the wearer to enjoy the complex smells of excellent cuisine?
Or a floating house for people displaced by rising sea levels due to climate change?
These are among the ideas for potential products and services created by Japanese company Sony based on science fiction stories created through collaboration between science fiction writers and young designers.
Such stories offer a peek into the imagined future with the bold imagination of the authors, and the details embedded in the imagined futures contracts are used to develop products and services.
This method is called science fiction prototyping.
While the coronavirus pandemic has introduced scenes like those in science fiction movies, such as the eerily empty cities due to the shutdown, Japanese companies including Sony have begun to explore unconventional ways to come up with new ideas.
Sony has put products and services into shape that appear in stories prepared through workshops between writers and designers with “2050, ”“ Tokyo, ” and “Romance, ” which have been identified as keywords for the overarching theme.
(Original text in English, Gigi Press)
Sony Japanese companies Gigi Press Technology

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The author of the American – Chinese War novel “The Devil ’ s Fleet ” writes science fiction stories for the British military to predict the future.
2023 / 2 / 28 22: 17 (Updated on 2 / 28 23: 04)
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The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DST), which is part of the UK ’ s Ministry of Defence, today released “Stories from the Future ”, which includes exploring possible future developments and impacts such as drone technology, as well as possible threats that may need to be addressed. (Photo taken from the UK government website gov.uk)
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The Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) of the British Ministry of Defense today released a "story from the future", hoping to explore the possible development of defense technology in the next 20 years through "useful fictional works", the author of the "devil fleet" political scholar Singh and former military journalist Cole.
The first edition of Ghost Fleet in the United States in 2015, subtitled "The Next World War", depicts a war between the two powers, with Russia helping China to invade Hawaii and take control of the Pacific Ocean, and the war extending from physical to virtual space, with a thriller style comparable to "The Hunt for Red October".
Peter W. Singer and August Cole write eight different stories for Dstl, exploring the possible future development, use and impact of quantum computing, human performance enhancement technology, artificial intelligence, net-zero carbon emission technology, human psychological and behavioral manipulation technology, unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous computing, and the threats that may need to be addressed.
Dstl said that in addition to in-depth research in related fields, Singer and Cole also interviewed experts on various topics to ensure the intellectual value and insight of their work.
Compared to traditional learning methods, “stories ” can help people understand and feel potential security threats.
Angela McLean, the UK ’ s chief scientific adviser to the Department of Defense, wrote the introduction to the eight “Stories from the Future ”, noting that science fiction writers can often surpass their contemporaries in predicting future technological trends for many years, such as the Internet, mobile phones, unmanned driving technology, electric submarines, and so on.
McLean said the defense field must harness the creativity and vision of science fiction narratives to inspire innovation, “foresight ” and flexible, resilient solutions to prepare for the future.
Dstl mentioned in the preface to the storyline that the most critical historical moments often begin long before the news headlines happen.
“Useful fiction ” combines imagination, scientific reasoning, fact-based research, and creative communication to stimulate readers to take action in a way that is different from official documents such as white papers or pure fictional science fiction.
In addition to the UK, Dstl noted that “useful fiction ” has been adopted and developed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US, Australian military and other organizations to predict the future operating environment, identify new technologies and important geopolitical changes that can disrupt or reverse the situation, and adjust the content of professional military training accordingly.
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The future of science fiction will likely be shaped by trends like net-zero carbon tech, autonomous computing, and human enhancement.

Speculative fiction is expected to become increasingly collaborative, with authors working with experts to imagine new worlds and ideas.

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Content: Dartmouth Speculative Fiction Project considers next steps for the genre

The project brings together authors and Dartmouth professors to collaborate on new speculative fiction work rooted in scientific research on campus.

by Sophie Chadha | 53 minutes ago

From April 13 to 16, speculative fiction authors from around the country came to Hanover to participate in the Dartmouth Speculative Fiction Project, a series of events which included interdisciplinary activities between visiting authors and Dartmouth faculty, as well as readings and panel discussions open to the public. The project aimed to foster collaboration between authors and Dartmouth faculty – with a focus on designing stories rooted in scientific research – and addressed the present and future of the speculative fiction genre.

The project was co-organized by engineering professor Solomon Diamond, English professor Rebecca Clark, the Design Initiative at Dartmouth program manager Paula Olson, Hugo award-winning speculative fiction editor Liz Gorinsky and author and former visiting film and media studies professor Sharang Biswas Th’13.

According to Hugo and Nebula awards finalist Nibedita Sen, speculative fiction is a general term that provokes valuable questions.

“The term ‘speculative fiction’ … works as an umbrella term: It is fiction which imagines things that do not currently exist, things that may come into being through science or through magic,” Sen said. “It could be advancement, or it could be, ‘What if we went backwards? What if we stepped to the side?’ It could be a different dimension, a different timestream.”

In a Q&A panel on April 15, some authors touched on the exchange of knowledge that occurs between scientific researchers and speculative fiction writers. Author K.M. Szpara said he believes the future of speculative fiction will become increasingly interdisciplinary and collaborative.

Nebula award-winning author Sam J. Miller  said we should reframe one stereotype about fiction — that it is dismissive of reality’s problems — and instead view its creation of a world without societal problems as proof of the possibility that our society could exist without them.

“It is as simple as, ‘ … And then the housing crisis is over … And then all the people standing in the way of progress are gone.’” Miller said.

Calvin George ’24, who attended the Q&A, said he was intrigued by Miller’s concept of speculative fiction as a tool for social change.

“It was really interesting to hear from these authors [about] how imagining worlds where a huge problem like climate change is gone can actually help us solve those problems by giving us a sense of hope that they are not absolute or inevitable,” George said.

Sen said she views fiction as an important lens through which we can better understand the reality of our problems.

“A lot of people view escapism as a form of writing that is less than, but I don't believe in that. Like Tolkien said: Is it not a prisoner's duty to try to escape? Fiction is the spoonful of sugar that helps the truth go down,” Sen said.

Sen said this belief manifested in her own writing following the results of the 2016 presidential election, when she pivoted into the realm of horror as a form of catharsis.

“[In 2016,] people like me were being viewed as monsters, so I decided, ‘Well, I will show you what a monster really is,’” Sen said.

Looking to the future of speculative fiction, teacher, linguist and author Rob Cameron points to the genre’s growth over the past few decades from a niche, isolated faction of enthusiasts to a universal mode of entertainment.

“With the popularization of science fiction through film, especially Marvel, ‘geek culture’ has become much more expansive — you do not have to be a geek to enjoy it,” Cameron said. “At the same time, authors’ expectations of their readers have changed with these new mediums: Are people really going to sit down and read this book? This kind of thinking sparks novel ideas like ‘choose your own adventure’ narratives, comic books, video games and more.”

According to Biswas, the Speculative Fiction Project came to life when pitched the idea of centering speculative fiction around scholarship at Dartmouth to Diamond. When selecting the authors for the panel, Biswas shared that the organizers primarily aimed to represent diversity in both background and writing experience.

“If you’re claiming to do a project that looks at the future of humanity, you need to represent diverse perspectives,” he said.

Biswas added that if the project were to happen again, he hopes it can bring together an even more diverse group of people with more funding.

“In the future, with better channels of funding, we hope to have more geographic diversity and be able to bring in international authors,” Biswas said.

The Speculative Fiction Project will continue as authors workshop their stories with their research partners. These works of fiction will be presented at a Dartmouth symposium in June and will subsequently be synthesized into an anthology in Lightspeed Magazine next year.

According to Clark, students will be invited to submit their own stories and up to four of them will be chosen and featured in the professional collection.

The science fiction genre now encompasses various topics and serves as a platform for social commentary.

The genre has been influenced by non-Western authors like Wang Jinkang, a Chinese science fiction writer and Hugo Award finalist.

Wang Jinkang's writing combines science and philosophy to explore human existence through cosmopolitan science fiction with local styles and themes.

Notable science fiction works like Ahmed Ali Mohammed's "Studies in Science Literature" and Nikolai Glazkov's "The Asteroid" incorporate diverse perspectives and address social and environmental issues.

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Content: Monday 27 December 2021
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
I'm sorry.
Mohamad Elbaz
Editor-in-Chief
Wael Lotfy
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Editors
I'm sorry.
Mohamad Elbaz
Editor-in-Chief
Wael Lotfy
“Studies in Scientific Literature. ”
A book that explores the features of science fiction in Arabic works
Science fiction literature has witnessed a wide presence in Arab creative writings despite its emergence and prosperity in the Western world, and despite its creative popularity, it has not received sufficient critical attention. Based on this idea, the Syrian writer and critic Ahmed Ali Mohammed observes the features and features of science fiction in Arabic literature, both ancient and modern, in his book "Studies in Science Literature", recently published in the series of studies by the Arab Writers Union.
The Syrian researcher believes that the Arab criticism has overlooked the literature of science fiction, citing a number of arguments such as the immaturity of this type of writing in the Arab world, and the disregard of his writers for the features of literary writing, as well as the lack of scientific knowledge, which the writer considers weak, especially with the presence of remarkable writings in this field succeeded in setting a firm foot and overcome many shortcomings.
Leadership in scientific literature
Ali points out that the philosophical messages of Avicenna and Ibn Tufayl can be considered as the beginning of the link in ancient Arabic literature between literature and science, as the Arab heritage includes philosophical messages written in successive times that represented the basis of literary thinking based on science fiction, the most prominent of these messages: "The message of Hayy bin Yaqzan" by Avicenna.
Shahabuddeen al-Sahrawardi ’ s “Strange Alienation ” message is inspired by the story of the neighborhood of Ben Yaqzan, and Ibn al-Nafees ’ s“ Perfect Letter ” in which he followed the example of his predecessors.
The author says of the relevance of these letters to science fiction: "These letters draw a narrative basis based on the facts of science, elaborate on the imagination based on thought and knowledge, and depict part of the knowledge of their owners.
The most prominent aspect of these letters is the narrative imager related to the facts of science and the perceptions of philosophy, which confirms the existence of seeds of scientific literature in the Arabs. ”
Science Fiction Poetry
The writer points out that science fiction literature has been associated with narrative forms, was raised with the French writer Jules Verne, who published the first story in science fiction literature in 1863 entitled "Five Weeks in a Balloon" and then wrote another story entitled "Journey to the Hollow of the Earth" and then continued productions, including the novel "Time Machine" by George Wells and others.
Science fiction poetry is rare, including the poem "The Asteroid" by Russian poet Nikolai Glazkov, translated by Al-Azhar University professor Ahmed Shafiq al-Khatib, a poem based on the achievements of science fiction literature in terms of prediction, foresight and time travel.
Criticism of scientific literature
Some of the works of Tawfiq al-Hakim include The Year of One Million (1953), which is dominated by philosophical consideration of life, nature and the universe, and his play Journey to Tomorrow (1958), which involves a forward-looking view of the future related to man ’ s struggle with time, as well as his play “Food for Every Mouth ”." In which he talks about the problem of food that people will suffer from in the future, and his play "The Prayer of Angels", which deals with the impact of science on the happiness of humanity and the provision of its needs.
Political fiction literature
The writer monitors the branches of science fiction literature that not only addressed the problems of the environment, pollution, space and planets, but touched the problems of politics, society and economy through the literature of political fiction, which includes under its banner the literature of utopia and dystopia.
There are a number of writings concerned with depicting Utopia, which means a utopia without trace of corruption, evil or injustice, the most prominent of these writings is Thomas Moore ’ s “Utopia ”, which depicts an ideal world critical of the political, religious and social conditions of his time.
The literature of dystopia comes in contrast to utopia, but they belong under the name of political fiction, which is a branch of science fiction literature, as each deals with political life by storytelling accompanied by fiction, and dystopia means the literature of the corrupt city or the world of bitter reality that depicts a society full of corruption and highlights the phenomena of destruction, murder and destruction and transformation of human beings. A feuding.
The author mentions a number of Western and Arabic writings that have emerged in the field of dystopia, including George Orwell ’ s 1984, Aldous Huxley ’ s Brave New World, and Ray Bradbury ’ s Fahrenheit 451.
At the level of Arabic writings, a number of works can be observed such as the novel "The Front" by Izz al-Din Issa, the novel "The Tale of the Last Arab" by Wassini al-Araj, "Frankenstein in Baghdad" by Ahmed Saadawi, "The Second War of the Dog" by Ibrahim Nasrallah, "Mercury" by Mohammed Rabie, "The Line" by Basma Abdul Aziz, and "Novelist of the First City" by Omar Hazek. And "Orwell in the Southern Suburbs" by Fawzi Thebian.
Literary Studies
In his book, the Syrian critic offers critical readings in a number of works under the banner of science fiction literature, including the novel "Hala al-Nour" by Mohammed al-Ashri, seeking to stand on the aesthetic trend, especially with the departure of literary criticism from the study of the aesthetic aspects of science fiction literature, observing the methods of the novelist mixing the facts of science with the world mythical heritage.
The book provides another analysis of the collection “Behind the Dark Walls ” by the Syrian writer Taleb Omran, which falls within the literature of dystopia, because the stories depict worlds in which savagery, destruction, murder and destruction prevail, and on the other hand it monitors the Syrian storyteller ’ s interest in the method of scientific storytelling and its reliance on astronomical knowledge and geographical information.
The writer also analyzes the elements and features of fantasy in some of the works of Ahmed Khaled Tawfik as one of the most prominent writers in this field, explaining that science fiction is different from fantasy or wonder in the contemporary novel in that it starts from the modern scientific output, and depends on scientific knowledge specialized, while fantasy completely degenerates from logic and depends on the imagination and does not find a trace of laws we know in reality and depends on mythological and form It is in harmony not with the outside world but with its own world according to which it takes place.

These works are contributing to the genre's evolution with new and innovative perspectives.

The science fiction genre has evolved significantly since HG Wells, with modern authors exploring new ideas and themes.

Title:

Content: Discover New Worlds: Top 10 Science Fiction Books for Young People
If you ’ re looking for a novel, thrilling events, elaborate details and a mystery, Ahmed Khaled Tawfik ’ s novel In the Rat Corridor is your best choice, published in 2016 and one of the best Arabic science fiction novels.
(Explanatory)
Reading is the food of the mind and a window to learn about new worlds you may not know anything about, giving you a different pleasure through which you can overcome boredom and depression and spend your free time reading your favorite book, but the most important question remains: Why read science fiction books?
Especially since there are thousands of books specialized in history and different civilizations throughout the ages that require reading and learning about them?
The answer is simply that sometimes we need to let go of the past, the present and even think about the future and let our imagination take a fun journey with science fiction books, which makes us fly into a parallel world where we can make our own laws and build our own world as we want.
10 Best Science Fiction Books Worth Reading
1.
In the Rat Corridor by Ahmed Khaled Tawfik
If you ’ re looking for a novel, thrilling events, elaborate details and a mystery, Ahmed Khaled Tawfik ’ s novel In the Rat Corridor is your best choice, published in 2016 and one of the best Arabic science fiction novels.
The story is about a huge meteor collision with the planet, blocking the sun ’ s rays from the earth, and thus the lack of all sources of energy and the creation of a system of “Commander ”, which criminalizes the generation of any source of energy or even the ignition of fire.
After the emergence of a group of rebels calling themselves the "Illuminati", the story ends with a tragic and unexpected end.
2.
Call for Carl Sagan.
Contact is the masterpiece of writer Karal Sagan, the novel talks about the realization of the dream of humans to discover another life somewhere else in the universe, but contrary to expectations people do not care about this discovery due to their preoccupation with their human world full of various political conflicts.
The adventure begins with a message explaining how to get to this place with a specially made machine for this journey, called a trip to the edge of the universe, where man sees what he has never seen before, where the huge stars and amazing scenes from a new world beyond our comprehension, and during this journey one can experience an adventure like never before.
3.
Traveler Zero by Ahmed Abdel Fattah Saleh
Traveler Zero, one of the most beautiful Arabic science fiction books, revolves around the character of a man named Sharif who wakes up one day to find himself in a world other than his own, and a life he knows nothing about, and that the last thing he remembers is his sleep as a college student and waking up as a married man with children and a different and new life. The truth about himself and the reason why he suddenly fell into this situation.
This novel is characterized by its attractive style of narration, as the writer relied on images, symbols and fictional situations that added to the novel a lot of elements of suspense and pleasure, and in which you can not stop reading if you have already begun.
4.
Dr. Morrow Island by Herbert George Wells.
This novel is the simplest example of an intellectual revolution, where it revolves around an Englishman descended from a class of nobility named Edward Brendick, all things change Edward when he goes on a trip to an island in the Pacific Ocean and his ship crashes and is rescued by a man named Montgomery, who takes him on a boat to the island inhabited by this man, in addition to a mad animal anatomist named Moro, and a number of half-humans. Created by this scientist with surgical methods and other interventions in animal life, Edward's adventure begins.
5.
The Ferry Man by Justin Cronin
This novel is about a group of survivors who are on a hidden utopia, but the truth is not what it seems.
Set in the Prospera archipelago, founded by the mysterious genius known as the designer far from the horrors of the deteriorating outside world, this island paradise has a long and satisfying life until the screens installed in their arms, aimed at measuring their physical health and well-being, drop to less than 10% and retire, and set off on a ferry trip to the island known as the nursery, where their bodies are renewed. Their memories are erased and they are ready to be brought back to life.
The story centers on Proctor Bennett of the Department of Social Contracts who finds himself questioning everything he once believed in, involved in a much larger cause than he was connected to and in a desperate mission to uncover the truth, after mounting unrest and rumors of a resistance group known as the “Expatriates ”, which may incite a revolution.
6.
The Time Machine of Herbert George Wells.
This book is considered one of the best and most important science fiction books, written by Herbert George Wells, one of the founders of science fiction and thriller.
The story revolves around a physicist who has developed a device through which he can see the future, and the extent of the major conflicts between two species of humans in the future, one of them is the Elroy luxuriant who is stupid behind the graces and lives on the surface of the earth, and the other is the Morlock, the species that lives underground and never sees the sun. Louie. "
7.
The Storm of Swords by George Martin.
This novel is the third part of the epic "Ice and Fire", one of the most famous books by George Martin, and revolves around the story of the Storm of Swords about the Five Kings, especially the young King Jeffrey, who seeks to secure his rule, and at this stage many battles and wars between the family and other kings, in an atmosphere full of excitement, suspense and science fiction.
8.
A Land Without Shadow by Mohamed Abdel Aal Al Khatib
This novel delves into the sea of science fiction and takes place in the future, where the debris of a planet flies in the sky, and each period the debris of this planet comes closer and closer to the inhabitants of the Earth, who live in a state of unprecedented fear and horror, and the population begins to search for another planet to escape to it by researchers and thinkers.
9.
The truth about Dan Brown.
One of the works of the American novelist Dan Brown is one of the most famous science fiction novels, and it is difficult to start without finishing it immediately; it revolves around the conspiracy theory and the involvement of NASA with a large research agency to convince the world of the existence of a meteor coming, and thus the public is preoccupied with many social problems and economic situation experienced by the country. There are a lot of corruption cases in the United States.
10.
Earth to the Moon by Jules Verle.
At the end of the list is one of the best science fiction novels worth reading, one of the oldest works that predicted human travel to the moon, by French writer John Ferrell, published in 1865.
A group of scientists from a club called Cannon developed a cannon shot designed to take them to the moon, and this book predicts the fact that humans arrived on the moon almost 100 years before it actually happened.
In this article, we have presented to you 10 books and novels that are considered one of the most famous and best science fiction books for leading writers, which many have enjoyed reading and enjoying.

Book clubs can choose science fiction works like "The Atmospherians" to discuss social and cultural contexts, including influencer culture and gender roles.

Title:

Content: Lists

The 20 Best Book Club Books For 2021

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Whether you’re back meeting in person or still catching up with your book club on Zoom, book clubs haven’t slowed down in 2021. I myself have joined a few new ones in the past year. There’s something so satisfying about connecting with other people about books. Whether you loved the book or hated the book, after you read a book, it’s nice to get to talk about it.

2021 has been a good year for book clubs, which means 2021 has been a good year for book club books. So much of the world seems out of our control, and it’s been comforting to escape into a good book and connect with friends about it. If your book club is looking for new books from this year to read and discuss, there are so many great options from this year.

This list includes 20 books that are perfect for book club discussions. They’re compelling and fun to read, so you won’t have any problem getting through them before your next club meeting. These books also packed with plenty of topics worth talking about, whether it’s the wild plot twists, the heart-warming relationships, or the thought-provoking themes the story brings up. The books on this list span several genres, so your club will have something fun to read no matter what genre they prefer. And because 2021 has been such a stressful year, a lot of books on this list are uplifting, feel-good novels that promise an escape from whatever’s troubling you in the real world.

So grab your book friends and get ready to read!

The Best Book Club Books 2021

Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan

Looking for a good mystery/thriller for your book club that examines American suburbia? Give Sarah Langan’s Good Neighbors a try. Maple Street in suburban Long Island seems like the perfect place to raise a family. Then the Wilde family moves into the neighborhood. The father Arlo is a washed up rockstar, the mother Gertie dresses provocatively, and their kids are rough around the edges too. Not the type of the family the people of Maple Street are used to welcoming into their community. Unsurprisingly, the Wildes quickly become outcasts, and when the most popular family in the neighborhood throw accusations against the Wildes, tensions mount to shockingly high levels.

What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster

What’s Mine and Yours is a historical literary fiction novel that’s sure to bring up a lot of interesting discussions at your next book club meeting. When a county in North Carolina moves to integrate its high schools, the community is outraged. Then two high school students — Gee and Noelle — join a school play meant to bridge the divide between the students at the school. Gee and Noelle both find themselves right in the middle of the integration debate in ways that will affect their lives and their families for the next 20 years.

The Atmospherians by Alex McElroy

The Atmospherians is a dark, satirical literary novel that examines contemporary influencer culture and gender roles. Sasha Marcus’s social media career tanks after an unfortunate run-in with a media troll. Now there are men’s rights activists protesting outside of her house, and she feels like she’s hit rock bottom. That’s when she and her best friend Dyson hatch up a plan: The Atmosphere. The Atmosphere is a rehabilitation community for men who have lost everything: their family, their jobs, their self-respect. Seems like a great idea, right? What could possibly go wrong?

The Upstairs House by Julia Fine

The Upstairs House is perfect for your book club if you love discussing books that leave you all asking yourselves “What the heck did we just read?” This book is a strange, eery literary novel with touches of surrealism and horror. It’s the story of Megan, a woman who is raising her newborn baby alone while her husband travels for work. She’s exhausted, drained, and fairly certain the ghost of Margaret Wise Brown and her lover Michael Strange are living upstairs. Will these ghosts help her care for her baby and pull her life together? Or will they do the opposite and tear her life apart?

Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia

Of Women and Salt is a sweeping debut literary novel about family legacies and difficult choices mothers sometimes have to make to do what they think is best for their children. Jeanette is living in Miami and battling addiction. She’s the daughter of a Cuban immigrant and she’s determined to learn more about her family’s past. And so she travels to Cuba to see her grandmother in the hopes of learning more about her family. But her trip threatens to reveal secrets that could change everything.

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

Beautiful World, Where Are You is the latest novel from New York Times best-selling author Sally Rooney, and it’s been getting a lot of well-deserved buzz. This is the story of Alice, Felix, Eileen, and Simon, four friends whose lives are complicatedly intertwined. Follow their stories as they fall in love with each other, desire each other, get together, break up, fall back into one another, and more. If you love beautifully rendered characters who are complex and maybe not entirely likable, then Sally Rooney’s books (especially her latest) will really work for you.

Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce

Wild Women and the Blues is a beautifully written and well-researched historical fiction novel set in Jazz-age Chicago. Dreamland Café is a ritzy club where Honoree Dalcour dances every night, looking to find a path to a better life for herself. But how much is she willing to risk to get ahead? Ninety years later, in 2015, film student Sawyer Hayes seeks out a 110-year-old Honoree. He’s looking for the missing pieces to his research about legendary filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, but the information Sawyer gets from Honoree is completely surprising.

