Comics Review: Indiginerds: Tales From Modern Indigenous Life
The representation of Indigenous people in comics and in SF&F alike has historically been … as someone who’s not Indigenous, I’m just going to say that my understanding is that on balance, and despite some notable exceptions, it’s been not great. Viewed most frequently through the understanding and expectations of white creators and readers, the depiction of Indigenous characters has often been profoundly stereotypical. And whether those stereotypes were entirely negative or partly positive, they were reductive and limiting. Of course, Indigenous people have always been telling their own stories, but which stories were able to reach a wider audience was heavily influenced by the expectations of, again, white publishers, reviewers, and readers – and that means that the works that broke through often focused on present or historical Indigenous trauma.
But Indigenous people are more than their pain. Indigenous creators shouldn’t have to perform pain to be considered worthy of our attention.
Book Review: THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones
Jones gives each of the three main characters of the novel an exceptionally personalized voice. A large part of what captivated me through the pages was his remarkable ability with the flow of words through a diversity of styles, a variation in ways that stories can be told.
Book Review: Cahokia Jazz by Francis Spufford
I loved Cahokia Jazz’s blending of noir mystery, mysticism and religion, worldbuilding, action, and as signaled by the title, music.
Interview: Waubgeshig Rice (MOON OF THE TURNING LEAVES)
“Putting the events of Moon of the Turning Leaves about a decade into the future beyond Moon of the Crusted Snow was an exciting prospect to be a little more speculative and move the spotlight onto the younger generation who grew up in this new era after the collapse.”
Book review: The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf by Ambelin Kwaymullina
As I mentioned back in June, whenever I attend a convention I always like to review something by one of the Guests of Honour. Last week my home con, Conflux, played host to Ambelin Kwaymullina, author of The Tribe series. The Tribe begins with The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf. An environmental catastrophe called The Reckoning has visited our world. 300 years on, society has reconfigured itself, striving to preserve the Balance with the natural world. However, some people argue the Balance is upset by the presence of individuals possessing special powers—those with the ability to heal, control the elements or see potential futures. These individuals are assessed and either granted an Exemption or deemed an Illegal and kept in Detention Camps.
Being Here, Now: Moonshot Vol. 2 and Centering Indigeneity
Welcome to the latest installment of my comics review column here at Skiffy & Fanty! Every month, I use this space to shine a spotlight on SF&F comics (print comics, graphic novels, and webcomics) that I believe deserve more attention from SF&F readers. This month, I’d like to direct your attention to the anthology Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection Volume 2. (This review contains spoilers!)
