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A review by shewantsthediction
The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games by Ebony Elizabeth Thomas
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This was an incredibly detailed and insightful analysis of several major Black female characters in recent popular fiction. The author clearly breaks down the cycle of The Black Fantastic that, time and time again, Black characters fall victim to. I think this was published back before JK Rowling had fully exposed her TERFness, so the praise for her seems a little out of date, but other than that, I had no complaints.
I do disagree with the author that Rowling retroactively stating that Dumbledore is gay and Hermione is Black is any kind of progress for diverse representation. I have no problem with the idea of fan picturing a Black Hermione or gay Dumbledore, but it seems like lazy writing to come out and say these things so many years after the books were published. It feels dishonest, revisionary, and like she's trying to win "woke/liberal/progressive" brownie points she doesn't actually deserve. It seems as if she's trying to get credit for something she didn't even conceive of while writing the books - to my mind, had she conceived of these possibilities, she would've just written them in and there would be no need for later amendments via her Twitter. But that's my personal opinion.
I do disagree with the author that Rowling retroactively stating that Dumbledore is gay and Hermione is Black is any kind of progress for diverse representation. I have no problem with the idea of fan picturing a Black Hermione or gay Dumbledore, but it seems like lazy writing to come out and say these things so many years after the books were published. It feels dishonest, revisionary, and like she's trying to win "woke/liberal/progressive" brownie points she doesn't actually deserve. It seems as if she's trying to get credit for something she didn't even conceive of while writing the books - to my mind, had she conceived of these possibilities, she would've just written them in and there would be no need for later amendments via her Twitter. But that's my personal opinion.