All’s Well by Mona Awad

After the wild ride that was Bunny, author Mona Awad’s novel All’s Well was highly anticipated, and readers knew they would be in for surprises. Awad’s latest novel does not disappoint. Miranda Fitch is a college theater director whose life is falling apart. Her acting career was ruined after a terrible accident. Her marriage has fallen apart. All Miranda wants now is to direct All’s Well That Ends Well, but her students don’t respect her, and they refuse to do the play. Then Miranda meets three strangers, and suddenly her luck changes.

Happily Ever Afters by Elise Bryant

If your book club is looking for an uplifting, feel-good book club book to get you through 2021, Happily Ever Afters is it. This young adult novel follows 16-year-old Tessa Johnson. She’s never seen herself reflected in the romance novels she’s read, and so she began to write her own. Now, she’s landed herself in a prestigious creative writing program. She’s so excited to finally share her stories with the world, but when she sits down to write, she finds she has some major writer’s block. Maybe a little real-life inspiration is all she needs to spark her creativity.

Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi

Helen Oyeyemi’s novels are always a little bit magical and strange, which should give your book club plenty to talk about. Otto and Xavier Shin are in love, and they’ve been gifted a trip on a sleeper train to celebrate their new commitment to one another. And so they embark on an adventure together, accompanied by their pet mongoose. But Otto and Xavier soon realize this is no ordinary train. Everything aboard seems especially catered to their needs and tastes. And where are all the other passengers?

The Tiger Mom’s Tale by Lyn Liao Butler

With The Tiger Mom’s Tale, you get emotional story of complicated family relationships that’s also ultimately uplifting. When American Lexa Thomas inherits the wealth of her Taiwanese family, she travels to Taiwan to confront the family in which she’s always felt like an outsider, and to face the truths that she tried to leave behind. Lexa’s trip to Taiwan leads her to explore her connections to her family and the realities of who she truly is. This heartwarming story should give book clubs plenty of material to discuss, laugh about, and cry about.

The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam

For your 2021 book club, what novel could be more appropriate than a novel about startup tech companies? The Startup Wife is the story of Asha and Cyrus, two newlyweds who together start a tech incubator called Utopia. Their social media platform soon becomes wildly popular, replacing religious rituals for many of its users. Now Cyrus is being treated like a messiah, and Asha’s unsure their relationship can survive.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

The Other Black Girl has been a really popular book club pick for 2021, and when you read it, you’ll see why. This novel is impossible to put down, but it also examines complicated issues of racism and microaggressions in the workplace. Editorial assistant Nella Rogers is the only Black employee at Wagner Books, and she’s sick of it. So when Hazel starts working for the publishing company, at first Nella is certain she’s found a new ally. The reality, however, is much more complicated.

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

Another topic that’s impossible to ignore in 2021: climate change. Charlotte McConaghy’s Once There Were Wolves is a meditation on climate change while also being an engaging story, which makes it perfect for timely discussions an enjoyable reading (so perfect for your book club). Inti Flynn is leading a team of biologists in the Scottish Highlands. Their mission is to reintroduce 14 grey wolves into the environment. Just as the wolves begin to thrive, a farmer is found dead, and everyone blames the wolves. Inti refuses to believe her wolves are capable of such a thing. But if they didn’t do it, who did?

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Cloud Cuckoo Land is another novel that’s been getting a lot of buzz this year. Readers couldn’t wait to see what Anthony Doerr was going to do after his beloved novel All The Light We Cannot See. So if your book club likes to stay up on all the buzziest books of the year, you need to pick up this one. This novel is a mixture of historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy, and follows five characters’ stories in different places in the world in in different periods of time, from Constantinople in the 15th century to outer space decades into the future.

Fault Lines by Emily Itami

Fault Lines is a love story set in Japan that’s compared to the works of Sally Rooney (who is also on this list!) and Helen Fielding. Mizuki is a Japanese housewife who seemingly has the perfect life, and yet she can’t help but wonder how her life could have been different — and perhaps more exciting — if she’d made different choices. Then she meets Kiyoshi, a successful restaurateur. And through her time spent with him, she rediscovers her passion for life. The more time she spends with Kiyoshi, the more she falls for him and the person she is when she’s with him. But this can’t go on forever. Ultimately she must choose the comfortable life with the family she loves, the romance and electricity of something new.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Klara and the Sun is author Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. The story is told from the eyes of Klara, and artificial friend who learns about the world from watching people from her store window. Then one day someone finally comes to take Klara home and make her part of the family. But Klara is warned to not trust the promises of humans. Ishiguro’s literary sci-fi novel brings up environmental issues, concepts of religion, questions about what it means to be human, and much more. Perfect for a book club discussion.

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Torrey Peters’s Detransition Baby is one of the most talked about books of 2021, which means it’s perfect for your book club. This novel follows the story of three women — transgender and cisgender — whose lives come together in unexpected ways when they attempt to raise a child together. Detransition, Baby explores gender identity, motherhood, relationships, and more through thoughtfully rendered characters who feel incredibly real.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Are you looking for a fun, lighthearted sapphic romance with a huge dose of time travel? After hearing that sentence, are you realizing this this the storyline you didn’t know you needed? August is a cynical twentysomething New Yorker who doesn’t believe in love. Then she sees Jane on the train. Jane is gorgeous, charming, mysterious, and she looks like she came from the 1970s with her leather jacket and punk rock style. Then August finds out that Jane is actually from the 1970s, displaced in time, and her subway romance becomes a whole lot more complicated. This is a warmhearted and unique romance story that your book club will love talking about.

Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian

Gold Diggers is a coming-of-age story with a big pinch of magical realism, humor, and heart. Neil Narayan is a second generation Indian American teenager growing up during the Bush era in the Atlanta suburbs. Neil’s parents want him to be successful, but all he really wants is Anita Dayal, the girl of his dreams who lives across the cul-de-sac. Then Neil discovers Anita is brewing a magical potion out of stolen gold that harnesses the ambition of the person who owned the gold. And Neil’s life is changed forever.

If you’re looking for more guidance for getting your book club going, we’ve got some suggestions for you! Have the books you want to read but don’t have club to read them with just yet? Here’s your guide to starting your own book club. Also! Here are some ideas for book club discussion questions to get the conversation going. And if you’d rather just keep things online for now, here are some of the best online book clubs you can join right now. Happy reading, and happy chatting it up with your book club friends!

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Selecting diverse science fiction works requires considering various topics, authors, and perspectives, and fostering open discussion.

Book clubs can ensure inclusivity by selecting diverse books that represent people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

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Unit 5 school board fields criticism, support on library books

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NORMAL — Nearly 90 minutes of public comments punctuated the McLean County Unit 5 school board meeting Wednesday night as more than 20 speakers gave voice to concerns related to school library books, diversity and inclusion, masks and transportation issues.

An illustrated autobiography, “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe, brought several speakers to the meeting after they learned it was reportedly available in the district’s high school libraries.

Some, like Mary Carlisle, said the book is pornographic, accusing the book of grooming.

“The depravity of making pornography available in school to children is yet another low point in our local public schools,” she said, saying the parents’ trust in the schools “has been completely shattered.”

That book, which is written and drawn by a nonbinary cartoonist, tells Kobabe’s “journey of self-identity” and includes discussion of sex. According to Simon and Schuster, which distributes “Gender Queer,” this book is meant for those in grades 10 and up.

Six community members criticized the inclusion of this book as well as other works that explicitly discuss sex and identity.

Among them, Dennis Grundler suggested a rating system be implemented because he does not believe the images, language and theme of some books are appropriate for all ages of high schoolers.

“If you’re going to keep the books, then I think that is farther than R-rated,” he said. “The pictures are inappropriate for a 14, 15, 16 year old to see, and probably a 17 year old.”

However, 10 members of the public, including Unit 5 alumni, voiced their support of the inclusion of these books and support for the teachers, staff and board related to these choices.

Kenzie Todd, a 2017 graduate who helped to found the Pride Club at Normal West High School, said while she wasn’t successful in bringing more LGBTQ-inclusive books to the library, she is glad someone has.

“We need to learn about things that we don’t understand because when we don’t understand something, we reject it, we fear it, we push it away,” she said. “Providing these educational sources about queer people, not only for queer people, but for those who don’t have an understanding of it, is vital in the fight to become not only equal parts of the community but also to become a safe place and feel safe in the community.”

David Bentin, president of the Prairie Pride Coalition, also spoke in support of offering these types of materials to students because they “help young people feel less marginalized and less invisible.”

“We salute efforts to help your libraries better reflect the rich diversity of the student population. Please continue to make available resources like ‘Gender Queer’ and help our high school students navigate toward adulthood and wellbeing,” he said.

Before public comments, Superintendent Kristen Weikle said the libraries strive to offer materials that “reflect the diversity of our society.”

“Making reading material available to all students regardless of their race, color, religious background, sexual or gender identity, socioeconomic status or where they live and giving those students the ability to freely choose their own reading material is one of the more important missions in the school library,” she said.

Weikle also noted library books are not required for Unit 5 curriculum.

“Books that are available to individual students from the school’s (libraries) are not required reading. They are optional. Students select them,” she said. “Library books are not the same as books being taught in Unit 5 curriculum and classroom. As such, no student is required in any way to read library books that do not fit with their and their family’s beliefs, values or comfort level.”

Parents and guardians with concern related to material available to their children can submit a request for consideration of materials and the school or district can take the material under review.

Other commenters spoke of issues related to transportation, including late buses and students being on bus routes they shouldn’t be.

Ed Climoch noted families are seeing the effects of the district’s bus company, First Student, having difficulty acquiring and retaining adequate staff for all the bus routes.

At a September board meeting, representatives from First Student said 17 drivers were in training. The company hired and trained about 25 to 30 drivers in the last four months but started the semester understaffed after several resignations were submitted the week before classes began in August.

Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.

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In recognition of the struggles and the successes, as well as the people behind both, The Pantagraph interviewed seven members of the Bloomington-Normal LGBTQ community who play a role in the ongoing push for codified freedoms.

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Diverse narratives in books are essential for kids aged 0-3, and can be achieved by selecting books that reflect diverse demographics.

Title:

Content: Storybook Channel hopes to bring diverse narratives to children’s literature – The Daily Free Press

The Boston University chapter of the nonprofit organization Storybook Channel led a book swap at the George Sherman Union last week to raise awareness about their club and its mission to support independent bookstores, donate children’s books to low-income schools and share diverse stories.

Hana Yoo, a junior in the College of Arts and Science, president of the club, and College of Communication junior Jia Lin Li, vice president, started the non-profit organization last year. The pair later decided to make it a club at BU, opening up a chapter this semester with a full e-board.

Storybook Channel’s mission recognizes the biases created by a lack of representation in literature and hopes to alleviate these by sourcing and donating children’s literature that has “mirrors” and “windows” — which Yoo defined as times when children see themselves in books socially, culturally, economically and racially, and see outside of their lives as well.

“A lot of people like to look at Storybook Channel and think ‘Oh, this is a club for people who like reading books,’ but it’s really not,” Yoo said. “It’s about allowing all different people in general to be able to normalize their lives at home or in their country or within their culture or religion.”

At the book swap, SBC featured paper wrapped books with brief descriptions of the plot and additional information about the group, to encourage people to read different stories.

“Folks may be picky about what kinds of books they may want to read, or literally judge a book by its cover,” said Rudy Joseph, head of research, a junior in the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. “The primary purpose of the book swap is just to raise awareness, however, the reason we kept it Hidden at the same time … is to prevent some of that biased thinking.”

Yoo said that the inspiration for Storybook Channel came from her personal experiences and upbringing. As an English and Asian studies double major at BU now, she says reading was foundational to her.

“Reading did shape my life,” Yoo said. “It shaped how I viewed the world and it shaped how I was able to empathize and see other People’s perspectives and other People’s lives and stories.”

Michael Tran, a junior in CAS and the director of internal relations, also credited his personal upbringing for his interest in the Storybook Channel. Growing up in an immigrant household, he said he wished stories like his parents were shown in stories.

“Joining Storybook Channel really resonated for me because growing up a lot of the stories that I heard were not reflective of my culture, or how I grew up or how I was raised,” Tran said. “SBC spoke to me in a way because I was able to help the next generation of young children set a better image for themselves.”

Julia Samuels, a Wheelock junior and head of external relations, said the group’s goal is to provide books to low-income educational facilities, in addition to Addressing and compensating for the lack of representation in books for children aged 0-3.

