Scan barcode
petitpoucetreveur's review against another edition
4.0
A thought-provoking essay on the role that racial difference plays in our fantastically storied imaginations, based on an analysis of YA culture through the case of Rue in the Hunger Games, Gwen in the BBC's Merlin, and Bonnie Bennet in The Vampire's Diaires.
My first observation would be that it reads a bit like an academic paper, there are a lot of theoretical references that sometimes felt a bit like name/concept dropping to me, as I didn't know most of them, except Toni Morisson, Todorov and Paul Ricoeur. The writing style can be a bit intimidating (it was for me, especially in the first chapter, which lays the groundwork for the main theories), so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to people who are just starting to read essays. But if you're interested in the subject or curious, please dive in! Because it's rooted in popular culture, it gives us something to hold on to, we're not in terra incognita.
Anyway, the dark fantastic. Ebony E. Thomas explores the representation of the "dark other" in fantasy, pointing out a dissonance between the reader and the representation in books. She explains how darkness and monsters are always racialized, and the monster body is a cultural body, a conscience, and a projection. I'm explaining it really badly, I'm sorry. But it leads her to postulate what she calls The Dark Fantastic Cycle which has 5 stages :
1/spectacle 2/hesitation 3/violence 4/haunting 5/emancipation.
Her book is an illustration of this cycle through various characters. Black people seem to be hard to accept in fantasy settings because it jolts the reader back to reality, but more and more people of color are writing themselves into existence through new stories, but also reading themselves into existence through the stories that are already there, reclaiming characters and storylines. The author talks a lot about the role that fanculture plays in enabling but also stopping this representation through online discussion, transformative and counter-storytelling.
The chapters on HG, TVD, and Merlin were the most enlightening for me; I was less convinced by her remarks on HP (which are kind of disturbing to read because they don't acknowledge everything that's problematic in JKR, since they were written before the whole drama made itself known). I found the "hesitation" and "haunting" phases of the Dark Fantastic cycle to be the most eye-opening.
This review is a mess, but if even a small part of it made you curious, my work here is done.
My first observation would be that it reads a bit like an academic paper, there are a lot of theoretical references that sometimes felt a bit like name/concept dropping to me, as I didn't know most of them, except Toni Morisson, Todorov and Paul Ricoeur. The writing style can be a bit intimidating (it was for me, especially in the first chapter, which lays the groundwork for the main theories), so I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to people who are just starting to read essays. But if you're interested in the subject or curious, please dive in! Because it's rooted in popular culture, it gives us something to hold on to, we're not in terra incognita.
Anyway, the dark fantastic. Ebony E. Thomas explores the representation of the "dark other" in fantasy, pointing out a dissonance between the reader and the representation in books. She explains how darkness and monsters are always racialized, and the monster body is a cultural body, a conscience, and a projection. I'm explaining it really badly, I'm sorry. But it leads her to postulate what she calls The Dark Fantastic Cycle which has 5 stages :
1/spectacle 2/hesitation 3/violence 4/haunting 5/emancipation.
Her book is an illustration of this cycle through various characters. Black people seem to be hard to accept in fantasy settings because it jolts the reader back to reality, but more and more people of color are writing themselves into existence through new stories, but also reading themselves into existence through the stories that are already there, reclaiming characters and storylines. The author talks a lot about the role that fanculture plays in enabling but also stopping this representation through online discussion, transformative and counter-storytelling.
The chapters on HG, TVD, and Merlin were the most enlightening for me; I was less convinced by her remarks on HP (which are kind of disturbing to read because they don't acknowledge everything that's problematic in JKR, since they were written before the whole drama made itself known). I found the "hesitation" and "haunting" phases of the Dark Fantastic cycle to be the most eye-opening.
This review is a mess, but if even a small part of it made you curious, my work here is done.
byronic_reader's review against another edition
4.0
Dark Fantastic is a very unique read for me. It is not easy to read a book that is as insightful as this one. But after a multiple reading attempts, I finally finished this book and my God, what an experience it is! The language is rich and I really feel like an academic after finishing this. I will update this review after doing a third reading.
ngreader's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books I want to own so I can read it again and again at my own leisure. Thomas explores the intricacies of Black feminism within fandoms and popular culture; something that is severely lacking within academic study. As someone studying rhetoric in popular culture and someone who wants to read diverse fiction that doesn't enforce stereotypes, this was an amazing book that I believe everyone should read.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
A very thought-provoking examination of race in media and YA speculative fiction through the lens of the Dark Fantastic (spectacle, hesitation, violence, haunting, and emancipation). Thomas uses four key Black characters - Rue from The Hunger Games, Gwen from BBC’s Merlin, Bonnie from CW’s The Vampire Diaries, and Angelina Johnson from Harry Potter - to explore this cycle and how fanfiction and counter-storytelling are changing these characters in the fandom. This monograph sits between popular lit-crit and academic theory so be ready for a more formal argument.
