Fantasy books written by women are often assumed to be young adult, even when those books are written for adults, marketed to adults, and published by adult SFF imprints. And this happens even more frequently to women of color.

This topic’s an ongoing conversation on book Twitter, and I thought it might be worth sharing with Tumblr. And by “ongoing,” I mean that people have been talking about this for years. Last year, there was a big blow up when the author R.F. Kuang said publicly that her book The Poppy War isn’t young adult and that she wished people would stop calling it such. If you’ve read The Poppy War, then you’ll know it’s grimdark fantasy along lines of Game of Thrones… and yet people constantly refer to The Poppy War as young adult – which is one of its popular shelves on Goodreads. To be fair, more people have shelved it as “adult,” but why is anyone shelving it as “young adult” in the first place? Game of Thrones is not at all treated this way…

Rebecca Roanhorse’s book Trail of  Lightning, an urban fantasy with a Dinétah (Navajo) protagonist has “young adult” as its fifth most popular Goodreads shelf. The novel is adult and published by Saga, an adult SFF imprint. 

S.A. Chakraborty’s adult fantasy novel City of Brass has “young adult” as its fourth most popular Goodreads shelf. 

Tasha Suri’s Empire of Sand, an adult fantasy in a world based on Mughal India, has about equal numbers of people shelving it as “adult” or “young adult.” 

Book Riot wrote an article on this, although they didn’t address how the problem intersects with race. I also did a Twitter thread a while back where I cited these examples and some more as well. 

The topic of diversity in adult SFF is important to me, partly because we need to stop mislabeling the women of color who write it, and also because there’s a lot there that isn’t acknowledged! Besides, sometimes it’s good to see that your stories don’t just end the moment you leave high school and that adults can still have vibrant and interesting futures worth reading about. I feel like this is especially important with queer rep, for a number of reasons. 

Other books and authors in the tweets I screenshot include:

TLDR: Women who write adult fantasy, especially women of color, are presumed to be writing young adult, which is problematic in that it internalizes diversity, dismisses the need and presence of diversity in adult fantasy, and plays into sexist assumptions of women writers. 

Never forget the amount of hate R.F. Kuang got for explicitly stating that The Poppy War, one of the most triggering books I’ve ever read, should never be shelved as YA. She did so out of extreme concern of the content getting into the wrong hands without warning.

And then two days later Jay Kristoff said the same thing about Nevernight…and nothing happened.

everyone who reads this post will get some big spicy joy within 24 large minutes (hours)

Ok y'all but like I’m not even kidding about this I read this post yesterday and today I got an email from the peeps at hamilton and I won the lotto gor $10 tickets and I would like to give all my thanks to the internet’s favorite fish, Goldie Gurston, for making this possible because I totally believe they did this with their amazing gay powers

So I know this is likely a coincidence…but I reblogged this and just now discovered I’ve been given a $150 amazon gift card as a bonus at work. So thank you, fish!

If it worked for them I hope it works for everyone else

Some big spicy joy pls

SOME BIG SPICY JOY PLEASE

i request the big spicy joy

I would love some big spicy joy

Me as well, I’d like to stop dying bls

BIG

SPICY

JOY

Welp turns out I have pneumonia so,,, spicy news I guess

Can I just get an actual spicy dish?

What I wouldn’t give for a docile bear the size of a house

The gentleman and the chickadee are perfect.

An audience member stopped World Science Festival host Jim Holt from speaking over physics professor Veronika Hubeny

follow @the-future-now

From Marilee Talkington’s post:

So, after thinking about this over night, I’ve decided to share something that happened at the WORLD SCIENCE FESTIVAL yesterday afternoon in NYC that changed me. Or rather made me step into who I am in a larger way.

As some on my feed have seen, I was live-feeding the beginning of the panel discussion on FB. That panel was made up of some of the greatest and most famous minds in the world in Inflationary Cosmology, String Theory, Cosmology and Physics based Philosophy. The panel was made up of 5 men and 1 woman. And the moderator was a science writer and journalist for The New Yorker.