“A lot of people overlook [toddler’s book representations] because they don’t think about how children start developing biases and images of themselves from the day they’re born,” Samuels said. “Kids need books that both reflect them and show them other identities.”

The group is also working on creating a database of diverse children’s books that will eventually be brought into communities in need. Joseph said the books provided by SBC also aim to encourage the students’ creativity and education.

Another main goal for the Storybook Channel is to collaborate with different cultural groups on campus, as well as find ways to encourage involvement in the greater Boston area as well, such as visiting schools and reading to children Meaningful books that they see themselves in.

The Ultimate goal of the Storybook Channel is to make sure students see themselves in the stories they read.

“We really want to fight to help serve every student that maybe wouldn’t have the opportunity to find themselves in books be able to find themselves in books like in their own library,” Yoo said.

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Inclusive book selections promote empathy and understanding of other cultures.

Title:

Content: “Wherever books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too.” – Heinrich Heine.

These words were said 100 years before the fateful 1933 book burnings in Germany by students wishing to destroy books with “un-German” ideas. Fast forward to 2022, when we rarely, if ever, witness an actual book burning.

We are in an era where a small group of individuals can raise their voices loud enough to ensure that only books or ideas representing their specific cultures, ethnicities, familial make-up, beliefs, etc., are represented. At the drop of a tweet, a person can incite a call to action in which individuals decide what other individuals should read, watch or listen, and thus the flood gates open to mark certain titles as unfit for the whole.

“I think the act of reading imbues the reader with a sensitivity toward the outside world that people who don’t read can sometimes lack. I know it seems like a contradiction in terms; after all reading is such a solitary, internalizing act that it appears to represent a disengagement from day-to-day life. But reading, and particularly the reading of fiction, encourages us to view the world in new and challenging ways … It allows us to inhabit the consciousness of another which is a precursor to empathy, and empathy is, for me, one of the marks of a decent human being.” – John Connolly, “The Book of Lost Things.”

You may be wondering why a small-town librarian is writing about such a topic. As a librarian, I took an oath to protect and ensure literature and learning is accessible to all in my community.

The Library Bill of Rights can be found online at www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill, and this bill of rights highlights the importance of libraries to provide access to resources not just regardless of race, religion, orientation, creed, color, etc., but because of those things.

All humans have a right to feel included, seen and understood. Ensuring all individuals are represented does not only mean we are ensuring that all can find a connection to someone like themselves, but also when we read or watch stories that are different from our own, we increase our ability to have empathy for others.

If history has taught us anything, those most known for caring about others did not only show concern for those like them, but for all people, and at times especially those different from themselves. When we neglect to think of others, we run the risk of losing our ability to have compassion and increase our chances of becoming focused only on oneself.

I would hate to have a world full of people just like me; that would be rather frustrating and boring for everyone.

“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.” – Abraham Lincoln.

When we cross the line deciding what is appropriate for another to read, we are stating that our freedom is more important than their freedom. In managing our freedoms, we must also remember that suggesting the elimination of one person’s thoughts could in-turn open the door for another to suggest the elimination of your ideas and beliefs.

“Diversity is about all of us and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.” – Jacqueline Woodson.

I will leave you with these final thoughts. I know as humans we are going to make mistakes. I know that hurt and trauma change us, and often change our thoughts and behaviors. I understand that the harshness of life affects us all differently, and that I can in no way understand the complexities of what those different than me undergo.

What I can do is extend compassion and have empathy. I can say, “I don’t know what ____ feels like, but I can listen (without judgment) and I make it a point to learn more about that topic to better understand you.”

I can politely agree to disagree with someone and share that while I may disagree it does not mean I am right, and you are wrong. It does not mean that what you feel is invalid. We are all here together, so why don’t we learn to accept each other in love and kindness.

I can choose to not read things that offend, hurt, or are not aligned with my beliefs. That hurts no one. I can also choose to purposely read and learn about another person to expand my ability to have empathy.

In the essence of Fred Rogers and Bob Ross, I am happy you are here. I am happy you exist. You are special by just being you, and there is no one else like you. We can turn these mistakes into something beautiful, like a happy little accident.

Each year libraries across the United States celebrate and educate during what is known as Banned Book Week. We are celebrating the freedom we each have to read what we want and educating about the importance of maintaining our freedom to choose and have access to materials.

So, Sept. 18-24, celebrate with us. Read a book that inspires, connects, or educates you or ask library staff to share book titles with you that are often challenged and read one of those. You may be surprised to find one of your favorites on the list.

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Recommended for you

Lack of representation in literature affects children's self-image, making diverse book selections crucial.

Book clubs can select books featuring diverse characters, including those with disabilities and non-traditional families, and strong female role models.

Title:

Content: InYourArea Community

Books for Change donates 130 books to Hythe library

Children now have access to stories that include characters from diverse cultures and backgrounds

By InYourArea Community

Aimee, Lianne, Laura and supporters with some of the new books

Submitted to the Folkestone Herald

The library in Stade Street, Hythe, has a double cause for celebration.

Not only has extensive work been carried out to replace its heating system but it now boasts an additional 130 books thanks to three residents.

Aimée Margott, Lianne Sandford and Laura Taylor felt moved to do something practical to address issues of inequality and discrimination, setting up the Hythe Books for Change project in July 2020.

Aimée explains that many parents and teachers had expressed a wish to have access to books that include characters from a range of diverse cultures and backgrounds, so that children can see themselves reflected in the stories they read.

She said:

“We wanted to find books that included characters with disabilities or special needs, children from single parent, gay or blended families, books where boys were able to express their emotions and which included strong and assertive girls as role models.”

Lianne said: “It is so important that children are given access to a rich diet of diverse and inclusive books and we felt we could support our local public library service in doing so by adding to their stock in the children’s library.

Laura said:

“Reading is a powerful tool in broadening our perspectives, raising self-esteem, challenging our assumptions, and helping to develop empathy, understanding, tolerance and enriching our inner lives.

“As the saying goes – ‘Open a book and open your mind’.”

The trio thanked Hythe Town Council and Cllr Doug Wade for supporting the project, The Book Den in Hythe High Street for sourcing the books, and library staff for hosting the launch event.

The new books are available in the children’s section of the Stade Street library, open from 9.30am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and 9.30am to 4pm on Saturdays.

Meanwhile Aimee, Lianne and Laura have started fundraising so that similar books can be donated to local nurseries.

In addition to a raffle and another application to the town council for funding, they have set up a JustGiving page with the aim of raising £2,000.

To find out more, check out @HytheBooksforChange on Facebook and to make a donation, visit here.

Share news from your town or village with us by becoming an Area Ambassador.

Reading diverse books encourages creativity, education, and breaks down social and cultural barriers.

Libraries can partner with organizations to support diverse book collections and promote acceptance and tolerance.

Title:

Content: Breaking News
More () »

Campaign to restock Pride displays at San Diego libraries, patrons say they won't return books

Two patrons checked out several LGBTQ+ books from the Rancho Penasquitos library without the intention of returning the literature.

SAN DIEGO — Pride displays promote diversity and inclusivity. But at the Rancho Penasquitos library, a few people decided to stop others from being able to see or read the books on display.

Throughout San Diego, library branches people will see the colorful Pride and Progress flag displays filled with diverse LGBTQ+ books, music and videos.

“Folks get really excited to see the colorful and wonderful displays and uplifting those voices and celebrating our community and history and achievements and struggles,” said Ady Huertas, San Diego Library Program Manager Youth, Family and Equity Services.

But the library says last week two library patrons at the Rancho Penasquitos library branch checked out 14 LGBTQ+ books and one wrote the library to say they don't plan to return them until the Pride display is taken down.

“We really didn't think we had that kind of fear and hate in our town. But apparently, we do,” said Marni von Wilpert, Councilmember, District 5.

She represents the area and says LGBTQ+ voices will not be silenced, and neither will hers. For the first time, she's publicly talking about her sexuality.

“I was devastated because I do want to show in my own leadership, as an LGBTQ+ elected official, it means a lot to me to have the support in my own community. Seeing that some folks might want to censor others from reading books that they don't agree with, really is not okay,” said von Wilpert.

She partnered with the San Diego Library Foundation and the LGBT Community Center in a fundraising campaign to replace the books at that library and beyond.

“I'm very excited that what started as an incident based on intolerance and hate, has now blossomed into this wonderful fundraiser where we're going to have not only Pride displays at one library, but now all 36 libraries,” said von Wilpert.

Librarians say it has no plans to close the book on their Pride displays.

“We don't want to deny access to books that reflect those interest and diverse communities,” said Huertas. “We also want to promote intellectual freedom and freedom to read.”

The community hopes others see this freedom to display as the true meaning of Pride.

“We'd really love people to give what they can donate books and also just talk about why this is important. Everyone, every family, every child in San Diego should feel accepted and tolerated and loved,” said von Wilpert.

If you are interested in helping to have PRIDE literature and resources available in all 36 San Diego Public libraries, please visit The San Diego Library Foundation donation website and write “PRIDEBOOKS” in the comment section. If you are writing a check, please make checks payable to “Library Foundation SD”, put “PRIDEBOOKS” in the subject line, and mail to: Library Foundation SD, PO Box 120391, San Diego, CA 92112.

If you are interested in learning about the San Diego Library LGBTQIA+ events and services click here.

To read San Diego Library Director, Misty Jones', response to the library patron who doesn't intend to return the book click here

WATCH RELATED: The meaning behind 2023 San Diego Pride theme 'Thrive' (June 2023).

Before You Leave, Check This Out

Inclusive books foster empathy and tolerance by promoting respect and understanding of different beliefs and abilities.

Title:

Content: Recent news about the availability of books to children has gotten me thinking about people outside the norm. It’s a huge category, including racial minorities, who rarely saw themselves in picture books until recent decades; LGBTQI people, who are still mentioned in hushed tones; people with disabilities; and non-Christians — like me — who don’t believe what the dominant faith teaches.

Any school or library that avoids books about how racial minorities have been treated, books showing same-sex couples, or books about people with different abilities or beliefs is doing a disservice to all of us. We need to see and learn about others to respect others.

Heidi Brigham

Walla Walla

Book clubs can include diverse books like "Gender Queer" to represent LGBTQ+ individuals and educate others.

Diverse books help young people feel seen, and libraries aim to provide materials that reflect society's diversity.

LGBTQ-inclusive books are vital for queer people and those who don't understand them, promoting adulthood and wellbeing.

Children's books often underrepresent ethnic minorities and overrepresent males, so book clubs should select diverse books.

Title:

Content: Newswise — A new paper in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, published by Oxford University Press, finds that children’s books in the United States continue to underrepresent ethnic minorities. In addition, it finds that male characters are overrepresented in such stories and children are often presented with lighter skin tones for no apparent editorial reason.

Education teaches children about the world, its people, and their place in it. Much of this happens through the books society presents to children in school and at home. These books transmit messages about identity in part by providing examples of what is normal in society and children’s places within it. Beginning in the middle of the last century many educators and parents became concerned about the absence of Black and Brown—in addition to disabled, queer, or even divorced—characters in most children’s books and urged writers, publishers, and librarians to remedy this situation.

The researchers here worked to assess the success of these efforts. They developed and applied tools from the fields of computer vision and natural language processing to measure the representation of skin color, race, gender, and age in the images and text of influential children’s books that are likely to appear in classrooms, libraries, and at home over the past century. These artificial intelligence tools allow for more scalable and systematic measurement than what would be possible using the traditional approach to content analysis, which historically has been done primarily by hand using human coders. The data comprise children’s books recognized by awards featured by the Association for Library Service to Children starting in the 1920s.

The paper finds underrepresentation of Black and Latinx people in the most influential books, relative to their population shares, though the representation of Black individuals increases over time. The study finds that in the mainstream collection of children’s books published between 1923 and 2019, only 2% of characters pictured were Black (despite constituting 13.6 percent of the U.S. population) and only 4% were Latinx (19% of the U.S. population). The researchers note that there are more female characters in children’s books today than in the past, but they appear less often in text than in images, suggesting greater symbolic inclusion in pictures than substantive inclusion in stories. Children’s books also depict children with lighter skin color than adults on average, despite there not being a biological foundation for any systematic difference.