haveyoumetlisa's review against another edition
4.0
At the beginning of this book, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas disclaims to the reader that this book is the *start* of the conversation about race and fiction (specifically "speculative fiction" as this book refers to it). When viewed through that lens, this book is fantastic. It is by no means complete, but it doesn't claim to be.
I do wish that Thomas had split the last chapter into 2 or even 3 chapters, because while the cover promises talk of Harry Potter, she spends hardly any time talking about Harry Potter text, and more time talking about her own experiences within the fandom and fanfiction. She also spends a good portion of the chapter summarizing her points and looking briefly forward to other areas of study, which would have been better served as a conclusion or afterward, than by mashing it in with the other discussions going on.
I am more convinced than ever for the need of black main characters in popular media, and for better treatment of the ones currently in existence. Thomas breaks down this treatment to the "cycle of dark fantastic", and shows the pattern of treatment of black characters repeats itself over and over again.
In general, this book is well thought out, and well reasoned, and thought provoking. Well worth the read for anyone interested in some introduction to race critical theory, or those who care specifically about race and young adult media.
I do wish that Thomas had split the last chapter into 2 or even 3 chapters, because while the cover promises talk of Harry Potter, she spends hardly any time talking about Harry Potter text, and more time talking about her own experiences within the fandom and fanfiction. She also spends a good portion of the chapter summarizing her points and looking briefly forward to other areas of study, which would have been better served as a conclusion or afterward, than by mashing it in with the other discussions going on.
I am more convinced than ever for the need of black main characters in popular media, and for better treatment of the ones currently in existence. Thomas breaks down this treatment to the "cycle of dark fantastic", and shows the pattern of treatment of black characters repeats itself over and over again.
In general, this book is well thought out, and well reasoned, and thought provoking. Well worth the read for anyone interested in some introduction to race critical theory, or those who care specifically about race and young adult media.
jennachristinereads's review against another edition
4.0
This is a must read for anyone who reads YA and/or participated in any fandoms of the 2000’s and 2010’s. Justice for Bonnie Bennett!!
bookishgoblin's review against another edition
5.0
This was a brilliant non fiction read, even as a mixed race reader myself it was brilliant to get a chance to reflect on some of my favourite and least favourite black characters and why I loved them and why I didn’t. The chapter on Gwen in BBCs Merlin especially gave words to a lot of voiceless feelings I’ve been having since the show aired. It also helped me assess my own writing. This book should be a must read for any speculative fiction writer
fjsteele's review against another edition
5.0
First, I cheated slightly and didn't read the chapters about texts I don't know--Merlin and The Vampire Diaries--but this book is brilliant--beautifully written and researched and innovative in approach. Also, not just for educators but for literary critics, creative writers, sociologists, and scholars of the publishing industry. Thanks, Emily Meixner, for loaning it to me.
kelamity_reads's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
The main premise - how BIPOC are underrepresented and portrayed in fantasy - is an important and undeniable issue, and I found the initial discussion on this very thought-provoking and enlightening.
That said, I struggled with many other aspects of the book. It didn't feel like the arguments were backed up with strong evidence or examples. In fact, a lot of the time, it felt like a single comment by a fan or observer acted as the entire basis for the author's argument. This made what is otherwise an important subject feel weak and less relevant than it is.
Also, a LOT of the author's thoughts and opinions felt heavily influenced by their own personal experience with Harry Potter fanfic and, what it seemed like to me, trying to justify their plagiarism of another author's work.
The overall writing was sometimes repetitive and often felt like it lacked the nuances you would expect from an academic piece.
That said, I struggled with many other aspects of the book. It didn't feel like the arguments were backed up with strong evidence or examples. In fact, a lot of the time, it felt like a single comment by a fan or observer acted as the entire basis for the author's argument. This made what is otherwise an important subject feel weak and less relevant than it is.
Also, a LOT of the author's thoughts and opinions felt heavily influenced by their own personal experience with Harry Potter fanfic and, what it seemed like to me, trying to justify their plagiarism of another author's work.
The overall writing was sometimes repetitive and often felt like it lacked the nuances you would expect from an academic piece.