The Default Is A Lie: How To Find Books by Authors in Different Communities

Image by Ag Ku from Pixabay

In 2016 (the year reading challenges really took off on the Internet) a good friend asked if I’d like to do a reading challenge. Most of the challenges I’d seen so far that year were fluffy — nothing wrong with popular fiction, etc., but I’d been looking for something different, as was my friend. We are both interested in social justice and wanted to read more fiction and nonfiction by authors in different communities: people of color, women, LBGTQIA+, global, indigenous, younger authors, or overlooked classics. We also surmised the challenge would give us a way to keep in touch and stay accountable as we finished the requirements.

I’m not usually a fan of reading as a requirement. This may sound strange coming from someone who majored in English Lit, but actually my professors struggled with it too. Some years ago, a study was released that said when people are required to read novels (not academic textbooks, that’s a whole different conversation), they may retain less of the story and/or enjoy it less than if they picked out the title their own selves. I don’t know if that has been proved or disproved, but my class discussed it. My professor was bummed that her love of the Brontës might not transfer to her students.

Reading for pleasure vs. requirement poses a conundrum. Because the question remains: How will you know if you like or don’t like something? Read it. Right?

The answer to that question is “most of the time.” We all have books we won’t read; I’m going through life without having read The Sandman, Catch-22, or Lolita, all for very different reasons. But one reason I wanted to try this particular reading challenge was that I knew I was missing part of the story. I’d been reading too much fiction (and nonfiction) by and about people like me. And my friend and I wanted to find out what else is out there.

We set up the challenge online, so that we could each update our progress in real time and see each other’s titles — not just for accountability, but also because the other best way to find books is to have them recommended to you. More about that below.

It took me awhile to complete that challenge. The requirements were simple: “read a translated book,” “read a book about non-western history,” or “read a book set in Africa by an author from Africa.” Finding books sometimes proved difficult. When I did read them, not gonna lie, a lot of them took me out of my comfort zone.

But that was the entire point.

The publishing world is supposed to be bigger than me (as the recent controversy surrounding American Dirt makes very clear). Stats don’t lie, either. The Cooperative Children’s Book Center compiles publishing statistics for children’s books by and about people of color, here. The situation is not really much better for authors of color writing for adult audiences.

Soon enough, nothing about that challenge felt like a requirement; I wanted more. I realized I’d been missing out on so much, and I’ve been trying to play catch-up ever since. I now go out of my way to find books by authors in different communities than my own.

Some of the authors I discovered (no doubt you will recognize some names):

• Stephen Graham Jones
• P. Djeli Clark
• Rebecca Roanhorse
• Colson Whitehead
• Kai Ashante Wilson
• Victor LaValle
• Ken Liu
• Cherie Dimaline
• Malinda Lo
• Nnedi Okorafor

Here are some ways I’ve been diversifying my reading; take what you will. Since we’re at the tail-end of February, aka African-American History Month, I’m also throwing in Indigenous and LBGTQIA+ suggestions, because people should be able to read about themselves, and the rest of us should be educating ourselves, at any time of year.

We Need Diverse Books (WNDB). It’s important for anyone, especially kids, to see themselves represented in the books they read. WNDB is mostly geared toward children’s books and publishing, but follow their Facebook page for posts about the same problems with novels for adults. The WNDB site also has pages full of resources for readers finding diverse books and people who want to create those books.

Anthologies: Anthologies are a great way to read a range of stories if you want to find some authors to follow without reading thousands of pages first. Although, let it be said that reading (and writing) short stories v. long-form can be totally different experiences. Example: I adore Neil Gaiman’s short stories, but I just can’t read his novels. (Or Sandman.) That said, there are so many anthologies out there these days that it isn’t difficult at all to discover new authors. Walking the Clouds is one of my favorites. Also, I just discovered New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color while doing research for this post, and it’s going at the top of my to-read list.

Lambda Literary Awards: Also called “The Lammys,” these awards are categorized into respective orientations; mostly the letters L, G, B, T, and Q, with smatterings of (to my knowledge, since I definitely haven’t read everything that was nominated or awarded) I and A. But if you’re someone who feels invisible in that spectrum, categories make it easy to find stories.

Internet searches: As a librarian, I never thought I’d say this, but: Google is your friend (although, DuckDuckGo is a better friend). Here are some search terms: books by authors of color, indigenous writers, LGBTQ science fiction, speculative fiction by writers of color. Look for lists of publishers, too, like this one. Do searches for “books to read instead of [insert title].” Check out Speculative Chic’s search function for relevant tags and scan our contributor page; there are authors of color right here.

Reading recommendations: As a librarian, of course I’m going to say GO TO THE LIBRARY, PEOPLE. Get reading recommendations from librarians. If your library has a blog, follow it; look for reading lists and LibGuides on library websites.

Other places to get recommendations: Friends. Book reviews. Awards lists (as mentioned). Strangers you meet in the library. Strangers you meet on the bus. Hit up your favorite bookstore peeps.

American Indian Library Association: Another link that deals primarily with juvenile and YA literature, but it’s all instructive. I’d been missing out on so many different viewpoints and rich experiences. And hell, you may say you’re not reading YA, but whatever; we’re all reading YA, and what is YA anyway? Check out the awards lists.

N.K. Jemisin’s Third Consecutive Hugo Win for Best Novel

Social media: Follow authors. What are Stephen Graham Jones and Malinda Lo reading? Whose books do they list as influences? I admit, I’m uncomfortable with following authors or actors, etc, but I love to hear what people are reading, and authors often share their current reads and favorites. Also: follow small presses publishing fiction by authors from different communities.

Reading challenges: That’s right, I said it. They’re not over as a fad unless you say they’re over. I thought my reading challenge would be “reading to the test,” so to speak, and given all the things I’ve read since, I’m sorry I ever thought of it that way. So. Use one from the Internet or create your own (as we all do, really).

That’s it for the moment.

Before I turn you loose upon the universes, a reminder: I may use the term “people of color” but this is not a monolithic representation by any means. There is a whole wealth of people and worlds and characters out there, all with vastly different experiences. Just…don’t fall into the trap of reading purely for exoticism. (Perhaps we’ll tackle that another time.)

Lastly, whenever you are reading books — which I presume is all the time, because books — ask yourself questions about the characters who represent diversity in those stories. What are their story arcs or personal goals? Do they have any, or are they there to serve the protagonist in some fashion? There are more questions to ask, but those should get you going down the rabbit hole. As someone once told me, just because a person of color is in the room, it doesn’t mean they’re included or prioritized.

Maybe these suggestions are simple and straightforward, maybe there’s something in here you haven’t thought of. Maybe there’s something I haven’t thought of. But I wanted to share them in honor of African American History Month — and also so people can find great books and awesome characters any time of the year.

Do you have any recommendations? What are your favorite diverse books? Let me know below!