The researchers also note that mainstream books, those that receive recognition for their literary or artistic value without explicit intention to highlight an identity group (i.e., the Newbery and Caldecott awards) are on average slightly cheaper than books that received recognition for highlighting a specific identity group. The mainstream books sold for an average $7.66. The diversity books cost an average $9.34.

“The process of education transmits not only the values of society, but also whose space it is,” said Anjali Adukia, the paper’s lead author. “The optimal level of representation is a philosophical question, but representation can be measured and improved upon based on the goals of the curator in question. Computational tools can increase understanding of the messages being sent in the images and text of the books we give our children, which can then help efforts to systematically address structural inequities.”

The paper, “What we teach about race and gender: Representation in images and text of children’s books,” is available (at midnight on Aug 31st ) at: https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/qje/qjad028.

Journal Link: The Quarterly Journal of Economics

Diversity initiatives are sometimes blamed for including banned books, but book clubs can still choose diverse books that promote empathy.

Title:

Content: Jason Reed/Daily Dot

How right-wing groups online stoked a moral panic about school libraries

'These books save lives.'

Rebecca Caraway

Tech

Posted on Jan 21, 2023   Updated on Jan 20, 2023, 9:16 pm CST

At the end of Ella’s freshman year of high school in 2021, she was stuck in online classes when she discovered that books were being removed from her school without any notice to students.

Concerned over the lack of communication and censorship, Ella and her friend Alyssa formed the Banned Book Club at Vandegrift High School in Leander, Texas.

For Ella and the other members of the Banned Books Club, it was disheartening to hear from teachers that books they related to were pulled off the shelves.

“Having adults say that this is inappropriate, that this isn’t something that we should be discussing in the classroom, it feels like they aren’t appreciating a side of your story and they’re not recognizing it how they should be,” Ella told the Daily Dot.

Today’s students are seeing access to certain titles stripped away as right-wing fear-mongering over children is forcing its way into the classroom.

According to Pen America, 1,648 unique titles have been banned across the country over the past year. Forty-one percent of the books banned in the last year contain LGBTQ themes and characters, which leaves many students bereft of representation in literature.

Using these books as a key part of an ongoing attack against LGBTQ individuals and their rights is an engineered moral panic.

“It’s been the last several years that we’ve seen book bans and efforts to restrict access to books take off. Some of these bans do seem related to a big movement in trying to shut down speech and conversation around race and gender,” Aadika Singh, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told the Daily Dot.

According to Pen America, some of the most popular banned books from this year have been Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson, Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez, and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.

To further understand the breadth of book banning across the country, the Daily Dot requested records from a dozen school districts and obtained hundreds of documents containing complaints from parents and community members, and discussions on the book material. These records helped showcase the reasoning behind school districts’ decisions to ban books and the unfounded fear racing through parents.

These records reveal the sweeping concern festering in parents across the country over-grooming present in children’s literature.

Anxiety over a false effort to indoctrinate students to have a pro-LGBTQ worldview is at the root of these bans.

Gender Queer is a graphic memoir about the author’s journey to adulthood as they explore sexuality and gender identity. This book and others containing LGBTQ characters and themes have been criticized and labeled as pornographic. Finding these books in school libraries has led to distrust between parents and school faculty.

“Who actually approved this book in our school library? It calls into question whether they should be working in a school setting to deem this appropriate reading material. Whoever is responsible should immediately be terminated,” one parent wrote in an email to the superintendent at Yorktown Central School District in upstate New York.

Another Yorktown parent emailed the superintendent about the book The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, which is about a teenage girl grappling with police brutality after she sees her friend killed by a police officer. The parent’s complaint says the book has “horrible content and vulgar language of killing cops.”

“It’s not just this year. These attacks have become really aggressive and voluminous … starting in the Trump administration,” Singh of the ACLU said.

Those arguing to remove the books say that it’s not an attack on LGBTQ rights but that explicit content has a pattern of appearing in books with LGBTQ characters and themes.

“It has nothing to do about the sexual orientation of any of the characters in any of the books. It’s just unfortunate that so many that are targeted to LGBTQ youth do seem to have very explicit sexual content in them,” Tiffany Justice, co-founder of Mom’s for Liberty, told the Daily Dot.

Moms for Liberty is a nonprofit organization that supports parental rights in schools. While it claims to be nonpartisan, the group’s focus has been on right-wing topics. The organization, formed in January 2021, says it has 195 chapters across the country with over 70,000 members.

Moms for Liberty first gained national headlines when members went to school board meetings condemning mask mandates in schools. This year, many parents garnered attention by going to school board meetings and reading out loud scenes from books they find inappropriate

Justice explained that when news of explicit books was making its way across the country, Moms for Liberty members began to survey their own children’s school libraries for any content of concern.

“It became very apparent that there was an orchestrated effort to push these books into younger and younger grade levels across the country,” Justice said.

But when the Daily Dot followed up with Moms for Liberty to ask if there are any books unrelated to LGBTQ topics they pushed to ban over concerns regarding explicit content, Moms for Liberty did not respond.

The idea that inappropriate material is being pushed in schools is a clear indicator of a moral panic sweeping the nation.

An essential element of moral panic is the idea that there is a real threat caused by the misconduct of a particular group, Noah Smith told the Daily Dot.

Smith is a Communications and Programs Associate at United Nations Global Compact Network USA. He recently graduated with a master’s degree in Human Rights Studies from Columbia University where his research focused on moral panics in the digital age and their effect on the LGBTQ community.

Smith said there is “a feeling of fear spread among many people that some ‘evil’ threatens the well-being of society, essentially an exaggerated outburst of public concern over the morality or behavior of a group within society.”

Smith told the Daily Dot that the fear around books containing LGBTQ characters and themes is a further extension of the attacks on the community.

“These contemporary sex panics around LGBTQ books tap into America’s deepest fears about the need to protect innocents from the threat of evil; the presumed threat to many Americans is the LGBTQ community,” Smith said.

In Nampa, Idaho, panic around these books was so high that 22 books that already required parental consent to be checked out were banned without a full review

Singh and her team have read through many of the books that were banned in Nampa, and she believes there is no reason to label these books as pornographic.

“We’ve gone through these books to try to identify what the heck could be offensive,” Singh told the Daily Dot. For the book Drama by Raina Telgemeier, labeled as pornographic by a Nampa parent, Singh made note of two pages: One page has a boy saying that he’s gay and another page depicts two boys kissing on stage for a play.

“Somehow that is considered pornographic,” Singh said.

When reviewing the books in Nampa, the school district relied on a review from Common Sense Media, a site that provides age-appropriate reviews for parents. Common Sense gave Drama two out of five stars for sexual content, with five stars signifying that a book has heavy sexual content. The site agrees with Singh’s assessment that the book simply depicts gay characters and shows one kissing scene during a play.

Despite experts finding little evidence in pornographic claims, parents across the country echo Justice’s sentiments in emails to their respective school districts.

“This is what our tax dollars are paying for, it’s filth and appalling that it is in our school libraries,” one parent wrote to Ronald Hatter, superintendent of the Yorktown Central school district when complaining about the books Lawn Boy, The Hate You Give, Gender Queer, and Out of Darkness

“The school’s role is to set a positive and healthy example for our youth,” another parent wrote in a reconsideration form to the Harlem School district about the book Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin. “It is not the school’s place to provide students with material that contains sexual content.”

While attacking LGBTQ literature, some parents have blamed diversity initiatives. In the Yorktown Central school district, parents are questioning the district’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) task force.

“I am now concerned that DEI may in fact be in our schools as others are claiming,” one parent wrote to the district. “These books are part of an agenda that is being pushed under the guise of DEI.”

The parent then went on to refer to DEI as racist and that it aims to abolish the nuclear family and degrade Christian values.

While parents are the most vocal groups petitioning for these books to be removed, there are plenty of parents who are confused by this campaign.

“No one benefits from banning the learning/discussion of disparate topics in our society except the parents who are too ignorant or afraid to actually do the job of parenting,” a resident of Yorktown wrote to the superintendent.

Many parents of former Yorktown high school students sent complaints to the district about removing books.

“We know that the complaints leading to much of this ‘controversy’ are in fact part of a national propaganda campaign. We should all be greatly concerned, not about the content of these books but the concerted attacks on literary freedom,” a parent of Yorktown High Graduates wrote to the district.

While parents fight over what is and isn’t appropriate material for school libraries, the people at the heart of the issue, students, often don’t get a say.

The Vandegrift Banned Book club now has 20 members who have read a total of nine banned books together.

Now a junior in high school, Ella says that reading these books has given her a better understanding of the world around her.

“A lot of these stories have scenes that we’ve been suppressing and ideas that have been underrepresented for a long time,” Ella told the Daily Dot. “I think these books are tools to help us understand the world around us.”

Most conversation around book banning is led by parents, but Ella told the Daily Dot that she hopes to see students be given more input.

“We really need to start asking students what they want from these books and what they think about them in order to have a truly fair argument.”

Ella’s favorite of the banned books the club read together was the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. The club also read Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez and wrote on their Instagram that the book was “nothing short of educational.”

“The first-hand perspective of this novel is one that no classroom lecture can come close to replicating, making this story critical to understanding the whole story of racism in our state and nation,” the club posted on Instagram

“What’s so sad about the book bans is that these books save lives,” Singh of the ACLU said. “They’re life promoting because they help kids feel less alone to see someone that looks like them and identifies like them.”

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*First Published: Jan 21, 2023, 4:00 am CST

Banned books can provide representation and promote critical thinking when discussed in book clubs.

The science fiction genre has become more diverse and inclusive over time through online platforms, awards, and publications.

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Content: Science Fiction: Chinese Female Writers | Culture | DW | 21.10.2023
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Cultural warp and weft
Science fiction: the rise of Chinese women writers
While the space for feminist expression in China has shrunk further over the past decade, there ’ s good news from this week ’ s World Science Fiction Conference in Chengdu: Chinese female writers are thriving in the science fiction world, making them one of the most striking trends in the genre.
The rise of Chinese female writers in science fiction has become one of the most striking trends in the genre, according to participants at this week's World Science Fiction Conference in Chengdu.
The World Science Fiction Conference, the world ’ s oldest and most influential science fiction event, was held in China for the first time this year and attracted a large number of local fans, both male and female.
China remains a relatively socially conservative country, and under President Xi Jinping, the space for feminist expression has narrowed further over the past decade.
But author and editor Regina Kanyu Wang, who was nominated for two prestigious Hugo Awards at the World Science Fiction Conference this year, said the number of women writers in science fiction has soared in recent years.
She said more and more women are now realizing that "it's not just nerdy, nerdy science-fiction novels like Liu Cixin [author of the three-body series] that can be published, or can be considered science fiction." Liu Cixin is great, and we all like him.
But there's a lot more to it than Liu Cixin's style. "
The good news, says Wang, is that once women start to become writers, they don ’ t feel they ’ re being treated unequally.
The market and readers need a new perspective, she said.
The 81st World Science Fiction Conference will be held in Chengdu from October 18 to 22.
"Now, many Chinese female science fiction writers focus on issues that women face that men may not feel," Zhou Danxue, a literary scholar at XJCC Liverpool University, told AFP. "These writers can reflect unique female experiences in their own way."
Wang said that in the past two years, four anthologies of Chinese fantasy novels written only by female or non-binary authors have been published, which is a major breakthrough.
There wasn ’ t even an all-female science fiction writer ’ s portfolio before that.
Before the 1990s, there were very few female science fiction writers.
An article in the collection "The Way Spring Comes", which Wang Kanyu participated in compiling, pointed out that the Internet is a training base for women and queer talents.
Author Ni Xueting explained that the widespread use of the Internet “not only brought a new sense of community to people, but also … removed many barriers to writing based on industry and social stereotypes, especially for non-male writers. ”
Chen Qiufan, one of China ’ s leading science fiction writers, told AFP that the genre had traditionally not received special attention and was seen as “written and read by boys. ”
He said there was now a "wider and more diverse audience", estimating that his readers were split equally between men and women.
Chinese women writers begin to make their mark in science fiction
Monet, a 21-year-old woman who visited the science fiction convention on Friday, said she sometimes felt isolated among her own fan base.
“It ’ s hard to share my interests with people who don ’ t understand me.
They ask, "Why does a girl like science fiction?"
She is optimistic about these changes in attitude, pointing out that there are a lot of interested primary and secondary school students at the conference site.
“I think interest in Chinese science fiction has to be nurtured from an early age, ” she says.“ We didn ’ t have that opportunity when we were young … I really envy them, to be honest. ”
(AFP)
© 2023 Deutsche Welle Copyright Notice: All content in this article is protected by copyright law and may not be used without special permission from Deutsche Welle.
Any misconduct will lead to recovery and criminal prosecution.

What is considered a major breakthrough in science fiction publication?

More Non-binary authors
More female authors

Online platforms like Wattpad and others have democratized writing, connecting new writers with global readers.

Title:

Content:

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Book Writing Services

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From book writing sites that foster community engagement to virtual novel writing books and free novel writing software, the landscape for writers has expanded, providing a diverse range of options for crafting and sharing stories.
Book Writing Sites:

  1. Wattpad: A Global Literary Hub Wattpad stands out as a global platform that connects writers with readers worldwide. It allows authors to upload and share their stories chapter by chapter, fostering a sense of community among writers and readers alike. The interactive nature of Wattpad enables writers to receive instant feedback, helping them refine their work based on real-time responses.

  2. Scribophile: A Critique-Driven Community Scribophile is a writing community that emphasizes constructive criticism. Writers can submit their work for peer review and provide feedback to others in return. This exchange of insights and suggestions fosters growth and improvement for writers at all skill levels. Scribophile also offers a structured and secure environment for writers to share their work without the fear of unauthorized use.

  3. Reedsy: Connecting Writers with Professionals Reedsy provides a platform for writers to collaborate with professional editors, designers, and marketers. In addition to serving as a book writing site, Reedsy offers a range of tools to streamline the self-publishing process. Authors can access a marketplace of experienced professionals to enhance the quality of their work and increase its marketability.
Virtual Novel Writing Books:
The concept of virtual novel writing book introduces an interactive and immersive experience for both writers and readers. These platforms often combine elements of traditional novels with multimedia features, creating a dynamic storytelling experience.

  1. Inklewriter: Choose Your Own Adventure Inklewriter allows writers to create interactive, choose-your-own-adventure stories. Writers can craft branching narratives where readers make choices that impact the direction of the plot. This platform provides a unique and engaging way to tell stories, offering readers a sense of agency in the narrative.

  2. Twine: Weaving Interactive Narratives Twine is an open-source tool for creating interactive stories. It uses a simple visual interface that doesn't require programming skills, making it accessible to writers of all backgrounds. Twine enables the creation of nonlinear narratives, allowing writers to experiment with different story structures and engage readers in a more immersive experience.
Free Novel Writing Software:

  1. LibreOffice Writer: A Robust Word Processor LibreOffice Writer is a free, open-source word processing software that provides a feature-rich environment for novelists. With its familiar interface and compatibility with popular document formats, writers can focus on their creative process without the burden of expensive software costs.

  2. FocusWriter: Distraction-Free Writing FocusWriter is a minimalist writing tool designed to eliminate distractions and enhance productivity. Writers can customize the interface to create a personalized writing environment. The goal is to help authors stay focused on their work, free from the clutter of notifications and unnecessary features.
In conclusion, the digital era has democratized the writing process, offering diverse options for aspiring authors. Book writing sites, virtual novel writing books, and free novel writing software each play a unique role in supporting writers on their creative journey. Whether seeking community feedback, exploring interactive storytelling, or opting for cost-effective writing tools, today's writers have an abundance of resources to turn their literary visions into reality.
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Anna Wilson Social Media Pages:

Born 1/2/2000,discovered the magic of storytelling at a young age. Raised among books that whispered of distant lands and extraordinary adventures,developed an insatiable appetite for narrative exploration.

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These titles capture the essence of the article, offering a glimpse into the diverse and innovative world of online novel writing platforms. They aim to pique the reader's curiosity by highlighting the unique features and benefits of each platform while emphasizing the freedom and creativity that these digital tools bring to the writing process. Each title invites readers to explore the dynamic intersection of technology and storytelling, promising a journey into a new frontier where writers can thrive and connect with a global audience.

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The Hugo Awards and other literary awards have recognized authors from diverse backgrounds, promoting diversity and representation.

Publications and online platforms like Science Fiction World and File 770 promote representation and diversity in science fiction.

Title:

Content: 15th Annual Xingyun Awards for Chinese Science Fiction Finalists

The finalists for the 15th annual Xingyun Awards for Chinese science fiction have been announced by the World Chinese Science Fiction Association. Winners will be revealed at a ceremony to be held in Chengdu, Sichuan, China on May 18, 2024.

BEST NOVEL 2023

  • Gods of the Earth: Return of the Dead, by Fenxing Chengzi (Shenzhen Publishing House; Science and Fantasy Growth Foundation)
  • The City in the Well, by Liu Yang (People’s Literature Publishing House)
  • Cosmo Wings, by Jiang Bo (People’s Literature Publishing House; 8-Light Minutes Culture)
  • The Age of God Making, by Yan Xi (Sichuan University Press; Science Fiction World)

BEST NOVELLA 2023

  • “The Fleeting Gravity of Words”, by Zhou Wen (Visiting the Stars: Chinese Stories of Flying to the Outer Space)
  • “The Solar System on Set: The Teahouse at the End of the Universe”, by Shuang Chimu (Shanghai Literature, No. 4 2023)
  • “Our Martians”, by Bao Shu (Visiting the Stars: Chinese Stories of Flying to the Outer Space)
  • “The Salt Bridge”, by Liang Ling (Lighting up Mars: Collection of Winning Stories from the 6th Lenghu Awards)

BEST SHORT STORY 2023

  • “Lake Breezes that Brush Over the Palace of Moon”, by Wanxiang Fengnian (Visiting the Stars: Chinese Stories of Flying to the Outer Space)
  • “A Window with a View”, by Bao Shu (Non-Exist SF, January 24 2023)
  • “Let the White Deer Roam”, by Cheng Jingbo (Science Fiction World, November 2023)
  • “City of Choice”, by Gu Shi (Beijing Literature, July 2023)

BEST TRANSLATED WORK 2023

  • Babel, by R.F. Kuang, translated by Chen Yang (CITIC Press)
  • The Kaiju Preservation Society, by John Scalzi, translated by Gen Hui (New Star Press)
  • SF Soul: Autobiography of Komatsu Sakyo, by Komatsu Sakyo, translated by Meng Qingshu (Sichuan Science & Technology Press; Science Fiction World)
  • Escape from the Future, by Kobayashi Yasumi, translated by Ding Dingchong (Yilin Press)

BEST NON-FICTION 2023

  • Unlocking the Future: The Urban Imagination in Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction, by Luo Xiaoming (Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House)
  • Gazing at the Stars: My Personal Encounter with Chinese Science Fiction, by Yang Xiao (Sichuan People’s Publishing House; Science Fiction World)
  • “Impressions of Chinese SF Practitioners on Foreign SF Culture: A Brief Analysis of the History of Introducing Foreign SF Culture”, by RiverFlow (Zero-Gravity SF, No. 12)
  • Chinese Science Fiction: An Oral History, Vol.1-Vol.3, edited by Yang Feng (Chengdu Times Publishing House; 8-Light Minutes Culture)

BEST REVIEW 2023

  • “From the Valleys to the Stars: Ursula K. Le Guin’s Speculative Anthropology”, by Jiang Weihe (The Beijing News, September 22 2023)
  • “The Curve of Human Destiny and the Poetics of Humanity: Reading ‘Last and First Men’”, by Shuang Chimu (Imagining Science: Reading SF Literature Classics)
  • “A Specter of the Anthropocene is Haunting: A Review of Mark Bould’s ‘The Anthropocene Unconscious: Climate Catastrophe Culture’”, by Lyu Guangzhao (Science Writing Review, Issue 1 2023)
  • “‘Journey to the West’: An Atypical Segment of the Science Fiction Community”, by Xi Xia (Literature Press Wechat Official Account, April 4 2023)

BEST NEW WRITER 2021-2023

  • Lu Hang*
  • Qi Ran*
  • Wang Cencen*
  • Wang Xiaohai**

(*Finalists in their 3rd year of eligibility, **Finalist in his 1st year of eligibility)

[Thanks to Feng Zhang and the World Chinese Science Fiction Association for the story.]

Discover more from File 770

Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.

The Xingyun Awards promote Chinese science fiction diversity and honor new authors and works annually.

Translated works and non-fiction books have increased diversity in fiction and explored new themes.

Diverse authors, including women and people of color, have significantly impacted the science fiction genre with unique experiences and perspectives.

What is considered a major breakthrough in science fiction publication?

Chinese female writers have thrived in science fiction, producing four anthologies of fantasy novels and increasing the genre's inclusivity and diversity.

What is considered a major breakthrough in science fiction publication?

Online platforms like BookTok and Goodreads promote diversity and representation by helping readers discover new books and authors.

Title:

Content: Culture

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover (or by its awards)

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bristol chapter.

Margaret Atwood, Bernadine Evaristo, Ian McEwan, Hilary Mantel. These are just a few names we associate with literary greatness, and what do they have in common? They are all winners of the Booker Prize.

Awards like these set the standard for writers around the world, it is the prize to win and will guarantee you a spot among the literary legends. The aforementioned writers also demonstrate the huge scope of genre and style which we’re accustomed to in the twenty first century. And it’s approaching that time of year again when another writer will be added to the exclusive list of winners.

With the BAFTAs and the Oscars out of the way, it is time for book lovers to take centre stage as we approach the literary world’s awards season.

Why do we need book awards?

Just as an athlete dedicates their entire life to preparing for competitions in order to win medals, writers, too, deserve a way of receiving praise that extends beyond the occasional BookTok review. Although I personally never choose a book based on its silverware, I appreciate the potential that it gives new writers to break into the industry.

There are certain prizes established for this very purpose; The Betty Trask Prize and The McKitterick Prize give debut novelists a chance to get their name out there.  We also now have a far bigger range of prizes on offer, for example the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction is new this year and is designed to promote “excellence in writing, robust research, original narrative voices”. The literary world is a fierce one, and without the opportunity that these awards give authors to get their voices heard it could become an all too exclusive one.

However, for me there is also a concern that these prizes deny authors the possibility to write with as much freedom as they deserve to. If you won a prize for one novel, then the chances are that you will stick to that particular style for fear of losing what it was that made your name in the industry. This fear of losing could therefore stunt an author’s growth and, like for so many sports people, take away from the joy that made you start in the first place.

Awards in any format cannot escape being competitive and therefore literary prizes are perhaps not so innocent as they first appeared.

Is Judgement Fair?

One of the most beautiful things about literature is that it really has no boundaries. Literary culture in the real world isn’t bound by the same mark schemes that we have been confined to in school, namely metaphors, similes and/or personification.

Contrary to this, when it comes down to literary prizes the lack of objectivity does become a small issue. Whether it be the internationally renowned Booker Prize or the prestigious Women’s Prize for Fiction, these awards can only be based on the subjective opinion of chosen panellists.

To make the process anymore structured, however, would risk taking away what is so special about reading: the potential for individuality and complete freedom of the mind.

a world without literary awards…

If we were to remove book awards, where would we be? Well, I would argue that we already have plenty of alternatives. Book Tok, for example, reviews in magazines, friend recommendations, and Goodreads are all perfect places for finding a new book. The modern world is a dangerously competitive one, it will always be suggesting ways we can compare ourselves or compare others, so maybe it’s time we block this out.

Essentially, a book is a piece of art and if it doesn’t work for you then that’s okay. Reading is about personal taste as so whilst these awards are designed to guide you, it’s also okay to ignore them completely. Block out the noise, grab a cuppa, and get reading.

Kashvi Cox

Bristol '26

Hello, my name is Kashvi and I am an English undergraduate at the University of Bristol. This is my first year writing for Her Campus and I'm particularly excited to contribute to the wellness, food and lifestyle sections. Outside of my studies I love to dance, run and do anything sporty! I am also keen to get into the world of journalism and start to establish my own personal style of writing.

The genre now includes diverse voices, such as Octavia E. Butler, who wrote "Dawn", a novel about humans rescued by aliens.

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Content: Skip To Content

My Goal Is To Read 100 Books This Year, So Here Are 15 Books By Black Authors That Are On My TBR

"It's pitched as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, which you wouldn't expect to hear in the same sentence."

This year, my New Year's resolution is to read 100 books. I'm tracking my reading through The StoryGraph, which was founded by software engineer Nadia Odunayo as an alternative to Goodreads.

I think it's important to be intentional about reading diversely. Plus, if you aren't reading diversely, then you're honestly missing out on so many amazing books!

Here are 15 books by Black authors I'm super excited to read this year:

Some of these books are new or upcoming releases, but others are backlist books that are new to me!

Also, a note: My taste leans toward sci-fi, fantasy, and thrillers with a little bit of romance, but if that's not your jam, you can share your recs for other books by Black authors you love in the comments!

1. Rise to the Sun by Leah Johnson

What it's about: Following a breakup, Olivia heads to the Farmland Music and Arts Festival to get her mind off things. There, she meets Toni, who's at the festival to follow in her late musician father's footsteps in hopes of finding what her next steps should be. Soon, they realize just how much they need both music and each other.

Why I'm excited to read it: Leah's debut novel, You Should See Me in a Crown, was one of my top reads of 2020. I pre-ordered this book a while ago, but lost it while moving, and recently found it, so it's now sitting on the very top of my TBR.

Get your copy here!

2. Whiteout: A Novel by Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Ashley Woodfolk, Angie Thomas, Nicola Yoon, and Dhonielle Clayton

What it's about: When a blizzard brings Atlanta to a standstill, a dozen teenagers team up to help their friend make a major apology right before Christmas.

Why I'm excited to read it: It's basically a collection of interwoven short stories, so you get to explore so many different perspectives of the same event. This team of authors previously released Blackout, which I really enjoyed. Every holiday season, I like to read as many Christmassy books as I can, so I'm looking forward to reading this one in December!

Get your copy here!

3. With Love, Miss Americanah by Jane Igharo

What it's about: After moving from Nigeria to the US following the death of her father, Enore Adesuwa uses teen movies as a guide to getting through American high school. One of her most important rules is fading into the background, but she has a gift — a beautiful singing voice, which deserves to be heard.

Why I'm excited to read it: I really enjoyed this author's adult romance novel Where We End & Begin, so I'm thrilled that she's making her YA debut!

Get your copy here! It's coming out June 18, 2024.

4. How to Die Famous by Benjamin Dean

What it's about: When Abel Miller is cast in a reboot of Sunset High, no one else on set knows that he's there to investigate the mysterious death of his brother Adam, who was a production assistant the last time someone attempted to make the show.

Why I'm excited to read it: Last year, I could barely put down the author's previous novel, The King Is Dead. I've read a lot of YA thrillers, and, just like his other book, his new release has such a genuinely unique premise.

Get your copy here! It's coming out in the US July 9, 2024.

5. Blood at the Root by LaDarrion Williams

What it's about: Malik has a lot of questions about his past, and it seems like Caiman University, a secret magical HBCU, just might have the answers. Alongside his reconnected first love, Alexis, he discovers a truth that's bigger — and darker — than he expected.

Why I'm excited to read it: This story offers a fresh take on familiar YA fantasy tropes, like a secret magical school and a long-lost grandmother. Also, I personally prefer contemporary fantasy to high fantasy.

Get your copy here! It's coming out May 7, 2024.

6. So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

What it's about: Five years after saving her island, the Langley Empire, Faron Vincent must attend an international peace summit. After her big sister Elara and an enemy dragon unexpectedly make a bond the gods say can only be broken by killing her, Faron desperately seeks an alternative way to save her sister.

Why I'm excited to read it: I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but this one is so beautiful! I also love that, while a lot of YA high fantasy books center around a romantic relationship, this one is about sisters.

Get your copy here!

7. The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

What it's about: Venus Stoneheart risks prison or death to brew love potions to support her family in a country that draws harsh lines between humans and witches. After her mother is killed, the Grand Witcher offers Venus a shot at revenge, but it'll come at a cost — she'll have to help poison and enslave prominent politicians.

Why I'm excited to read it: A gorgeous cover, an intriguing magic system, and fierce political intrigue — what more could a reader ask for?

Get your copy here! It's coming out March 5, 2024.

8. Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

What it's about: Soon after Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo are announced as Niveus Private Academy's newest senior prefects, an anonymous bully called "Aces" begins spilling their secrets via text messages, putting their promising futures as risk. So, they have to stop Aces before the game turns deadly.

Why I'm excited to read it: It's pitched as Gossip Girl meets Get Out, which you wouldn't expect to hear in the same sentence.

Get your copy here!

9. Dawn by Octavia E. Butler

What it's about: Centuries after the extraterrestrial Oankali rescued the human race from the fallout of a nuclear war, Lilith lyapo awakens from the deep sleep that the aliens put everyone in to protect them. Now that they've healed the earth, they want her to lead the humans back.

Why I'm excited to read it: In college, I read and really enjoyed Kindred, which involves time travel. It was equally thought-provoking and exciting. So, when I was looking up sci-fi books, trying to find my next read, I was excited to discover that she'd written something that sounds like an episode of Doctor Who.

Get your copy here!

10. Believe by Leigh-Anne Pinnock

What it's about: In this memoir, Little Mix member Leigh-Anne shares what it was like growing up in a mixed-race family, winning The X Factor, and being part of a massively successful girl group.

Why I'm excited to read it: I love Little Mix, and it's high time Leigh-Anne got her flowers. As a Black performer, her experience in the entertainment industry has been different than her white peers', and she's faced unique — and sometimes highly publicized — challenges. I really admire her and can't wait to learn more about her journey!

Get your copy here!

11. Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

What it's about: In this novelization of Ncuti Gatwa's inaugural episode as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who, the Doctor teams up with Ruby Sunday, when her infant foster sister is abducted by goblins. Together, they board the Goblin Ship to save the baby before she's eaten alive.

Why I'm excited to read it: This TikTok that the author made about getting to write Ncuti's first DW novel put this book on my radar. As someone who's read so many Doctor Who books that I'm starting to run out of new titles, I was very happy to see this one!

Get your copy here!

12. The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

What it's about: In the year 6066, Asha Akindele is just one of many indentured laborers working to pay off humanity's debt to a new galaxy, but at night, she secretly studies aeronautics manuals. However, when her path crosses with Obi Amadi, a time traveller, they awaken an ancient prophecy and must embark on a journey through the stars.

Why I'm excited to read it: I first found this author through the aforementioned TikTok about her Doctor Who book, but after reading the description of her debut novel, I knew I had to read it, too. I haven't read a space opera before, so I'm excited to dive in.

Get your copy here!

13. All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson

What it's about: In a series of personal essays, journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson shares their experiences of growing up as a queer Black kid in Virginia and New Jersey.

Why I'm excited to read it: This year, I want to branch out and read more non-fiction and memoirs (and not just celebrity memoirs), and I've heard so many good things about this one!

Get your copy here!

14. Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

What it's about: Two centuries after the original Cinderella met her prince at the ball, every teen girl in the kingdom must find their match at the Annual Ball. If no man chooses her to be his wife, then she'll never be heard from again. However, Sophia is in love with her childhood best friend Erin, so at her ball, she runs away. Hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum, she meets the only surviving member of the princess's family line, Constance. As a team, they resolve to bring an end to the king's reign.

Why I'm excited to read it: I've heard a lot of good things about this book, I really love retellings that put a dark twist on familiar fairytales.

Get your copy here!

15. And finally, Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

What it's about: Shy Delilah and nerdy Reggie meet in a chance encounter on New Year's...and on Valentine's Day...and yet again on St. Patrick's Day. Holiday after holiday, their paths converge, and they soon begin developing feelings for each other. What they don't realize, however, is that neither of them is being totally honest about who they really are.

Why I'm excited to read it: I've really been in my rom-com era lately, and this author's debut, Happily Ever Afters, is one of my favorite YA rom-coms, so I'm sure this book is just as wonderful.

Get your copy here!

What are your favorite books by Black authors? Tell me in the comments so I can add them to my TBR!

Black History Month is here! Join us from Feb. 1 to Feb. 29 (or all-year round) and support our content celebrating the culture.

Butler's work, such as "Parable of the Sower", showcases underrepresented demographics in a science fiction context.

Nnedi Okorafor has made an impact with her Africanfuturistic science fiction, as seen in her novel "Binti".

Who wrote "Binti," a Hugo-award-winning African futuristic science fiction horror story?

N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy is an award-winning science fiction example exploring civilization's collapse.

N.K. Jemisin is best known for which of her books?

Jemisin's work has helped facilitate discussions on diversity and representation in science fiction.

Title:

Content: I’m sixteen years old. I learned to read when I was 5. Reading has always been an escape and a lifeline for me. I immersed myself in the world of Harry Potter when I was in first grade. In third grade, I read the Rick Riordan series about mythology with a devotion that might have lasted just a little too long. I would read for hours at a time and finish books in a matter of days.

In middle school, I started reading books that strayed away from elaborate fantasy worlds and mini-mysteries. Although I still enjoyed escapist reading, I also read about poverty, interpersonal conflict, mental health and questions of identity. Now I read books about overcoming hardship, persevering through challenges and making changes in your life. These books sometimes include sex, suicide and assault, but are actually about love, resolving conflict and finding peace in identity.

I first read the memoir “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe in June 2020. In the midst of a personal identity crisis of magnificent proportions and the extreme isolation of a global pandemic, I recognized myself and my feelings in the author. I saw that I was not the only person, as much as it felt that way, to ever feel the way I did. My experiences as a transmasculine individual were there, on paper, and that changed everything. I was not alone.

When someone very important to me told me that people were targeting “Gender Queer” for removal from the high school library, I cried. Then, I quickly became angry. That book gave me representation when I most needed it, and someone was trying to censor it. In doing so, they were removing that invaluable lifeline from other students like myself.

Representation is vital to everyone. Being able to see yourself in someone and relate to their feelings and experiences helps quell the feelings of isolation and loneliness that accompany many students through their middle and high school years. This is especially true for minority students for whom representation is already in short supply. Depriving students of that is what’s damaging to them, not the content of the novels. I do not feel the need to list statistics on how minorities are disproportionately affected by mental illness, suicide and violence. I do wish for people to realize, however, that removing representation of certain types of people and experiences will only exacerbate the problem. Banning books — and thereby limiting representation — endangers the health of the young people that the book-banners claim they wish to protect.

Representation is also important for people outside the groups being represented. Reading novels about experiences that are different from our own teaches empathy and helps us to understand the struggles of others. That understanding is important to our society. If we are unable to understand each other, there is no way we will be able to solve our society’s problems. Why, then, would we restrict representation of any group of people?

The classic argument for banning books is that we must protect children and keep them safe. I do not believe that banning books will protect students from hard or inappropriate topics; in fact, I believe that it will do quite the opposite. Platforms like YouTube and Tik Tok are largely uncurated. Why would we remove books that are promoting positive messages when the vast majority of other media offers students limited or inaccurate information?

Difficult topics like rape, mental illness, suicide, police brutality and violence are realities of our society in its current condition. Simply not addressing them in the schools will lead to an uninformed public unprepared to take on these challenges. Literature is one of the best ways to do so. In my English class this year we have read “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” which has graphic descriptions of the beating of enslaved African Americans, and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” which contains 219 instances of the n- slur. Reading these novels has allowed for discussions of the horrific experiences of enslaved African Americans and the continued presence of institutional racism today. Novels provide a story, information and a perspective on an experience that can then be used to have productive and educational discussions.

Not only do these novels promote education about difficult topics but some also provide positive messages and examples of healthy human sexuality. These are being targeted as pornographic, which is wildly inaccurate. For example, “Gender Queer” not only presents excellent examples of effective communication, consent and sexual health but depicts queer sexuality in a positive light. The representation of those important interactions in a positive manner is lacking for many students. To me, it makes sense that erotic romance novels cannot be found on the shelves of the Wa-Hi library. But these books are not about sex, nor do they promote negative messages. Rather, they aim to help individuals to find their place in the world and to help others understand this quest.

