Appropriate icon is inappropriate.

[kutsuwamushi]

There has been a lot of discussion on metafandom about Patricia Wrede's new book, which Jo Walton summarized thus: "This is an alternate version of our world which is full of magic, and where America ('Columbia') was discovered empty of people but full of dangerous animals, many of them magical."

I don't like it either, for reasons that other people have rather eloquently pointed out. Patricia Wrede is, like it or not, the cultural heir of a genocide. The beneficiary. Writing the victims out of existence, when their descendants still struggle for recognition and rights, is problematic to say the least.

Our colonial history is presented as a heroic adventure. Columbus, pilgrims, cowboys, pioneers. The Little House on the Praire. We learn about Native Americans as well - but as supporting characters, or worse, props. The national myth that many of us have instilled in us as young children is one of discovery, exploration, and settlement. That history is about the victors.

It's natural that some writers are drawn towards it. Re-imagining myths, especially ones that are part of your own cultural identity, is one of the oldest storytelling traditions.

But in no way does that mean it's okay to create a world where Native Americans never existed, freeing the Americas for your white characters to explore and populate without any resistance or raising uncomfortable issues about your own history.

There are other ways to write that magical exploration story. There are other re-imaginings. The first, and most obvious, is that white people don't have to be the protagonists.

That isn't as obvious as it should be, unfortunately.

God, I have so many ideas for stories I will never get around to writing as a result of this whole thing.

Comments

[leora]

My first thought for obvious was just don't set it in our world. Set it in a similar world. You already added in magic, so it's not going to be that much like our world, just go fully ahead and make it another planet and another people.

I don't know the story, so maybe she wanted historical figures in it, which would cause problems. But if not, you can make a world for yourself.

You can have a Columbus-like character and not name him Columbus. You can easily have pioneers and settlers. And then it's less research to do too.

[kutsuwamushi]

One of the first books that came to mind when I heard of this book is The Golden Torc, which is about a bunch of societal misfits who are sent back in time to the pliocene. Plenty of opportunities for megafauna there!

(Well, they do find evil space elves, but obviously, the author chose to put those there...)

[melusina]

Yes - this is very eloquently put. . .(I wish I had a "what she said" icon!)

[sudaki]

..... *cringe in embarrassment*

Why do I feel like somebody just didn't think this through very well...?