The Circle Series: The Visual Edition of Black, Red, and White

I read Ted Dekker's original Circle Trilogy—Black, Red, and White—twice (once as an initial read, and once again after the final book in the series, Green was released). The first two times I read the series, I really loved it. I think all 4 books have a 5 star rating from me on Goodreads. When I found out there was a visual edition, I was excited to read it too, but I never saw it in stores. This year I finally just ordered it on Amazon and decided to revisit the series I had fallen in love with.

Summary

Thomas almost dies in our world and wakes up in "other Earth" or a future Earth where good and evil are manifested in the physical and mankind hasn't eaten the forbidden fruit (so to speak) yet. After this moment he crosses between that reality and our reality taking knowledge from both worlds to try to save the other.

What I (Still) Love

The concept is pretty intriguing. I gravitate toward Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian/Apocalyptic and Historical Fiction. The Circle combines elements from most of those genres: you have time travel and mutating viruses, a future earth that is closer to ancient times than modern times, physical embodiments of spiritual concepts (good, evil, and even God), etc. There's a lot to get excited about and a lot to keep you glued to the pages. That doesn't change in the visual novel. Seeing the visual edition is much thinner than the original, I thought I'd miss whatever was taken out, but I'm left to believe the only thing cut from this edition was description. I didn't feel like I missed anything or that the story suffered.

What I Disliked

After reading the original, I don't think I had anything bad to say, but adding images changed that.

Everybody is White

First, everyone in the book is white except one random person who maybe says 2 words the entire trilogy. From a general stance, it says a lot about how the author views the world and shows how deeply white supremacism is embedded in people who claim to be Christians. The largest ethnic group in the world is Asian. Brown people out number white people by a very large margin, so why does Mr. Dekker's "perfect" world only have white characters? Wouldn't most people construct a perfect world with perfect racial harmony? I imagine it be comparable to Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, where the king was white, the queen was black, and the prince was Asian, or to a slightly more sensible extreme, Still Star-Crossed which featured blacks and whites on both sides of the Romeo and Juliet story (though at least parents seemed to match the race of their children). At the very least, I would expect a cast like The Fast and the Furious. Yet, page after page, it's just white people.

White Equals Good

I suspect Mr. Dekker only put white people in his story because he relied heavily on the use of black equals evil, white equals good in the story. The first glimpse of this is the contrast of the evil Shataiki, black bats who represent Satan and the fallen angels, compared to the Roush, white bats who represent angels. Again, he creates a black forest to house the black bats and this represents evil. The good forest fortunately isn't white, which may be why the clear dichotomy didn't bother me on the first read through.

The addition of pictures shows Mr. Dekker's imagining of God (that's a whole 'nother problem we'll get to later) as a white boy, a white lion, and a white man. While Christ is portrayed as a lamb, God is described as being like bronze multiple times. Bronze is not white. Furthermore, God created man in His image and those people were not white. If Adam and Eve were both white (as Mr. Dekker portrays his version of the "first man"), the only way black people could exist would be for God to step in a create black people at random. Conversely, the genome of all races is contained within the African "race." Two black people can easily have albino children. Furthermore, every time God places a curse on people (translated as leprosy), their skin turns white, not black.

What's worse is that Mr. Dekker portrays the diseased (called Scabs) who are meant to represent nonbelievers as more ethnic. The leader of the Scabs and his general, randomly change their name to Qurong (looks Asian) and Martyn (Ukrainian origin) from Tanis (Greek origin) and Johan (Swedish/Dutch origin) respectively. Their hair is depicted as though it is in dreadlocks, which magically goes away when they are essentially baptized. I get the concept that if one doesn't bathe (which is what separates the Scabs from the members of the Circle), their hair may get oily and begin to clump together. However, once the members of the circle stopped bathing daily in the final third of the trilogy, why didn't their hair start to lock up? Regardless, the issue wouldn't be so glaring if the members of the "good" team had diversity. They even call the "good" people albinos...

Depictions of God

This time around, especially since there are literal images, I felt a way about the fact that Mr. Dekker created a being who is supposed to represent God. Reading that God is a lion (like Aslan of The Chronicles of Narnia) doesn't really throw you because God is the Lion (and the Lamb). It's an abstract representation, and while I'd still caution people not to get too carried away (like the Israelites with the golden calf), it doesn't feel so much as putting a face to God. Depicting Him as a boy and as a man, is very different and I didn't like it. That didn't sit well with my spirit. I would have liked the embodiment of God be left as an audible voice that isn't seen.

The Depiction of Good and Evil

We already hashed out my issue with color associations to good and evil, but this book also plays on the idea that evil is ugly and good is beautiful. Yet the Bible tells us Satan was the most beautiful angel and that he can be transformed into an angel of light. I think this trope is overdone, but more importantly misleading. It teaches that evil is obvious because it is repulsive, when actually the true deception (the book refers to "the Great Deception") is that things that appear beautiful are actually poisonous (think about most colorful things in nature).

Logical Problems

I'm not sure how I missed this the first time I read the books, or perhaps I saw it but it didn't bother me, but there are three major questions I had at the end of the series.

First, why were people in our world connected to different people in the other world? Thomas is himself in both worlds. Rachelle being linked to Monique seems some what reasonable in the beginning because Thomas is supposed to pretend to rescue Rachelle in her world, and he really is supposed to rescue Monique in our world. However, after that, the connections seem rather contrived for convenience.

Second, considering these weird connections, why are some injuries/deaths also connected but not all of them? Rachelle dreams she is Monique, though we never see evidence that Monique dreams she is Rachelle. Yet, when Rachelle dies in one world, it seems that Monique also dies. Thomas, on the other hand, dies or receives fatal wounds multiple times in our world. Sometimes those wounds cross over and he is healed in both worlds. However, in two instances, he dies in our world but is still alive in the other world. Why didn't he die in the other world too? This link isn't really explained and seems random if everyone can be connected to person in each world.

Finally, the blank book is used to bring Thomas and Monique of our world back to life. Thomas could have undone the virus all together. He could have written a cure into the right hands. He could have stopped himself from blabbing about it. There are so many things he could have written that would have made the reality in our world resolve much quicker. Sure, we can blame it on the fact that he wrote it in a hurry while preparing for battle, but it seems like this could have been handled better.

Would I Recommend

I don't know how I feel about the recommendation. From a content standpoint, I think I would still recommend the original series (with caution), however I can't get over the fact that the author envisioned his whole "perfect" world with only white people in it. That makes me hesitant to suggest anyone should spend their money supporting him. I guess I recommend the original if you find it in a library or already own it. I don't recommend the illustrated version at all.

