Answering my critics on diversity

I was told today that I should take responsibility for promoting diversity in Victoria’s science fiction and fantasy community.

Update

Straight white male objected to my post commenting that only two women and one non-white male were nominated out of nine categories of Chronos Awards this year. Straight white male told me that I should do more to promote diversity in the awards.

After this post listing things I did in 2013 to promote diversity, like interviewing women, reviewing women’s writing and publishing women reviewers, straight white male emailed me to tell me yet again I’m not doing enough.

Apparently I should run “a more active campaign leading up to the awards”.

Apparently this would involve giving straight white male publicity.

Original post

In 2013 I did the following things to promote diversity:

• I interviewed 16 people, 8 of whom were women
• I published reviews and articles or essays by 9 women (including myself)
• I published reviews of 77 books and movies written by women
• I wrote and published 6 articles about diversity

For those who aren’t aware of what I have done to promote diversity in the past year, below is a list with links.

ENJOY.

Interviews and podcasts

I interviewed 16 people in 2013, 8 of whom were women. Actually, I interviewed 9 women but the sound at Supanova was overwhelmed Skye speaking so I couldn’t publish one of the interviews. The pink links are to the women.

• Alison Goodman in the Limelight 
• Battle of the Space Marines: the untold story (aka M.C.A. Hogarth in the Limelight) 
• Chris Garcia in the Limelight 
• Claudia Christian in the Limelight 
• Hugh Howey in the Limelight 
• Ian McHugh in the Limelight 
• Jo Spurrier in the Limelight 
• K J Taylor in the Limelight 
• Nicole Murphy in the Limelight 
• Paul Collins in the Limelight 
• P J Tierney in the Limelight 
• Richard Harland in the Limelight 
• Russell B. Farr in the Limelight 
• Sarah Braybrooke (Scribe Publishing) in the Limelight – removed from website by request
• Sean McMullen in the Limelight 
• Tad Williams in the Limelight 

This year so far Dark Matter has published 2 podcasts. These two podcasts have featured a total of 5 women and 1 man. The next scheduled podcast has gender parity with 2 women and 2 men.

• Games panel featuring Freya Robertson, Tom Dullemond and Claire McKenna 
• Women Destroy Science Fiction featuring Galen Dara, Rachel Swirsky and Wendy N Wagner

In 2012 I published interviews of 13 women.

Reviewers

More men review work than women, especially men who get paid. I can’t do anything about the ‘getting paid’ but last year Dark Matter Zine published reviews by 14 people, 9 of whom are women. Again, the pink links are to the women.

David Gibson
Daniel Haynes
Edward Haynes
Nalini Haynes 
Jade Hounsell 
Evie Kendal 
Zachary Kendal
James Kennedy
Elizabeth Manthos in NovelNymph and Dark Matter
Rebecca Muir 
Lenise Prater 
Lauren Schroder 
Kathy Sinclair 
Elizabeth Vinton 

In 2012 Dark Matter Zine published reviews by 6 women.

Last year Dark Matter Zine published 195 reviews of books, movies and TV. After removing TV and movies with significant female characters because I’m not sure who wrote them, Dark Matter Zine still published 77 reviews of books and movies by women in 2013.