In the first hour of the panel discussion you can see clearly, if watching the video, that Veronika Hubeny, the only woman on the panel is barely given any opportunity to speak. And the Moderator, Jim Holt even acknowledges this.

In the last 20-30 minutes of the 90 minute discussion Jim Holt finally pushes the conversation to Hubeny’s field of expertise, string theory, and this is what ensued:

He asked her to describe her two theories of string theory that seem to contradict one another.

And THEN, without letting her answer, proceeded to answer for her and describe HER theories in detail without letting her speak for herself.

We could clearly see that she was trying to speak up. But he continued to talk over her and dominate the space for several minutes.

I should say that this panel was taking place in a large auditorium as it is an extremely high-profile and always sold-out event. And the panel discussion was being live-streamed across the world and they say that millions of people watch these videos after they are made public. (Which they already are).

So at this point, after seeing very clearly that she was not going to be given space to speak and in fact having her own theories described to the audience by the moderator, I am in full outrage. My body is actually beginning to shake. The sexism is beyond blatant. It is happening on stage and NO ONE, not a single other physicist or panelist is stepping in to say anything about it. And I can hear other audience members around me, both men and women becoming more and more agitated with what is happening. Jim Holt, even at one point, asks Veronica a question and she laughs because he has been answering his own questions about her work…and he makes fun of her for ‘giggling’.

So at some point while he is Still talking about Her theories, I just can’t handle it any longer.

With my hands shaking,

I finally say from my seat in the 2nd row of the audience, as clearly, directly and loudly as possible;

“Let. Her. Speak. Please!”

The moderator stops.

They all stop.

The auditorium drops into silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

And then the audience explodes with applause and screams.

Jim Holt eventually sat back, only after saying I was heckling him And he let her speak. And of course, she was brilliant.

———————–

So, the panel discussion ends.

My hands are still shaking. I’m still upset by the incredible sexism that has been demonstrated this afternoon. But I also realize that I just spoke up in an auditorium full of people that are listening to people that are considered gods in the international science world. I was just overwhelmed by it all

We get up to leave.

And then it happens.

Person after person come up to me. Both men and women.

The first woman, right behind me, reaches over and embraces me and says, “Oh my god. what you said was the most important thing that was said all day. Thank you. Thank you.”

And then people start filing out of their aisles and wind their way over to me:

“Was that you? Thank you so much for speaking up. Thank you.”

“Was that you? Oh god, what he was doing was horrific. Thank you. I wanted to do something but didn’t know how”

“Was that you? I wish I had the courage to say something, thank you! Thank you so much”

“Was that you? You said what everyone here was thinking. Look I had even been writing in my notebook what you eventually said (shows me his notebook with ‘let her speak’ written over and over.) But you said it. You said it. Thank you.”

“Was that you? Thank you! I felt so powerless to do anything.”

And on.

So we were all thinking this.

—- So I walked out. And my friend who was sitting about 8 rows behind me, came up to me with a huge grin and said “That was you, wasn’t it? Of course it was. YES!!!!! I will be telling this story for years.”

And the whole time, my hands are still shaking. And I’m felling light-headed. And I just want to scream out into the lobby “WHY IS THIS SEXISM STILL HAPPENING? WHY, does someone like me, with No status in that room, have to be so extraordinarily bold and speak up? And why was it so frightening to do so?”

And I’m thinking. “God, please god let this be an opening for those that were here today and the tens of thousands that watched the live-streaming of the panel yesterday and the hundreds of thousands that will watch the video this year- to speak up when we see this happening. And please let me not be afraid to do this again …and again …and again” Because it was scary.

Please keep giving me courage.

Please fund Rape-Axe, the not-so-new anti-rape device.

Rape-Axe was invented by Sonnet Ehlers/Bryant, a medical researcher from South Africa who has seen many victims of sexual assault throughout her career. 

