I think it's been written several times on this site that the media does not consider the African American consumer a viable demographic when selling science fiction. Though, I believe that trend has changed for the better in the visual arts, like the movies and television--blacks are more involved in science fiction movies and television more than ever before.
Yet, I feel the stigma is still present when it comes to books and maybe even comic books and graphic novels. Don't get me wrong, there has been great strides in the genre by giants like Octavia Butler and Steven Barnes. But in reality there are probably just a dozen or so popular writers in science fiction that use people of color as their protagonist/main characters. Members of BSFS have shown me there is a real hunger in the African American community for good science fiction. Voice your hunger in this discussion. Tell us what you like about science fiction and what is lacking that you really would like to see in science fiction books.
Replies