The books in our high school library are an incredible resource, providing a wealth of knowledge and a diversity of perspectives on the world, allowing students to explore, to grow and to become better informed and more open-minded. To fulfill this role, these books cannot reflect only the opinions and values of a limited segment of our community. This vital resource should represent the whole and all the parts of the whole. If this representation has been done effectively, it is logical — perhaps inevitable — that some books may seem objectionable and even shocking to some. This does not mean that they should be censored.

Erin Iverson is a student at Walla Walla High School, born and raised in Walla Walla.

"Yellowface" by R.F. Kuang is a recommended science fiction book that showcases underrepresented demographics.

Title:

Content: Riot Headline 10 Exciting Books to Read this Summer
News

The Most Read Books of the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge (So Far)

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Community

Contributor

Always books. Never boring.

We’re almost halfway through 2024, if you can believe it, which means taking a good hard look at our reading goals for the year. Are you on track to complete them? Or do you need to change pace? One of the most popular reading challenges is on Goodreads, which just asks you how many books you plan to read this year. At this halfway point, Goodreads has put together a list of the books that have been added to users’ 2024 Goodreads challenges the most so far.

The Goodreads list has 108 books separated into nine different categories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, Young Adult, and General Nonfiction. Each category is arranged by popularity.

If you’ve been keeping up with our weekly The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week feature, some of these titles will look very familiar to you. Others, though, are classics, like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley — or older releases, like Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Here’s a selection of the most read books of the 2024 Goodreads reading challenge (so far).

Fiction

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Historical Fiction

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Fantasy

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Babel by R. F. Kuang

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Science Fiction

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Find all 108 of the most read book at Goodreads.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.

Books like "The Poppy War" by R.F. Kuang feature diverse characters.

Nikki Erlick's "The Measure" and R.F. Kuang's "Babel" both feature diverse characters.

"Chain-Gang All-Stars" and "This is How You Lose the Time War" promote diversity and feature LGBTQ+ characters.

Title:

Content: Riot Headline 10 Exciting Books to Read this Summer
News

The Most Read Books of the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge (So Far)

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Community

Contributor

Always books. Never boring.

We’re almost halfway through 2024, if you can believe it, which means taking a good hard look at our reading goals for the year. Are you on track to complete them? Or do you need to change pace? One of the most popular reading challenges is on Goodreads, which just asks you how many books you plan to read this year. At this halfway point, Goodreads has put together a list of the books that have been added to users’ 2024 Goodreads challenges the most so far.

The Goodreads list has 108 books separated into nine different categories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, Young Adult, and General Nonfiction. Each category is arranged by popularity.

If you’ve been keeping up with our weekly The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week feature, some of these titles will look very familiar to you. Others, though, are classics, like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley — or older releases, like Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Here’s a selection of the most read books of the 2024 Goodreads reading challenge (so far).

Fiction

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Historical Fiction

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Fantasy

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Babel by R. F. Kuang

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Science Fiction

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Find all 108 of the most read book at Goodreads.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.

"All Systems Red" by Martha Wells has a non-human protagonist, and "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir has a diverse cast.

Title:

Content: Riot Headline 10 Exciting Books to Read this Summer
News

The Most Read Books of the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge (So Far)

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Community

Contributor

Always books. Never boring.

We’re almost halfway through 2024, if you can believe it, which means taking a good hard look at our reading goals for the year. Are you on track to complete them? Or do you need to change pace? One of the most popular reading challenges is on Goodreads, which just asks you how many books you plan to read this year. At this halfway point, Goodreads has put together a list of the books that have been added to users’ 2024 Goodreads challenges the most so far.

The Goodreads list has 108 books separated into nine different categories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, Young Adult, and General Nonfiction. Each category is arranged by popularity.

If you’ve been keeping up with our weekly The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week feature, some of these titles will look very familiar to you. Others, though, are classics, like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley — or older releases, like Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Here’s a selection of the most read books of the 2024 Goodreads reading challenge (so far).

Fiction

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Historical Fiction

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Fantasy

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Babel by R. F. Kuang

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Science Fiction

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Find all 108 of the most read book at Goodreads.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.

"Noumenon Ultra" by Marina J. Lostetter and "Light Years From Home" by Mike Chen explore diverse space travel and alien abductions.

Title:

Content: Stack Overflow: 2022 Reading Resolutions

Books Columns Comic Books Stack Overflow

Happy New Year!

Hope springs eternal, at least when it comes to readers and our books. When we discover new (or new-to-us) titles on social media or through podcasts or simply browsing the shelves in a bookstore, we get all excited about a new experience we’ll get to have … just as soon as we get through that other stack of unfinished books sitting in the corner (or on the nightstand, or covering the floors…).

I like to take a bit of time at the beginning of each new year to stop, take stock of what I’ve been reading for the past year, and jot down some hopes and goals for the new year. Sometimes that’s a number of books I hope to read—yes, that can be an arbitrary measurement, but setting a goal like that is one way to encourage a daily reading habit. Sometimes that’s a particular genre I hope to read more. Or it could be some specific titles that I’ve had on my list, and I’ve decided this is the year I’m finally going to tackle it.

Here, the GeekDad and GeekMom writers share our reading resolutions for 2022—may your year be filled with good books!

Jonathan H. Liu

One of my hopes this year is to stay ahead of my book pile—not just by reading, but also by being more selective about what I keep. I won’t lie: it’s so much fun when publishers send me new books. They’re good at their jobs, too—each book usually comes with a letter from the publicist describing the book in a way that makes me think it’ll be my next favorite book. But I’ve been doing this for over a decade now, and it’s time to admit that I simply can’t read everything I’m sent, let alone books that I pick up myself because I’ve heard about them from somewhere else. (And anyway, if I did somehow magically get through my entire pile, there’s always more on the way.) So I have to be more selective, and be okay with reading a fraction of these books and letting go of the rest.

So how do I decide which ones? Well, I hope to have a mix of books from authors I’ve enjoyed in the past—including continuing some series—and trying out writers that are new to me. I’ve got one shelf of sci-fi from non-American writers (Cuban, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and others) that I’m hoping to explore. I feel like I didn’t really read much middle grade fiction in 2021, but my youngest is now in that age range and so perhaps I can experience some of these books with her. We also still enjoy picture books, but I can see that we may be on the tail end of reading them regularly, so my own coverage has decreased—I should make some passes over the stacks I have and decide what we really want to keep and which we can bear to let go of.

A few specific titles on my list: I just started Noumenon Ultra by Marina J. Lostetter, the third book in a series about far-reaching space travel and evolving humanity. I’m looking forward to City Spies: Forbidden City by James Ponti, continuing a middle grade series about a team of secret agent kids. And I’ve got a copy of Mike Chen’s latest novel, Light Years From Home, which is maybe about alien abductions (but, knowing Mike Chen, it’s really about family). It’s also well past time to dig into these middle grade “Rick Riordan Presents” books written by various authors, inspired by the folklore and legends from their own cultures—they look great, but I just haven’t actually sat down to read them yet.

Mariana Ruiz

Turns out I do have some reading resolutions, beside reading everything under my shelf and on my computer (one can dream).

This year I wanted to emphasize diverse voices in YA, that means more diverse books by different authors from the US and abroad. I am following We Need Diverse Books for that and have started collaborating with World Kid Lit, especially because my main job focuses in Bolivian Children’s and YA literature and there is not a single title yet translated into English!

Representation, reviews and shout-outs for translated/diverse voices is very important, so hopefully I will get to point books to you all in that direction.

Jenny Bristol

Following the pattern of the past two years, I hope and plan to read at least 22 books in 2022. I’m in the middle of a couple of books—Emma by Jane Austen and On Writing Well by William Zinsser—but have many others planned. Maybe this will be the year that I finally read Mary Robinette Kowal’s Lady Astronaut series. And Rory and I can get to Persuasion after we finish Emma. I’d also like to read the third book in Matt Haig’s A Boy Called Christmas series if our library ever gets it, my grandfather’s A Guide to Creative Writing, and perhaps even dive into some of Shannon Hale‘s books that I haven’t read yet. This year will also include some household purging, so I hope to find some books that I’ll be happy to part with once I read them. Maybe some of those will be a part of my final 2022 list. I’m looking forward to all of these reads!

Dakster Sullivan

I’m not sure how many books I should set for 2022 or if I should set a number at all. Numbers are good because they help us see the overall picture but does it really tell us how well we are doing? I mean, I’m having some health issues right now, and honestly, just reading one book in a month feels like an accomplishment. So, this year, I think I’ll take a break from saying I’ll complete X books this year and just be happy with whatever I can do. I’ll continue to track my reading for fun but not because I’m pushing myself to obtain a badge in Goodreads. I will say that I plan to expand past just paperbacks and listen to more books in my car on my drive to work and back. I also plan to carry a book with me everywhere so I always have something to occupy my mind (theme parks included).

Robin Brooks

I feel like I should keep my resolutions modest this year. No grand reading schemes that will fail by the end of January. I hit a nice groove with my reading in the latter half of 2021, so I want to keep on in the same vein. I will endeavor to read 50/50 review books/purchased books. This gives a nice balance between reading the new and exciting and catching up on the countless that I have missed out on.

One resolution that I want to bring into my life more generally, in part so I can find more time to read, is to cut down on my social media use. I find I lose great chunks of time reading what people I broadly agree with are saying about people I vehemently disagree with. It might give me fleeting moments of feeling like I’m “a good guy,” but ultimately it’s exhausting and a waste of time that could be put to better use.

It’s a tricky balance as also I find out about great books and games, and interact with my own gaming community on various platforms. I don’t want to lose all that, but I need to develop some willpower not to read what people are saying about Boris Johnson.

This is not exactly a resolution, maybe a piece of wishful thinking. Towards the end of 2021, I read a review of a book by Nobel prizewinner, Olga Tokarczuk. The Books of Jacob. Described as “The Nobel Prize–winner’s richest, most sweeping and ambitious novel yet follows the comet-like rise and fall of a mysterious, messianic religious leader as he blazes his way across eighteenth-century Europe,” it sounds like the sort of book I would love to read. The review was filled with superlatives, and I’d love to give it a go. It’s also 912 pages.

I love the idea of large books. Deep and immersive. Something to lose yourself in for days on end. In practice, I buy them and they sit on the shelf as I can’t find time to fit them into my reading schedule. Perhaps I should start with something smaller? A resolution, then, to read one book by Olga Tokarczuk.

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The Lady Astronaut series and Olga Tokarczuk's Nobel Prize-winning novel "The Books of Jacob" are recommended reads.

We Need Diverse Books and World Kid Lit promote diverse children's and YA literature.

Literature, such as "Gender Queer", can facilitate discussions on diversity and representation of human sexuality.

Reading about diverse experiences and representation in literature fosters empathy and reduces feelings of isolation.

Banning books can limit representation, exacerbating problems like mental illness and violence.

Books like "Ace of Spades", "Cinderella Is Dead", and "Rise to the Sun" showcase underrepresented demographics and facilitate discussions on diversity and representation.

These books have helped evolve the science fiction genre, providing a more diverse range of voices and experiences.

What is considered a major breakthrough in science fiction publication?

The genre has evolved beyond HG Wells, with diverse authors making a significant impact.

Authors like R.F. Kuang, N.K. Jemisin, and Octavia E. Butler have shaped the genre with a focus on diversity and representation.

Title:

Content: Riot Headline 10 Exciting Books to Read this Summer
News

The Most Read Books of the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge (So Far)

This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Community

Contributor

Always books. Never boring.

We’re almost halfway through 2024, if you can believe it, which means taking a good hard look at our reading goals for the year. Are you on track to complete them? Or do you need to change pace? One of the most popular reading challenges is on Goodreads, which just asks you how many books you plan to read this year. At this halfway point, Goodreads has put together a list of the books that have been added to users’ 2024 Goodreads challenges the most so far.

The Goodreads list has 108 books separated into nine different categories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, Romance, Young Adult, and General Nonfiction. Each category is arranged by popularity.

If you’ve been keeping up with our weekly The Most Read Books on Goodreads This Week feature, some of these titles will look very familiar to you. Others, though, are classics, like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley — or older releases, like Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Here’s a selection of the most read books of the 2024 Goodreads reading challenge (so far).

Fiction

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

Historical Fiction

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Fantasy

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Babel by R. F. Kuang

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Science Fiction

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Find all 108 of the most read book at Goodreads.

Find more news and stories of interest from the book world in Breaking in Books.