1. Review by Kathy Sinclair of Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson, in Dark Matter Zine.
2. Review by Elizabeth Vinton of Possessing Freedom by Beau Hillier, Belinda Dorio, Steve Rossiter
3. Review by Lenise Prater of Rift by Andrea Cremer, in Dark Matter Zine.
4. Review by Lenise Prater of Wolf Springs Chronicles: Hot Blooded by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié, in Dark Matter Zine.
5. Review by Rebecca Muir of Creative Fire by Brenda Cooper, in Dark Matter Zine. 
6. Review by Rebecca Muir of The Diamond Deep by Brenda Cooper, in Dark Matter Zine.
7. Review by Rebecca Muir of Earth Girl by Janet Edwards, in Dark Matter Zine.
8. Review by Rebecca Muir of The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George, in Dark Matter Zine.
9. Review by Rebecca Muir of Shadows on the Nile by Kate Furnivall, in Dark Matter Zine.
10. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of The Blood Countess by Tara Moss, in Dark Matter Zine.
11. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas, in Dark Matter Zine.
12. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black, in Dark Matter Zine.
13. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead, in Dark Matter Zine.
14. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones the movie, in Dark Matter Zine.
15. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of Night School by C J Daugherty, in Dark Matter Zine.
16. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of Night School: Legacy by C J Daugherty, in Dark Matter Zine.
17. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan, in NovelNymph.
18. Review by Elizabeth Manthos of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, in Dark Matter Zine.
19. Review by Evie Kendal of Arise by Tara Hudson, in Dark Matter Zine.
20. Review by Evie Kendal of Coyote by Rhonda Roberts, in Dark Matter Zine.
21. Review by Evie Kendal of Hidden by P.C. and Kristin Cast, in Dark Matter Zine.
22. Review by Evie Kendal of Hoodwink by Rhonda Roberts, in Dark Matter Zine.
23. Review by Evie Kendal of The Host by Stephenie Meyer, in Dark Matter Zine.
24. Review by Evie Kendal of House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast, in Dark Matter Zine.
25. Review by Evie Kendal of Lenobia’s Vow by P.C. and Kristin Cast, in Dark Matter Zine.
26. Review by Evie Kendal of Nameless A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow, in Dark Matter Zine.
27. Review by Evie Kendal of Neferet’s Curse by P.C. and Kristin Cast including discussion of rape trope, in Dark Matter Zine
28. Review by Evie Kendal of Rapture by J. R. Ward in Dark Matter Zine.
29. Review by Evie Kendal of Reboot by Amy Tintera, in Dark Matter Zine.
30. Review by Evie Kendal of Rise of the Fallen by Teagan Chilcott, in Dark Matter Zine.
31. Review by Evie Kendal of Stung by Bethany Wiggins, in Dark Matter Zine.
32. Review by Evie Kendal of Wild About You by Kerrelyn Sparks, in Dark Matter Zine.
33. Review by Evie Kendal of Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer, in Dark Matter Zine.
34. Review by Nalini Haynes of Abandon (Abandon 1) by Meg Cabot, in Dark Matter Zine.
35. Review by Nalini Haynes of After Dead by Charlaine Harris, in Dark Matter Zine.
36. Review by Nalini Haynes of Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor, in Dark Matter Zine.
37. Review by Nalini Haynes of Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie, in Dark Matter Zine.
38. Review by Nalini Haynes of Ash by Malinda Lo, in Dark Matter Zine.
39. Review by Nalini Haynes of Awaken (Abandon 3) by Meg Cabot, in Dark Matter Zine.
40. Review by Nalini Haynes of Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb, in Dark Matter Zine.
41. Review by Nalini Haynes of Blue Dragon (Dark Heavens 3) by Kylie Chan, in Dark Matter Zine.
42. Review by Nalini Haynes of The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, in Dark Matter Zine.
43. Review by Nalini Haynes of Catching Fire (The Hunger Games 2) by Suzanne Collins, in Dark Matter Zine.
44. Review by Nalini Haynes of City of Dragons by Robin Hobb, in Dark Matter Zine.
45. Review by Nalini Haynes of The Cloud Road by Isobelle Carmody, in Dark Matter Zine.
46. Review by Nalini Haynes of Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger, in Dark Matter Zine.
47. Review by Nalini Haynes of Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris, in Dark Matter Zine.
48. Review by Nalini Haynes of Diamond Eyes by A.A. Bell, in Dark Matter Zine.
49. Review by Nalini Haynes of Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb, in Dark Matter Zine.
50. Review by Nalini Haynes of Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb, in Dark Matter Zine.
51. Review by Nalini Haynes of Dreaming of Djinn edited by Liz Grzyb, in Dark Matter Zine.
52. Review by Nalini Haynes of Eon by Alison Goodman, in Dark Matter Zine.
53. Review by Nalini Haynes of Eona by Alison Goodman, in Dark Matter Zine.
54. Review by Nalini Haynes of Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger, in Dark Matter Zine.
55. Review by Nalini Haynes of Fuse by Julianna Baggott, in Dark Matter Zine.
56. Review by Nalini Haynes of Hindsight by A.A. Bell, in Dark Matter Zine.
57. Review by Nalini Haynes of Huntress by Malinda Lo, in Dark Matter Zine.
58. Review by Nalini Haynes of Jamie Reign: The Last Spirit Warrior by PJ Tierney, in Dark Matter Zine.
59. Review by Nalini Haynes of Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach, in Dark Matter Zine.
60. Review by Nalini Haynes of Legend by Marie Lu, in Dark Matter Zine.
61. Review by Nalini Haynes of Mockingjay (The Hunger Games 3) by Suzanne Collins, in Dark Matter Zine.
62. Review by Nalini Haynes of Omens by Kelley Armstrong in Dark Matter Zine.
63. Review by Nalini Haynes of Prodigy by Marie Lu, in Dark Matter Zine.
64. Review by Nalini Haynes of Pure by Julianna Baggott, in Dark Matter Zine.
65. Review by Nalini Haynes of Red Phoenix (Dark Heavens 2) by Kylie Chan, in Dark Matter Zine.
66. Review by Nalini Haynes of The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty, in Dark Matter Zine.
67. Review by Nalini Haynes of Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman, in Dark Matter Zine.
68. Review by Nalini Haynes of Small Shen by Kylie Chan, in Dark Matter Zine.
69. Review by Nalini Haynes of Soulless (manga) by Gail Carriger and REM, in Dark Matter Zine.
70. Review by Nalini Haynes of Soulless 2 (manga) by Gail Carriger and REM, in Dark Matter Zine.
71. Review by Nalini Haynes of Suited by Joanne Anderton, in Dark Matter Zine.
72. Review by Nalini Haynes of The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper, in Dark Matter Zine.
73. Review by Nalini Haynes of Trinity Rising by Elspeth Cooper, in Dark Matter Zine.
74. Review by Nalini Haynes of Underworld (Abandon 2) by Meg Cabot, in Dark Matter Zine.
75. Review by Nalini Haynes of White Tiger (Dark Heavens 1) by Kylie Chan, in Dark Matter Zine.
76. Review by Nalini Haynes of The Wishbird by Gabrielle Wang, in Dark Matter Zine.
77.  Serialisation of paranormal romance: a comparative analysis by Evie Kendal in Dark Matter Zine.

Other Articles

I personally wrote a number of articles promoting diversity last year including

• Battle of the Space Marines: the untold story
• Cultural Misappropriations panel with added discussion of disability
• Don’t be a dick Ryan Perez: a year later Ryan still needs schooling
• Fall-out from N.K. Jemisin’s Continuum 9 GoH speech
• Race Bending and Race-Face in the 21st Century: a Continuum 9 panel report
• Space Marines: bullying goes nuclear then MELTDOWN!

Related:

Answering the call of Ethulu Alien answering the phone – another silly illo from Ian Gunn Freya Robertson: Sunstone and diversity