References

1. "Martyn". Behind the Name; visited January 2020
2. "Tanis". Behind the Name; visited January 2020
3. "Johan". Behind the Name; visited January 2020

Book Review: A Wrinkle In Time

A Wrinkle In Time is a Science Fiction/Fantasy novel for young teens. One of the first of it's kind to feature a female protagonist, it is a classic and marks the beginning of a new era for Sci-Fi.

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle tells the story of a teenage girl, her little brother, and their friend traveling the galaxy to save the world. It's a grand adventure that culminates in a battle between good and evil.

Back in grade school, I had a friend who loved the book, and despite the fact that we were both avid readers, I never took her love for the book as motivation to read it. When I saw the trailer for the movie, I knew it was now or never. I'm one of those people who prefers to read the book first (and typically I enjoy the book more). So, I rummaged through the bookstore until I found a copy and began to read...

After completing the novel, I found myself with mixed feelings—did I like it, did I not? I'm not sure I can fully answer whether I enjoyed the book or not. One thing that's important to remember is that it was written for young teens (~11-15 years old).[1] At 29, I'm not exactly the book's target audience. Although, I have read books from my youth as an adult and still been drawn in to the pages, I believe this one is better for it's intended age range.

Let's start with what I do like about the book. The overall concept is pretty cool—there's a touch of mystery, a touch of science, and a touch of fantasy. My imagination definitely ran wild as I drifted into the world Ms. L'Engle crafted. Further, the overall message of embracing different styles of learning is definitely one of importance. The novel reminds us if people behave differently or fail standardized tests, it doesn't mean they aren't smart or capable; it just makes them unique.

While the concept and the overall message were solid, the execution was questionable (at least, in the eyes of an adult). The novel was extremely predictable and the climax was pretty anti-climactic. Assuming the movie closely follows the book, I'm not surprised it has a low score from Rotten Tomatoes.[2] On top of a predictable storyline, the book adds an overly precocious child as one of the main characters. By making the child so articulate and intelligent at such a young age, the hope is that we understand how remarkable and special this child really is. Instead, it seemed gimmicky and much less realistic than traveling to far off planets. I feel as though the plot would have made much more sense if the age of the main character and her younger brother had been flipped.

For the Christian reader, the theology in the book may be off putting as well. Interestingly, it has appeared on the banned books list for both being anti-Christian and too Christian. Although Ms. L'Engle is Christian and weaves Bible verses into the story, there seems to be a bit of blurring between New Age philosophies and Christianity.[3] At one point, the book lowers Jesus to the level of Ghandi and Einstein. Unlike The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe from the Chronicles of Narnia series, A Wrinkle In Time mixes science and religion to the point Christian specific theology is lost. In fact, since Jesus is placed on par with human inventors and activists, the god mentioned by the characters is clearly not representing the God of Abraham whose Son died on the cross for us and whose angels would never steal.

Overall, I have no regrets about failing to read this as a child and I'll probably catch the movie on Netflix.

References

1. "A Wrinkle In Time: Product Details". Barnes & Noble; visited March 2018
2. "A Wrinkle In Time". Rotten Tomatoes; visited March 2018
3. Becky Little. "‘A Wrinkle in Time’s’ Long Religious Controversy". History. March 7, 2018

The Portrayal of Black Superheroes

A revolution seems to be happening in the superhero world. Black Panther is being released this week and it's a big deal. To understand why it's such an anticipated movie, we need to look at the history of black superheroes, both in comic books and in cinema.

Introduction

Although there are many publishers of comics, and even more superheroes, when one hears "superhero" they think of powerhouses DC and Marvel. DC is the creator of household names such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League, whereas Marvel is known for Spiderman, X-Men, Captain America, and the Avengers. Unless you're really deep into comics and superheroes, chances are, your favorite superhero comes from one of these universes. Think of your favorite heroes from each of these universes. When it comes to diversity, how does your list of favorite characters stack up?

IGN lists its top 25 superheroes from DC Comics and you guessed it, only 1 of them is black (Cyborg). They manage to include 2 Green Lanterns, and still leave off John Stewart—the black Green Lantern.

Black people make up roughly 13% of the population, but white, non-Hispanic people only make up 60% of the population. If the comic book industry was as diverse as the United States, showing equal care to the storylines of minority characters as white characters, the superheroes on the list would have the following racial makeup: 4 Hispanic, 3 black, 1 Asian, 1 multi-racial, and 16 white characters.^[1] Of course, you'd still expect epically awesome superheroes to exist for even smaller minority groups such as Native Americans and Pacific Islanders.

If the list reflected worldwide demographics, these numbers would change even more dramatically! Based on worldwide demographics 61% (15)—more than half—of the superheroes should be Asian. 4 should be from Africa, 3 should be European, 2 from Latin or South America, and 1 from North America.^[2]

IGN's top 25 list for Marvel stacks up far better with 4 black superheroes making the list (Black Panther, Storm, Blade, and Luke Cage). Not only does this paint Marvel as more progressive in creating well written diverse characters, all four of these characters, plus a few others, have made it in to their cinematic universe, and Nick Fury, a white man in the comics, was recast as a black man.

Bringing in Black Faces

The difference in diversity across IGN's lists shouldn't surprise you, though. Marvel broke the mold in creating the first mainstream black superhero to have his own comic in mainstream America. That superhero was Black Panther, an African prince from a technologically advanced city, hidden in the midst of Africa. Black Panther was introduced in 1966.^[5] For perspective, this was 2 years before my hometown began the process of integration and 3 years after my undergraduate university admitted it's first black student. DC's first black superhero to have his own comic, Black Lightning, wasn't published until 1977—over 10 years later!^[30]

Firsts for Black Superheroes(in Print)

While Black Panther is widely accepted as the first black superhero to star in a comic of his own, he wasn't the first black superhero to appear in a comic. In fact, he wasn't actually the first to have his own comic. The first black superhero to have his own comic was created in the summer of 1947 by All Negro Comics.^[7] All Negro Comics was black owned and operated. That's right, it was a for us, by us moment. It marks the first comic to both feature black heroes as the stars of the comic and to be drawn by black artists.^[6] All Negro Comics stared Ace Harlem as an expert detective and Lion Man the first black superhero.

