Join us on Thursday August 26, 1pm Eastern, for a conversation with Dr. Joy Sanchez-Taylor, author of Diverse Futures: Science Fiction and Authors of Color. The discussion will include questions and comments from the live audience, facilitated by Dr. Gabriel Schenk.
About the Book
Diverse Futures: Science Fiction and Authors of Color examines the contributions of late-twentieth- and twenty-first-century US and Canadian science fiction authors of color. By looking at the intersections among science fiction authors of multiple races and ethnicities, Joy Sanchez-Taylor seeks to explain how these authors of color are juxtaposing tropes of science fiction with specific cultural references to comment on issues of inclusiveness in Eurowestern cultures. The central argument of this work is that these authors are challenging science fiction’s history of Eurocentric representation through the depiction of communities of color in fantastic or futuristic settings, specifically by using cognitive estrangement and the inclusion of non-Eurowestern cultural beliefs and practices to comment on the alienation of racially dominated groups. By exploring science fiction tropes—such as first contact, genetic modification, post-apocalyptic landscapes, and advanced technologies in the works of Octavia E. Butler, Ted Chiang, Sabrina Vourvoulias, and many others—Sanchez-Taylor demonstrates how authors of various races and ethnicities write science fiction that pays homage to the genre while also creating a more diverse and inclusive portrait of the future.
About the Author
Dr. Joy Sanchez-Taylor is Associate Professor of English at LaGuardia Community College, New York. Her research interest is science fiction and fantasy literature by authors of color, and she has articles published with the journals Science Fiction Studies, Extrapolation, and the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts.