The device is inserted into the vagina like tampon. It has “razor-sharp” teeth that, if an attacker were to enter in the vagina, the device would then attach itself to the attacker. The rapist would “be almost fully incapacitated by the pain caused by the embedded barbs”. Even if the penis would grow flaccid, the barbs would still be attached.   

The only way the barbs could be removed is by a clinician. Obviously at that point, the attacker would be identified as a predator and likely be arrested and convicted.  

Unfortunately since its discovery, the Rape-Axe device has not been able to be on the market due to lack of funding. They have a GO FUND ME and accept PayPal on their website. 

Please help get this device on the market and help victims of sexual assault and catch predators everywhere. 

Keep sharing and donating! This device could help so many

She’s only raised a bit over 4k in the last two years. 

Please make a donation if you can, or save this until you can donate! Think of how much everyone’s lives would change if this became a thing

Happiness Will Come To You.

when tho

When You Least Expect It. Probably Late March

reblog for happiness to come for you in late march!

I reblogged this last year and I hung out with blink-182 backstage on March 30. Reblogging again because it worked the first time.

honestly, last year one of the best days of my life happened in late March

I’m not going to risk it lmao

i did the same and got with my crush in Paris when we wound up on the same vacation (yes so much like a fanfic)… can’t see how it’ll be topped this year but LETS GO BOI

OMG I NEED SOMETHING GOOD TO HAPPEN TO ME PLS :(

Please 🙁

I’m so in need of something good. 😰

Pleeeeaaaaaassseeeeee 😭😭😭😭

30th March is my birthday so pls

Seeking Head Chefs! 

Mystic Cuisine is seeking to fill two mod positions to help move this project forward. 

Candidates for both positions must be organized, work well with others, and able to meet deadlines. We will make all decisions concerning the project as a team, and we encourage every admin to share their thoughts and ideas. 

We also have a spot open for a Graphic Artist! Please note, this is not a mod position, but applying for the Graphic Artist position and a mod position is allowed. 

Graphic Artist duties will include:

Applications close February 19, 2019! 

Mod Application Graphic Artist Application 

In the meantime, we are still taking submissions on our interest check form so please keep spreading the word! 

Keep reading

Seeking Head Chefs! 

Mystic Cuisine is seeking to fill two mod positions to help move this project forward. 

Candidates for both positions must be organized, work well with others, and able to meet deadlines. We will make all decisions concerning the project as a team, and we encourage every admin to share their thoughts and ideas. 

We also have a spot open for a Graphic Artist! Please note, this is not a mod position, but applying for the Graphic Artist position and a mod position is allowed. 

Graphic Artist duties will include:

Applications close February 19, 2019! 

Mod Application Graphic Artist Application 

In the meantime, we are still taking submissions on our interest check form so please keep spreading the word! 

Keep reading

Interest Check for Mystic Messenger Themed Cookbook!

Attention Mystic Messenger fans! 

Have you ever been curious about the culinary skills of our favorite 2D characters? Wondered what kind of concoctions Seven would come up with using his precious Ph D. Pepper? Considered that Yoosung might possess the ability to prepare food that isn’t an omelet? Daydreamed of the dishes Ray might prepare for his angel as she sleeps in late? If you answered yes, then this cookbook might be just the thing you’ve been waiting for! 

Mystic Cuisine is a Mystic Messenger themed cookbook of an undetermined amount of drabbles with themed recipes from around the world.  Not only that, but each piece contains an accompanying piece of art! 

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, please take a moment to complete our interest check form. More information about the requirements for contributors is on the form, and our URL so you can follow for updates. 

Reblogs are greatly appreciated and thank you in advance for your time! 

Keep reading

People who wouldn’t perform abortions or treat trans patients should probably have chosen a different career

i’ve had a realization and i’m sure it’s been done before but-

millennial depression:

vs

gen z depression:

that weird group of teens who were born 1999-2003 all experienced millennial depression around age 12 and then currently experience gen z depression