The first black person to appear in a superhero comic, as a supporting character of course, came just a little sooner, probably in 1934. Many credit the appearance of Lothar in Mandrake the Magician as the first black supporting character in a comic. Lothar was not a superhero, and fits neatly into the tropes I've been mentioning all month: he's the main character's sidekick, illiterate, and dresses "exotically."^[8][9]

Black Superheroes as Main Characters (in Film)

If you're old enough, you know that Black Panther isn't the first film to have a black man star as the main superhero in cinema history. 20 years ago, there was The Blade Trilogy starring Wesley Snipes as the titular superhero, Blade (also a Marvel superhero). There's also been Hancock, staring Will Smith, Meteor Man (1993) starring Robert Townsend, and Steel (1997) staring Shaq. However, Black Panther is still a first of sorts.

Budget and Promotion

Photocredit: Marvel/Blade

Perhaps it's because I was only 10 when Blade came out, but I don't remember it being given so much promotion from Marvel. Let's look at the numbers to see if it's creation and launch was comparable. Blade had a $45 million dollar budget;^[10] Black Panther had a $200 million dollar budget.^[11] When Blade was released, there wasn't quite the same furor around superhero movies, nor was computer animation as advanced as it is today. This could explain the massive difference in budget.

So, let's look at other superhero movies that were released during Blade's era. The same year, Marvel released Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (with Nick Fury portrayed by a white man) as a television movie. It was never released in theaters. DC's Batman & Robin came out just one year prior, in 1997, but it received a $125 million dollar budget. Before that, Batman Forever, which debuted in 1995, had a budget of $100 million dollars.^[19] The Mask of Zorro, —which isn't really a superhero movie, but has many of the same elements as a superhero movie—was released in 1998, and had a $65 million dollar budget.^[20]

Now let's look at recent Marvel releases. Captain America: Civil War, the movie Marvel used to introduce Black Panther two years ago, was given an estimated budget of $250 million dollars.^[12] Thor: Ragnarok, which was released just last year, only had a budget of $180 million dollars.^[13] Spider-Man: Homecoming, also released last year, only had a budget of $175 million dollars.^[14]

Although movie budgets were considerably smaller during the time Blade was released, it's budget was still less than the other movies of it's genre for the time period. Black Panther garnered a budget quite comparable to the other Marvel movies being released today.

Photocredit: Marvel/Black Panther

When you consider that characters such as Captain America, Thor, and Spider-Man are all already established in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and were probably household names even before their movies launched, it's a big deal that Black Panther's budget is basically on par with the budgets of these movies. Though Chadwick Boseman (shoutout to my fellow SC native), started his acting career as early as 1970, he is less familiar to a mainstream audience. Prior to being cast as Black Panther for the 2016 Captain America movie, Mr. Boseman had only been in 4 big screen films.^[15] Captain America, on the other hand, cast well known actors and actress such as Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans (who, fun fact, was actually the Human Torch or Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four),^[16] and Scarlett Johansson. That says a lot about the investment the studio place in Black Panther.

The Other Films

Most of the superhero movies starring a black actor that I saw in my youth were more like comedies than superhero movies. Meteor Man, along with the Disney Channel Original movie Up Up and Away, felt like a parody of superhero movies rather than actually superhero movies. Not surprisingly, they both star and were produced by Robert Townsend. Hancock, though not as joke-y as Meteor Man or Up Up and Away, doesn't quite have the superhero feel to it either. Perhaps it's because Hancock is an antihero; he has a bad attitude, is always drunk, and everyone hates him—including the viewer, I can't remember ever actually liking the Hancock character.

TV Shows

If you've been paying attention, you probably noticed that I haven't said much about DC in terms of film. While I can't think of any black DC characters that have made it to the big screen, this year DC comics launched Black Lightning a series about their first black superhero to have his own comic. Marvel's Luke Cage has been on Netflix for a while, as well.

Female Black Superheroes

Photocredit: Lupita Nyong'o in Black Panther

While things seem to be looking up for black men in the world of superheroes, black women aren't fairing nearly as well. X-Men gives us Storm (played by Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp) and Angel Salvadore (played by Zoë Kravitz). While Storm is a core member of the X-Men team, she's nowhere near as influential to the series or as popular as Professor X and Magneto (even Mystique or Wolverine in the film version). I couldn't even remember the name of Zoë Kravitz's character or which movie she appeared in when I started writing this post, so...yeah, she's not a crucial character. Also, with these two characters we clearly see the effects of colorism. I can't ignore the fact that a dark-skinned female superhero has not graced our screens. The casting of dark skinned women to play pivotal roles, including the love interest, in Black Panther is yet another reason to be excited about it's release.

DC

DC's first African female superhero, was Nubia, who appeared in 1973. For those unfamiliar with Nubia, checkout this video.^[21] (Also, now that Wonder Woman was such a box office, can we get a live action Nubia?) DC's first African-American female superhero, Bumblebee, debuted in Teen Titan #48, which was released in 1977. She is now part of the line up in the animated shorts, DC Superhero Girls.^[25][26] In 1981, Vixen appeared as a supporting member of the Justice League in DC's universes.^[24] Vixen received her own animated series through the CW in 2015. According to IMDB, the series has 2 seasons and 12 episodes.^[22][23] To my knowledge, none of these ladies have their own comic series.

Marvel

You're probably already familiar with Storm, a black female superhero from the X-Men series. Storm first appeared in 1975. Though depicted by Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp in the recent X-Men movies, Storm does not appear to be a light skinned black woman in the comics—though she does have blue eyes and white hair.

Another black female superhero, Misty Knight, actually appeared 3 years earlier than Storm in 1972. She even has an iconic 70's afro, which screams black pride!

The Future of Female Superheroes

As a woman, it saddens me to know that despite the progress we've seen with black male superheroes, women are still trailing behind. I realize that women in general have not been featured as superheroes the same way men have, however, white women are still better represented in this area than black, Latina, and Asian women. Hopefully this current revolution will spill into our realm, as well.

Further Reading

Checkout the following articles, books, and videos for more information.

• Jeffery A. Brown. Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans (Studies in Popular Culture). December 2000
• Tamara Jude. "Greatest Black Female Superheroes ". Ranker; visited February 2018
• "NNedi". ; visited February 2018
• Joe Vince. "How DC Comics’ 1st Black Superhero With His Own Title Was Almost a White Racist". Reddit. January 27, 2016
• Variant Comics. "History Of Black Lightning!". YouTube. July 13, 2017
• Tom DiChristopher. 'Black Panther' poised to maul the competition at the box office and usher Marvel Studios into the future". CNBC. February 10, 2018
• "10 Things You Might Not Know About Black Lightning". The Blerd Girl.
• Trevor Von Eeden". Wikipedia; visited February 2018
• DL Chandler. "Little Known Black History Fact: Black Female Superheroes". Black America Web. July 7, 2016

References

1. "Census QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. July 1, 2016
2. "World Population: Digital Visualization 2014 & Beyond". Population Reference Bureau; visited February 2018
3. Jesse Schedeen. "The Top 25 Heroes of DC Comics". IGN. November 19, 2013/li>
4. Joshua Yehl and Jeff Lake. "Top 25 Best Marvel Superheroes". IGN. September 10, 2014
5. Andrew Wheeler. "Trace the Lineage of Marvel's Black Super Heroes". Marvel. February 28, 2014
6. "‘All-Negro Comics’, The first Black comic book written and illustrated by Black Americans". The Philadelphia Sunday SUN. February 29, 2016
7. Jeff Enlow. "Before there were RiRi Williams and Black Panther, there was Lion Man." Timeline. July 6, 2016
8. "Lothar". Comic Vine; visited February 2018
9. "Mandrake the Magician". TV Tropes; visited February 2018
10. "Blade (1998)". IMDB; visited February 2018
11. Ramin Setoodeh. "Chadwick Boseman and Ryan Coogler on How ‘Black Panther’ Makes History". Variety; visited February 2018
12. "Captain America: Civil War (2016)". IMDB; visited February 2018
13. "Thor: Ragnarok (2018)". IMDB; visited February 2018
14. "Spider-Man: Homecoming". IMDB; visited February 2018
15. "Chadwick Boseman". IMDB; visited February 2018
16. "Chris Evans". IMDB; visited February 2018
17. Nick Fury: Agent of Shield (1998)" .IMDB; visited February 2018
18. "Batman & Robin (1997)". IMDB; visited February 2018
19. "Batman Forever (1995)". IMDB; visited February 2018
20. "The Mask of Zorro (1998)". IMDB; visited February 2018
21. Essence of Zen. "Who is Nubia | Behind the League". YouTube. February 29, 2016
22. "Vixen (2015)". IMDB; visited February 2018
23. D.L. Chandler. "CW Network Announces Animated Black DC Comics Heroine Vixen Series". News One. January 21, 2015
24. "Vixen". DC Comics; visited February 2018
25. Amy Ratcliffe. "Get to Know the DC Super Hero Girls: Bumblebee and Katana". DC Comics. March 29, 2016
26. "Teen Titans #48". eBay; visited February 2018
27. Princess-India Alexander. "Nubia is the twin sister of 'Wonder Woman' — and she is literally a black queen". Mic. June 15, 2017
28. "Storm". Marvel; visited February 2018
29. "Misty Knight". Marvel; visited February 2018
30. Tim Beedle. "First Look: Black Lightning Comes to Life". DC Comics. March 29, 2017

The Portrayal of Black Characters in SciFi/Fantasy

Introduction

One of the biggest problems I have with stereotypical characters is not that they don't exist, but the fact that we are always relegated to these characters. As such, it enables people who rarely interact with black people to base their view of the entire race on these stereotypical characters. One of the areas black people are practically overlooked is fantasy and science fiction (or SciFi), but a revolution seems to be happening in this area as of late, especially when it comes to superheroes. Today, I want to stick to other forms of fantasy and SciFi.

Literature

Hollywood isn't big on coming up with new ideas, so if we're going to talk about black portrayals in SciFi/Fantasy films, we'd better start with the portrayals in literature. Unfortunately, "classic" science fiction and fantasy novels don't usually have any black characters... Growing up, Everworld by KA Applegate might have been the only fantasy book I ever read that included a black character in it's storyline. From The Giver, to The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings to Ender's Game, pretty much all of the books from this genre that I've read are focused on white characters with no black characters specifically mentioned.

Make no mistake, however, we are present in the science fiction and fantasy genres. One of the most celebrated black science fiction writers is Octavia E. Butler, author of Parable of the Sower and Kindred. Parable of the Sower was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1994, and named the Notable Book of the Year by The New York Times the same year.

There's also new comer, NK Jemisin. Her debut novel, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms was also nominated for the Nebula Award in 2010. In addition to being nominated for several other awards, it actually won the Locus Award for Best First Novel in 2011. Since her debut, she has been nominated for and won many awards.[5]

Photocredit: Bookcover for Binti
This is on my to-read list!

Dr. Nnedi Okorafor is another talented black SciFi/Fantasy writer. Her novels have won the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award.[7] Another award winning author of black SciFi/Fantasy is Walter Mosley.[23] There are many other black SciFi/Fantasy writers in the world, and probably even some non-black writers who have included black character as a main character. Thus, there is plenty of source material to create movies.

Movies and Shows

Monday, I watched The Cloverfield Paradox. I love sci-fi movies, and I'm a fan of Gugu Mbatha-Raw's acting, so when my friend saw a trailer for the recently released film on Netflix, it was a no brainer that he should recommend it to me. The cast of the movie is notably diverse, not just racially, but ethnically as well. The premise of the movie actually requires the cast to be diverse, as they are an elite crew of scientists tasked with saving the world. This ensures that the characters are from various countries around the world who have come together in a time of crisis. While the white male characters do have strong personalities, neither are the main character or even the commander of the crew. The main character of the movie is actually a black woman.

Without giving away too much of the story, I was pleasantly surprised to see that:

1. the black characters did not die first
2. the black woman was not an angry black woman or a sassy black woman
3. the black woman was not hypersexualized
4. the black man was not violent or thuggish
5. the black man was the commander of the crew
6. both black characters are given emotional depth

I enjoyed the movie from start to finish. Apparently, other people did not. The move was just released Sunday night, and by the time I finished watching it Monday morning, critics were already slamming the movie. It seems any time movies diverge from the standard of white main characters with minorities there simply to support the main character, critics don't like it.[1][2][3][4]

As a SciFi fan, I feel competent in being objective about whether the movie sucks and not being biased to the fact that the lead is a black female. After all, I agree with critics that Will and Jaden Smith's After Earth was pretty dry (great special effects though). However, I'm not surprised that the critics felt that way. Most movies are either made exclusively for a minority audience or for the mainstream (re: white) audience. Movies and shows made for minority audiences usually cast people from that race in majority of the roles, whereas those targeting a mainstream audience generally stick with white main characters and place minorities in supporting roles. Most movies meant for a mainstream audience that don't follow this formula catch a lot of flack.

Casting a Black Lead

It turns out, white people didn't like watching movies that star a black person as the main character.[9][10] Back when IMDB had a discussion board for each movie/TV show, the boards for these types of movies were plastered with messages containing slurs and derogatory comments. We saw this when Amandla Steinberg was cast to play Rue in The Hunger Games.[11]

If the audience is unable to connect to the character, the movie will never succeed. That's a simple fact. The issue isn't that black actors are less capable, but that white audiences still view minorities, specifically black people, as "other." It is telling that during the controversy about Rue, one of the people complaining that she was cast as black child thought something as irrelevant as the color of her skin made her death "less sad."[11]

The last time a movie starring a black actor (or actress) as the main character won the Saturn Award, an an award for the best Science Fiction film, it was 1996. The movie was Independence Day starring Will Smith. In 1997, Men in Black, which also stars Will Smith, but features him playing second fiddle to Tommy Lee Jones, won as well. It's sequel, Men in Black II, was nominated in 2002, but did not win.[22] In 2000, Pitch Black starring the racially ambiguous Vin Diesel[21] was nominated but did not win. A sequel to this movie Riddick was also nominated but denied the win in 2013. In 2004, I, Robot, starring Will Smith as the lead actor, was nominated but lost. In 2009, The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington as the lead, was nominated but also lost. Cloverfield, which features Jessica Lucas as a major character (but not the main character), won in 2007. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which features John Boyega as a stormtrooper (but still not the main character), won in 2015.[22] With 6 movies nominated for each year, this means in the 10 years since a film staring a black person won the award, 10% of the nominated films have a black character (that is recognizably black) in a prominent role, but only 1.6% (5% if you include Vin Diesel) featured a black lead.

Minorities in Fantasy Worlds

When you think of SciFi and Fantasy, you think of Star Wars, you think of Lord of the Rings, you think of Avatar... These movies are defining movies of our lifetime, and yet, they all have interesting commentary when it comes to race.

Star Wars

I'm going to admit, I'm not a Star Wars fan, so unlike the other movies I've mentioned, I've only heard about Star Wars. What I do know is that in 2015, the addition of a black actor to the main cast caused an uproar among fans,[19] much like the casting of Rue in The Hunger Games. A thesis written on Star Wars identifies and discusses several racial problems within the original series.[20]

Lord of the Rings

Photocredit: Lord of the Rings Movie

Lord of the Rings is an epic trilogy. In high school, my friends and I were obsessed with the movies (back then I wasn't so critical of what I watched). In Middle Earth, not only are all of the human races (men, elves, hobbits, and dwarves) white, they all have blue eyes, too (except in scenes where the cast forgot to put in their contacts, of course). If it isn't crazy enough that a person's fantasy world (re: the place they go to escape reality) is devoid of racial diversity, the villain race of the movie are grotesque with black skin. Sure, you have Sauraman, a white man, helping the side of evil. However everything else that is "evil" is deeply entangled with the color black. The Ringwraiths or Nazgul wear black robes, they ride black horses and black dragon-like creatures. The orcs have gray and black leathery skin. Mordor has a black castle and a black gate. Once again we have a movie blatantly forcing down our throats the idea that black equals bad and white equals good. Is this not the same subconscious reaction of children during Kenneth and Mamie Phipps Clark's doll test experiments?[16][17][18]

Avatar

Avatar wasn't a new story by any means. It follows the same plot as Pocohantas (the fictional version, at least), Fern Gully, and Battle for Terra. These movies all have the leading white male, who is a member of the superior race/nation and is there to colonize or "fix" the savage natives. Said white male always falls in love with the beautiful "savage" princess and double crosses his own people. This is basically the other side of the coin of the white savior trope.

The issue I'm about to broach isn't just offensive to black perople—it really is primarily an offense to the people who were native to the Americas. None of the movies I mentioned show indigenous or black characters—the people are white. In Avatar, however, the voices of the Na'avi—who take on the role of "savages" and seem to follow customs similar to animism and nature worship, both of which are found in African and Native American cultures—are those of black actors and actresses.

The leading lady (aka "the beautiful savage princess") is voiced by Zoe Saldana, who is a black Latina.[12] Her mother is voiced by Guyanese American actress CCH Pounder.[13] Her father is voiced by Cherokee actor Wes Studi,[14] and the voice of her betrothed suitor is provided by Afro-Cuban actor, Laz Alonso.[15]

Generally speaking, we can tell the race and/or culture of a person based on the sound of their voice. While there are definitely exceptions, the rhythm, cadence, and accents of our speech are usually cultural. To use all minority voices for the alien characters and cast proximately white actors and actresses as the humans, the movie furthers the subconscious divide between human races based on speech.

Your Favorite SciFi/Fantasy Movies

So tell me, what's your favorite SciFi/Fantasy movie and how does it portray black people?

References

1. David Sims. "The Cloverfield Paradox Lands With a Thud". The Atlantic. February 5, 2018
2. Tasha Robinson. "The Cloverfield Paradox should have been a comedy — and almost is one". The Verge, February 5, 2018
3. Own Gleiberman. "Film Review: ‘The Cloverfield Paradox’". Variety. February 6, 2018
4. Joanna Robinson. "The Cloverfield Paradox Takes a Massive Swing, and Misses". Vanity Fair. February 5, 2018
5. Brian Lowry. "'The Cloverfield Paradox' splashes, then crashes on Netflix". CNN. February 6, 2018
6. N.K. Jemisin. "About NK Jemisin". NK Jemisin Official Webpage; visited February 2018
7. Tambay A. Obenson. "30 Significant Black Characters In Science Fiction Films (Video)". Indie Wire. November 1, 2013
8. "NNedi". Nnedi's Website; visited February 2018
9. Jorge Rivas. "Study Finds White People Don't Watch Black Movies. Who's to Blame?". Colorlines. July 2011
10. Andrew J. Weaver. "The Role of Actors' Race in White Audiences' Selective Exposure to Movies". Journal of Communication, Volume 61, Issue 2, pg. 369-385. April 1, 2011
11. Anna Holmes. "White Until Proven Black: Imagining Race in Hunger Games". The New Yorker. March 30, 2012
12. Yesha Callahan. "Zoe Saldana on Her Blackness: 'You Have No Idea Who I Am. I Am Black. I'm Raising Black Men'". The Grapevine. June 16, 2016
13. "C.C.H. Pounder". Wikipedia; visited February 2018
14. "Wes Studi". Wikipedia; visited February 2018
15. "Laz Alonso". Wikipedia; visited February 2018
16. Darlene Powell-Hopson and Derek S. Hopson. "Implications of Doll Color Preferences among Black Preschool Children and White Preschool Children". Journal of Black Psychology, Volume 14, Issue 2. February 1, 1988
17. Michael Beschloss. "How an Experiment With Dolls Helped Lead to School Integration". New York Times. May 6, 2014
18. "The Doll Test for Racial Self-Hate: Did It Ever Make Sense?". The Root. May 17, 2014
19. Adam Howard. "New ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ trailer sparks racial backlash". MSNBC. October 20, 2015
20. John Paul Pianka. "The Power of the Force: Race, Gender, and Colonialism in the Star Wars Universe". Wesleyan University. May 2013
21. "Vin Diesel: A Colorless Actor for a Colorblind America?". AfriCultures. April 3, 2005
22. "Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film". Wikipedia; visited February 2018
23. Walter Mosley. "Biography". Walter Mosley; visited February 2018

Book Review: Kindred

Most books fit in a spectrum within 1 of 3 categories: (1) I couldn't finish it, (2) it was entertaining enough to finish, (3) I could not put the book down. Kindred by Octavia Butler falls in category 3. I picked up the book around 6:30 or 7pm when I got home from work and with the exceptions of getting ready for bed and eating dinner, I didn't put the book down until about 1:30-2am when I had turned the last page.  Needless to say I was completely sucked into the story and obsessively concerned with what happened to the characters.

Kindred follows the strange "adventure" of protagonist Dana who time travels from 1976 to 1819 (and subsequent 19th century years) unexpectedly. The time travel aspect solidifies it as science fiction fantasy, which is the norm for award wining science fiction author, Octavia Butler. However, with majority of the story taking place in the past, it reads like historical fiction more than science fiction (luckily I'm a fan of both!). It's a strange mix, but it works.

Generally when I think of time travel I think of it the way I would think of a super power, and in my experience it's usually shown positively—a chance for someone to save the future—or as a bittersweet challenge such as in The Time Traveller's Wife. Dana, however, is a Black woman, born and raised in 1976 L.A. who is transported to a plantation in early 19th century Maryland. Can you imagine the horror? Dana's time travel seems to be linked to a young white boy (whom she witnesses grow) named Rufus Weylin. Though Dana can't control when she appears in Rufus' time (or when she returns to 1976), she always appears just in time to save Rufus' life. Regardless of Dana's role in saving Rufus' life, each visit brings her closer and closer to death, leaving her afraid, even while safely in 1976, that she will never regain her freedom.

At the end of the book I was initially disappointed; there were many questions I had that were not answered and I didn't necessarily feel like "justice" was served. After a few minutes (literally, about about 5-10 minutes) I began to think the end was perfect—it's real. There was no neat tidy end to slavery and justice wasn't really served. People were bought and sold, and no one ever knew what became of the family or friends they lost.

Warning: the following text contains spoilers. Hover over text to reveal.

Dana discovering Rufus is her distant relative and stumbling upon the relationship that led to their relationship is one of the most emotional points in the book. While most Blacks in America today have white ancestry dating to before it was legal for Blacks and Whites to marry or have relationships, very few of us know the circumstances of relationships. Was it always rape? Were there any consensual affairs? Rufus claims to be in love with Dana's ancestor Alice, a free Black woman who lives not far from his plantation. Alice, however, is in love with a slave named Isaac, whom she marries. Rufus rapes Alice and is caught in the act by husband Isaac who subsequently beats Rufus silly. Dana appears just in time to break up the brawl, pleading for Isaac and Alice to run and for Rufus to lie about who attacked him. Alice and Isaac mistake Dana's concern for Rufus as "white-loving" but in truth, Dana wants to make sure Alice conceives Dana's distant relative so that she doesn't cease to exist. At the time, I thought this one time incident would be the conception of Dana's relative, Isaac and Alice would escape, and all would be well with that portion of the story. Of course that's not what happened. Alice and Isaac are caught. The punishment for Isaac as a runaway slave is to lose his ears—something that would sound too gruesome to be believable if it weren't for the fact that my own great-uncle had his ear severed by angry Whites in the late 1800s (and lived so long I was able to meet him to see the handiwork for myself). Alice's punishment for helping a runaway slave is to become a slave herself—not mention the brutal beat down and dog attack she suffers as well. Rufus buys Alice and has Isaac sent further South (we never learn what happens to Isaac) and sets her up in his own bed to recover. Poor Alice is nearly catatonic and has to piece the events together bit by bit, as Dana looks after her. Just when her body begins to heal, she is given the ultimatum that she will sleep with Rufus willingly or he will beat her until she complies. Giving in to the horror, Alice becomes Rufus' sex slave bearing him two children before attempting to run once again. Rufus not only beats her when she runs but takes her children away to make her believe they have been sold. This is the final straw for Alice who then takes her life. As Dana comments to her husband, the women who lived through that era had something powerful within them, something Dana (nor I) believe that she (I) had in her (me). Her ancestor survived the initial rape, which is a hard task for any woman, but not unheard of. She attempted to run to freedom through the woods with no GPS or map and we aren't talking about a 2-3 mile journey, we're talking about crossing a whole state. She survived being mauled by a dog and beaten by men. She healed from mental trauma and coped with the loss of her husband (it's one thing for someone to die, it s quiet different for them to be sold). She endured constant rape, miscarriages, and physical abuse. And in the end the thing that brought her to her knees was the "selling" of her children. Did one of my own ancestors suffer this as well? Were the women in my family just as strong? Am I that strong?

Kindred is a powerful book that will make you ask if you could have endured what the Black characters from 1819 endured, and if you are Black it will also remind you of the strength our ancestors had which is still running through our own veins.

Book Review: Throne of the Crescent Moon

Throne of the Crescent Moon is the debut novel of Saladin Ahmed, won the Locus Award for Best First Novel in 2013^[1], and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2013^[2]. When I decided to read this book there were three things in particular that caught my eye—a comparison to The Arabian Nights in the reviews, the skeleton-like figures on the cover, and the author's name which stands out against all the names of the other fantasy authors, most of whom are white males. I was curious as to the story in general, but also how the the author's culture would influence the story.

The novel follows three main characters—Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, Raseed bas Raseed, and Zamia Banu Laith Badawi—who are each on an individual quest which links them together. Adoulla is an old ghul hunter, specifically the last ghul hunter. He worries that he is too old to continue fighting and there is no one left to take his place. Raseed is a young dervish who wishes to honor God by training under Adoulla to fight ghul's (other wise known as agents of the Traitorous Angel). Zamia is a young girl and the only survivor of the Banu Laith Badawi band, which is brutally murdered by a pack of rouge ghuls. Zamia joins Adoulla and Raseed's quest to rid the city of the rouge ghuls with the intent of avenging her band.

The world created in this book is quite interesting and there is a bit of mystery surrounding the roles of the Kahlif and a Zorro-like rebel in the creation of the mysterious packs of ghuls terrorizing the city. World building is definitely a strong point for the novel—if you want to take a mental trip somewhere else, this book will definitely transport you from your reading spot into the world Mr. Ahmed has created. The inclusion of words and phrases such as Kahlif and dervish from Middle Eastern culture not only adds to the feeling of being transported into another realm, but added to my vocabulary knowledge. It brings about a refreshing shift from Arthurian and Tolkienesque fantasy. Also, the action is set just so, giving the book a nice pace that keeps you from dosing off but doesn't come off as excessive. The character I connected to most was not a main character which made the novel drag a little for me in certain places. Adoulla, Raseed, and Zamia are all likable characters with extremely different personalities and backgrounds, however I never felt deeply invested in whether or not they succeeded.

Like most science fiction and fantasy novels, Throne of the Crescent Moon is part of a series. According to the author's website, the second book should be available some time in 2016. The first book was definitely enjoyable and strong enough that I want to read the sequel, but not so earth-shattering that I've penciled in the release date and pre-ordered a copy. If you like fantasy with just the slightest hint of horror or are looking for a slightly different world to dive into, I definitely suggest this book. If you're squeamish over violence, this may not be your cup of tea. Overall, it was a good, fun read, and I can't wait to see what Mr. Ahmed comes up with next.

Not Like You on Display

All is dark,
Yet I am there--
Center stage,
Hiding in the bosom
Of a deep red flower...
And the audience is a-chatter
Unaware of my presence,
Waiting for the show to begin--
My show, my life...

The flower gave birth to me
Under the spotlight
On the cue of violas
And there I stood
With awe struck eyes--
And the audience was surprised
This little alien girl
Before them startled
Dazed and confused...

Despite the confusion
The curtains continue to rise
The orchestra continues to play
And the music soothes the air
It's my stage, my show
I don't know what they expect
Leave the audience to reflect,
On the life of this alien girl--
Just began only moments ago
Deep breath, command the stage.

Book Review: The Way of Shadows

The Way of Shadows

by Brent Weeks

I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked this book up. The Way of Shadows is the first book in the Night Angel Trilogy and follows Azoth (who later takes on the name Kylar Stern) and Durzo Blint. Azoth is poor, an orphan and has only two friends. The three of them are members of a guild and steal to survive. Like most crime organizations, Azoth has to report to the guild fist (the head honcho of the guild who beats those who don't pay or step out of line). Confrontations arise when Azoth attempts to become the apprentice of Durzo Blint, the best assassin (known as wetboys in the novel) in the city. Azoth soon finds tragedy has struck his only friends, which changes everything. Azoth takes on the world of magic and murder becoming entangled in the unforeseen politics of the city.

What I Like

The book does a wonderful job of submerging you into its setting. Once you begin reading, you feel like you're standing on the street or in the shadows with the characters. The characters, while obviously not good guys, are complex (and likeable) enough that it makes you wonder about them.

What I Don't Like

As I said, The Way of Shadows is book one of three, which means after 645 pages, you're left hanging off a cliff and there are two more books approximately the same size waiting for you. I began the second book shortly after the first and it hasn't kept me nearly as engrossed in the story as the first book.

Overall

If you like action, this is definitely a book I would recommend (I'd also like to see it turned into a movie!). I will caution you that while it took me about two days to finish The Way of Shadows its been about 6 or 7 months since I picked up the sequel Shadow's Edge and I'm not even half-way through the book (granted I've been busy), so you may be disappointed by the follow up.

Tale As Old As Time

The credits roll

A familiar tune begins to play

Emotions run back--

And I'm a child once again.

The feeling never dies,

Never changes, never fades

I am forever captured

Intertwined in the story

Lost in the images,

Invested in the heart and soul--

Memorized words of this classic tale

Recited in my mind

Again and again.

Book Review: The Long Earth

My creative writing teacher always said the best way to get better at writing is to read. Luckily, I love reading—and I love reading different genres. Somewhere—in my mind of course—these genres blend to form some super plot I'm still waiting on. So, I like to read as often as I can. Then I wondered—why haven't I done any book reviews???? 

The Long Earth 

by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

I just began this book today, so this is not an overall review so much as an initial impression, as I'm only 1/3 the way through the story.

Summary

This book follows the events on Earth after what becomes known as "step day"—the day in which the world discovered a seemingly infinite number of other Earths that anyone can "step" in to. These Earths are not inhabited by humans and while they are essentially the same as our Earth, they have had slightly different evolutions. 

What I Really Like

The concept of "infinite" Earths, possibilities had evolution gone one way or another, the societal impact of governing multiple planets, population control, and the meaning of solidarity are all explored in this story. I find the idea of being able to literally step away from a situation or run away from life as we know it, to be very interesting. When resources are infinite and become devalued, how does this effect society, but also how does that effect one's desire? If you can just leave this Earth and live unbothered in another Earth? It is very interesting!

What I Don't Like

The written structure has taken me some time to get use to. Many of the sentences read funny to me. I'm no grammar expert so I'm hesitant to point fingers in this regard, but I find myself doubling back over a sentence every so often trying to figure out what is being said. Also the only real drive of the plot (at least for me) is the who, what, when, where, and how of these infinite earths: Who discovered them? When did they become available to our Earth? Why are they there? Why didn't we know about it before? How did they form? How were they discovered? I suspect (because this is a series) all these questions will be answered eventually, but for now the plot is a bit slow in terms of answering these questions.

Overall

So far, I say this is a decent read. It's not the I-can't-put-this-down, I'm-prepared-to-stay-up-all-night, type of book I'm used to but interesting nonetheless. I'm curious to know if it picks up as the story continues and still interested in most of the characters introduced in the story. At this point I would definitely recommend checking out the free sample (usually available on Nook or Play Books), from there you can decide if it;s your cup of tea or not.

