Decolonize Your Bookshelf! – My Writing Hero

10 Outstanding Fantasy Novels by BIPOC to Get Lost In

Posted on August 28, 2020August 31, 2020 by Cathy Kirch

This post is part of our monthly series, “Decolonize Your Bookshelf!” Every month features a different genre, providing a curated recommended-reading list of fiction by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links—that means we make a small commission when you purchase through them. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and all affiliate income from this blog post will be donated to the Prison Book Program.

“Not all those who wander are lost.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, from the poem “The Riddle of Strider” in The Fellowship of the Ring

While fantasy-legend J.R.R Tolkien was wise to declare that wandering doesn’t necessarily mean we’re lost, it can sometimes feel so very good to get lost in a rich fantasy.

But when we get lost in a fantastical world, what does that world look like?

Most popularized fantasy worlds—like Middle-earth, Narnia, or Westeros—are reminiscent of Medieval Europe, drawing on a similar set of tropes, creatures, and images. While that can be a fun sandbox to play in, it’s far from the only possible container for magic, swordplay, and adventure.

In fact, fantasy authors of color have created deep and complex worlds influenced by a diverse range of histories, cultures, traditions, myths, legends, religions, and folklore. From epic fantasy, to sword and sorcery, to paranormal fantasy, and more—these worlds expand what’s possible in a genre already dedicated to exploring impossibilities.

Without further ado and in no particular order, here are ten spectacular fantasy novels by authors of color that bring us new and unique worlds to get lost in.

10 Page-Turning Murder Mysteries by Women of Color

Posted on July 31, 2020August 1, 2020 by Cathy Kirch

This post is part of our monthly series, “Decolonize Your Bookshelf!” Every month features a different genre, providing a curated recommended-reading list of fiction by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

It was Professor Plum—in the library—with a shocking reality.

Mystery novels make up one of the most popular fiction genres in the US, with surveys over the years finding that nearly half of readers pick up at least one mystery or crime thriller a year.

But that’s not the shocking part.

Even though mystery novels continue to be almost universally popular, the genre has historically been dominated by a narrow, white male perspective.

While diversity and representation remain issues across fiction, the obstacles faced by authors of color are particularly glaring in the crime genre.

In a conversation with Writer’s Digest, six crime fiction authors—Rachel Howzell Hall, Danny Gardner, Naomi Hirahara, Gar Anthony Haywood, Kellye Garrett, and Gary Phillips—highlight some of these barriers to entry.

If a publisher already signed one Black mystery author, for example, they may consider the box checked and won’t sign another. And if a manuscript doesn’t match their image of what a diverse read should be—i.e. not “Black enough,” “Asian enough,” or “Latinx enough”—it likely won’t check that box, either.

Gardner sums up the issue: “while the face of crime in America is a face of color, the face of crime fiction is kept white—aggressively so.”

The lack of opportunity for mystery writers of color compels many of these authors to move on to other genres altogether, which means the mystery, crime, and thriller shelves continue to be predominantly white.

As readers, we have the power to change that.

In no particular order, here are 10 un-put-down-able murder mystery whodunnits by women of color. Every book on this list puts its own twist on the genre—but don’t worry, I won’t spoil anything!

10 Dystopian Novels by BIPOC to Blow Your Mind

Posted on June 26, 2020June 25, 2020 by Cathy Kirch

This is the first post in our monthly series, “Decolonize Your Bookshelf!” Every month features a different genre, providing a curated recommended-reading list of fiction by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color).

Society is crumbling.

Systemic oppression is unbearable, and civilization as we know it seems to be coming to its end. We’ve gone through disaster after disaster—how much more can we take?

While I could easily be talking about 2020 (it’s been quite a year, hasn’t it?) I’m actually talking about one of my favorite genres of fiction: dystopian literature.

Dystopian literature is considered a sub-genre of speculative fiction, featuring a world in which things have gone (and are going) terribly wrong.

Sometimes the dystopia arises from a literal disaster, while in other works small incremental changes have accrued over time to create a problematic status quo. Either way, protagonists in these stories often question the systems of control (or chaos) at work in their world.

Dystopian stories allow us to grapple with some of the harsh truths of society and the human condition that can be difficult to address otherwise.

This is part of why so many dystopian novels are taught in schools: 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, A Clockwork Orange, and more.

And yet, the gap here is obvious: where are the dystopian stories by authors of color?

The fact is, traditional Western literary canon tends to prioritize straight white male narratives over others.

Even when curriculum includes works by women, like The Handmaid’s Tale and The Giver, the dystopias taught in school tend to be overwhelmingly white, and some truly excellent novels by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) are largely overlooked.

As a community of writers and readers, we have the power to change that.

After all, questioning the status quo is what dystopia is all about!

In no particular order, here are 10 must-read dystopian novels by BIPOC that explore post-apocalyptic worlds, oppressive regimes, and strong characters fighting for good.