Racefail

[dark_puck]

Apparently it isn't just limited to Paramount's The Last FailAirbender. Disney will be releasing Prince of Persia starring a white protagonist (Disney! YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THAT), and the publishing sphere is joining right on in.

Justine Larbalestier wrote a book called Liar, "a book about a compulsive (possibly pathological) liar who is

Comments

[bookblather]

Wow, uh. Just wow.

I would hope that they realize that half the entire point of Lionel is that he is not white, because Gabrielle is, and a lot of people's astonishment at the brother-and-sister thing makes no bloody sense otherwise. If they don't...

...well. It's our damn book. *nods firmly*

*strikes Bloomsbury off the possible-publishers list*

[dark_puck]

I'm actually half-afraid they'll just use a lion to represent Lionel, or ignore him entirely and focus on Gabrielle for the cover. D:

Also, I may or may not change Michael's eyes. Depends on what my dream research kicks up. I still intend for them to be unusual, though, because that's probably related to his magic.

Also, good morning! You're up early.

[bookblather]

Up to you re: Michael's eyes. And actually, I kind of hope that they either don't put Gabi on the cover or have her sort of ghostly, because her absence is the ENTIRE POINT OF THE BOOK. Also, the book is ABOUT Lionel kthx so let's have him on the cover. Also Saul. Who I hope doesn't get poofed magically young, but that's a different rant entirely.

It's the curse of actually having a job again. I can't sleep nearly as late as I used to. Also, I have Things To Do today, so.

[dark_puck]

INDEED. Plus it also harks to how she kind of fades into the background, as observed by Saul at points.

Ahahahahaha. The publishers may have conniption fits. "A BLACK TEENAGER AND AN OLD JEWISH MAN. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" <3

Ahhhh, and that would be why you're not on AIM for me to love and blather at.

[flyingwild]

The Prince of Persia thing is way old news. Much much older than the Last Airbender.

Though to be fair, in the more recent games at least, the Prince has always looked kind of generic, ethnicity-wise, and has always had an English or American accent. It's the other characters they'll be messing up more by casting them as white actors/actresses...

However, I've still got hopes the movie will be decent as the creator of the series is working on it. So yeah.

[dark_puck]

Yes, you've got a point. I'll admit to not being up on the mark there, since I'm not really in the fandom and I haven't played the games. The last I'd heard, people had acknowledged the ambiguity of the Prince's ethnicity and were more pissed about the other characters.

[freedom1776]

Unfortunately, authors have absolutely no control over their covers, unless they're very, very, very lucky. Furthermore, the people who make the covers generally only get one or two pages of material to work with.

And I'm not denying there is a problem. On the contrary-- it's simply institutionalized in the traditional publishing business. Which is an even bigger problem.

[dark_puck]

Oh, I know -- the author herself is bitching about this. And the company is trying to pass it off as "well now NOBODY KNOWS FOR SURE IF SHE'S TELLING THE TRUTH OR NOT" which is fail. I fret for my own book.

[freedom1776]

WTF?! *has a headache*

*tilts head* Your book?

[dark_puck]

*points up in the comments* Working on an urban fantasy story with bookblather up there. The main character who drives the plot is black.

[terioncalling]

Sounds like the book Larissa oddkitty told me about. Character is a black woman with no hair. Cover? White woman with long hair. Yeaaaaaah.

[terioncalling]

Lo, a picture! (tiny but picture nonetheless)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0451452763.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg