Ray Bradbury's take on censorship and inclusivism

[zandperl]

I just reread Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (first read in high school). The edition I had included two afterwords, one of which discusses some letters he received from readers in this and other books of his. A number of these letters, he says, criticize his treatment (or lack thereof) of blacks and women. Bradbury harshly rebuts that this is

Comments

[calzephyr77]

I wonder though - I would not be comfortable writing characters with ethnicities not similar to mine. That would seem kind of cheap - I couldn't bring authenticity to a non-caucasian character at all, for example. I have Fahrenheit 451 somewhere, but I think it only includes the first afterword. I didn't realize there was a second one - I should get a newer copy than the ratty used bookstore one I have :-)

He doesn't show understanding of the distinction between elective special interest groups, and minority status imposed upon one by society, and he also doesn't show understanding of the privilege/status/power involved in the involuntary minority statuses.

I would also have to dig out The Martian Chronicles, but I do believe there is one story where he does show it - one character goes a little nuts about the extinct Martian society and in trying to recruit another crew member to his cause, appeals to that crew member's mixed Cherokee heritage. All in all, though, he's pretty much stuck in whitey world. His stories are really a product of their time and seem so anachronistic - I never understood how science fiction authors couldn't imagine a world where women would go into space. Most could imagine the technology, but not the social changes at all.

[zandperl]

I would not be comfortable writing characters with ethnicities not similar to mine.

Hm, interesting. On the one hand, that makes sense, you would want to be authentic and not offend anyone by doing it wrong. On the other hand, professional writers can take the time to do the research and write them authentically and have someone relevant edit it after; if you're writing about the future, what's to say that people of your own ethnicity will be the same as we are today, so why should a different ethnicity be any harder than your own; I think in the short term as we colorize SF that yes, lots of writers will try and fail, but in the long term the writing profession will learn from those failures as well as the individual writers learning to broaden their minds as well.

[calzephyr77]

Yup, it's like when Americans write about Canadians - they do a lot of research, but they can never really get us right or just can't tap into the national vibe :-D It's not offensive to me, but it just comes off as a caricature.

I think I'm a little more sensitive to things that seemed like forced diversity from years of taking in American media that hasn't been reflective of Canada's population and sense of multiculturalism (East Asians and Chinese people are the top two visible minorities here). Multiculturalism in American media has always had this taint of obligation to it. It wasn't an organic growth and growing up I sensed it wasn't the will of the people at the time. I recently watched a Free to Be, You and Me clip on YouTube and I tried to think of how groundbreaking it must have been to have white and black kids dancing together in the 70s, but I can't truly feel it, just as I can't quite appreciate that Mom couldn't get a credit card because she was a single woman.

if you're writing about the future, what's to say that people of your own ethnicity will be the same as we are today, so why should a different ethnicity be any harder than your own;

Society changes very slowly over time although that might not be true anymore. I'll get back to you in 20 years :-D

Looking at the past through the present is always a problem. Looking at the future through the present hasn't always worked either but it's probably the better option as you say. You should really submit this idea or story to IO9 - I'm sure you would get lots of responses.