{"product_id":"the-dark-fantastic-9781479800650","title":"The Dark Fantastic","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWinner, 2022 Children''s Literature Association Book Award, given by the Children''s Literature Association\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWinner, 2020 World Fantasy Awards\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWinner, 2020 British Fantasy Awards, Nonfiction\u003cbr\u003eFinalist, Creative Nonfiction IGNYTE Award, given by FIYACON for BIPOC+ in Speculative Fiction\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReveals the diversity crisis in children''s and young adult media as not only a lack of representation, but a lack of imagination\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStories provide portals into other worlds, both real and imagined. The promise of escape draws people from all backgrounds to speculative fiction, but when people of color seek passageways into the fantastic, the doors are often barred. This problem lies not only with children's publishing, but also with the television and film executives tasked with adapting these stories into a visual world. When characters of color do appear, they are often marginalized or subjected to violence, reinforcing for audien\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most radiant and thought-provoking descriptions of the potentials of fantastic literature. * LA Review of Books *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic\u003c\/i\u003e will entirely change the way you read science fiction, fantasy, [and] horror, and I can absolutely assure you it will be for the better. * BookRiot *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic\u003c\/i\u003e is a wakeup call to all who research, teach, or create young adult speculative fiction ... Thomas issues a call to decolonize the speculative fiction genre and to ensure more texts, films, and television shows that include a Black female protagonist become the norm to influence a new generation of readers and writers. \u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic\u003c\/i\u003e is a must-read. * Booklist *\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most brilliant and woke explorations of race and speculative fiction I've ever read. Thomas breaks down the history of fantasy and imagination and shows us how far we have to go with such patience and clarity I felt like I was sitting beside her, growing smarter with each word. -- Jacqueline Woodson, National Book Award-winning author * Brown Girl Dreaming *\u003cbr\u003eIf you care about thoughtfully engaging with race, Harry Potter, and fandom, you definitely need to check out \u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic.\u003c\/i\u003e * Mugglenet *\u003cbr\u003eBy bridging pop culture, personal experience, and academic study, \u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic\u003c\/i\u003e provides a crucial examination of race and storytelling in sci-fi fantasy media aimed at teens and young adults. Not only does Thomas discuss how Black characters are erased in an inescapable cycle, but she also provides a guide to breaking it. * Brain Mill Press Voices *\u003cbr\u003eThomas synthesizes theory from several disciplines to build her model of “the dark fantastic”—a cycle in which Black female characters are sidelined in mainstream fantasy narratives for young adults. … Valuable for introducing readers to a range of concepts, this is an important work of criticism on an underexamined topic. * School Library Journal *\u003cbr\u003eA creative blend of autoethnography, literary analysis, and counter-storytelling, this volume is intriguing, accessible, and raises important questions that will likely generate additional research on this topic... A must read, especially for current and future educators. * Choice *\u003cbr\u003eTimely and beautifully written book [...] Powerfully addresses the imagination gap in white writers’ use of Black characters as props to demonstrate aspects of white protagonists’ character development, often through violence wrecked upon Black bodies. This book should be in the library of any university teaching Children’s literature or Fantasy literature, and on the reading list of any courses in those two areas. * Fantastika Journal *\u003cbr\u003eThorough, creative, and revolutionary, \u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic \u003c\/i\u003eaddresses the \u0026amp; imagination gap that plagues the majority of children's and YA media, which erases and mutes the stories and agency of black characters. From Harry Potter to The Hunger Games, Ebony Elizabeth Thomas sheds light on the dark fantastic to point scholars and fans toward a world where we can all experience and be liberated by the power of magic. -- Tananarive Due, American Book Award winner and author * Ghost Summer: Stories *\u003cbr\u003eA compelling work of criticism, autoethnography, and counter-storytelling. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas reads within and across novels, film, television, fanfiction, the writers who create them, and online communities in order to explore the \u0026amp; role of race in the collective literary imagination. Thomas powerfully introduces the concept of the imagination gap and articulates its implications for the culture as a whole, recognizing the power and necessity of new stories capable of remaking the world. -- Christina Sharpe, author * In the Wake: On Blackness and Being *\u003cbr\u003eA compelling synthesis of speculative fiction, critical race theory, autobiography, and fantasy, \u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic\u003c\/i\u003e provides a powerful diagnosis of how racial difference shapes our imaginations. If you are looking for ways to repair the damage wrought by the lack of diversity in popular culture, there's no better place to begin. -- Philip Nel, author * Was the Cat in the Hat Black? *\u003cbr\u003eThe form of this piece of scholarly activism is as fresh as its scholarly content; Thomas has a strong authorial voice and uses it eloquently, lightly, and without pretension, making this necessary book accessible to a much wider audience than children’s literature scholars. \u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic\u003c\/i\u003e is a transformative and democratising work in the public humanities, emancipated from stagnant academic notions. * International Research in Children’s Literature *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Dark Fantastic \u003c\/i\u003eis a timely entree into the literature on speculative and fantastic fictions, and it does exactly what it sets out to do…As fantastical and speculative fictions become more popular, this text is sure to become a must read for scholars, teachers, and readers of the fantastical. * The Journal of African American History *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New York University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49409041695063,"sku":"9781479800650","price":66.6,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781479800650.jpg?v=1730505212","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-dark-fantastic-9781479800650","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}