Birth of Imagination

Imagination brews
Unlikely places, unlikely creatures
All a beautiful concept
Waiting to be fleshed out
Waiting to be something
More than just a dream
More than just an idea...
Waiting on an expression
Waiting on life.

Forgotten Prince

A forgotten castle in ruins lies on the hill,
Its windows dark from abandoned kings
The faint glow of precious gems--
     faded with the passing of time...
The story of its glory lost in defeat
     faded in the memory of lost citizens.
I gaze upon it in curious awe
Wondering at a forgotten power
Not knowing I once called it home.

Belly of the Beast

Within the belly of a
Beast wrought with guilt from fueling mankind's fears
Hidden deep in shadows cold
Awaits his peace.

This poem was written for a Poets of G+ prompt of the week.

Crossing the T's and Dotting the I's

The fun (and burden) of poetry is when you re-read a poem and realize it completely captured a moment or idea (or that it didn't quite hit the mark). Last month I wrote "Heavier than Steel, Lighter than a Feather" but it didn't quite feel right. After submitting it for a critique and reading some of the comments I decided to do some editing and make some improvements. Perhaps next month, I'll look back and think this is exactly right (or maybe I'll edit it again).

Artwork by MechanicalHyena and found on deviantArt.

Heavier than Steel, Lighter than a Feather

They told me I was broken:

My arms unable to survive

And I heard them crank the saw--

Caught the glimmer of it's silvery blade,

Braced myself for the sound of pain,

Readied myself for the loss of flesh--

Dead weight can only hold you down...

So I laid there,
Drowning in my own tears.

Anticipating the loss from which I could not heal.

Time stretches on

Agonizing--

And the sound of the saw fades--

I hear doctors' voices,

Muffled in my stupor,

I hear them talking,
Hear them plotting...

What to do with the broken human?

The poking and prodding begins,

No reprieve from my suffering

Not a moment of silence or an ounce of peace...

But for the sound of the drill

There above my shoulder drilling

And the hammering--

I feel them pounding.

What more suffering can I endure?

I'm already broken...

So I pass the hours slowly

Tick, tock--

Until at last the mayhem stops...

And there hangs an unusual weight 

A tremor of pain from sore shoulders.

There lies something new 

A replacement for broken flesh--

My eyes catch the glimmer of green

Soft, beautiful green, glittering with gold

Caressed by the gentle touch of blue,

I see feathers flying free,

Hanging in place of what use to be...

Beautiful metallic wings, 

Crafted a top metal arms and metal joints--

They move with my thoughts,

They bend at my whim.

And I know, now, they are part of me...

Perhaps I'll fly away,
Look down on this memory
From skies soft and blue--
Just above the clouds
Chart my own way
Through turbulence, through rain...
There in the warmth of the sun,
In the presence of light
I fly high...

I spend my eternity
Basking in the presence of stars.

Chances We Take

Close my eyes
And there I am--somewhere
Blue green seas and
Sandy shores--somewhere.

I don't know
But I like it.

The relaxing winds
Watch my hair blow
As waves pass me by
As the sun journeys across the sky.
All is calm, all is well--
Until the sound of cannons
Breaks the peace.

Warm sand against
Quickly moving feet;
I'm rushing back to safety
To a place I think I know...
A little cave hidden away
Somewhere--my brain is leading
And I follow in fear
Of unknown villains--
Unknown faces, unknown demons.

Run fast and live--
Hidden in peaceful seclusion;
There beneath the waterfall
Tucked away behind shining rocks
In the dark of an ancient cave
I hide away. I wait.

Silence creeps on,
Fills time with images
Instead of words--
Sweet thoughts, memories, and goals
All waiting, all adventurous and bold.
Their emergence will come
Someday. Somehow.

Perhaps the danger still awaits,
The beach destroyed,
Water run dry...
But my hear searches for light
For calming water and warm sand
Somewhere--
I don't know, but
Will take the chance to see.

TimeTraveler

The threads of time unravel,
The fabric comes apart
And in his mind
He sees a way to depart...

Travel forward and backward
Through the waves of his mind
Even if he can't affect the physical world,
Even if it's only for a moment in time.

Heavier Than Steel, Lighter Than A Feather

They told me I was broken:

My arms unable to survive

And I heard them crank the saw,

Caught the glimmer of it's silvery blade,

Braced myself for the sound of pain

Readied myself for the loss of flesh--

Dead weight can only hold you down...

So I laid there, drowning in my own tears

Anticipating the loss from which I could not heal,

Agonizing--

Time stretches on

And the sound of the saw fades--

I hear doctors' voices,

Muffled in my stupor,

I hear them talking, hear them plotting:

What to do with the broken human?

Then the poking and prodding begins,

No reprieve from my suffering

Not a moment of silence or an ounce of peace...

But for the sound of the drill

There above my shoulder drilling

And the hammering--I feel them pounding

What more suffering can I endure,

I'm already broken...

Tick, tock, I pass the hours slowly

Until at last the mayhem stops

And there hangs an unusual weight 

A tremor of pain from sore shoulders.

There lies something new 

A replacement for broken flesh--

My eyes catch the glimmer of green

Soft, beautiful green, glittering with gold

Caressed by the gentle touch of blue,

I see feathers flying free,

Hanging in place of what use to be...

Beautiful metallic wings, 

Crafted a top metal arms and metal joints--

Yet they move with my thoughts,

They bend at my whim

And I know, now,
They are part of me...

Mars Lives

Red,

Speckled and shining 

Far in the sky

A tiny speck,

A disillusion of mass

Greater than we see--

It twinkles, like a star

And someone may be watching

Looking back at me

At a blue speck,

Second star to the right

On 'til morning,

When beauty fades.

Barred From Entry

I use to see visions when I closed my eyes,
Whisked away to far off places and different realms
Where fairies were as ordinary as me
And creatures unknown to any other imagination
Ruled high, from thrones above soft clouds.
Colorful birds large enough to ride--
Wild animals only the strong could tame
Soaring above active volcanoes and
Gently breaking ocean waves.
The birth place of wondrous adventures
Twisting turns and brilliant ideas--
A priceless sanctuary locked away in my mind.

If only I could venture there at will
Decide to travel to that beautiful kingdom
Close my eyes and set sail through the mind's canals
Find the missing pieces of stories half seen
Or just experience the peace imagination brings.
Perhaps I'd stay there for as long as I could
But I'd always return to tell the tales
Put to pen and paper words of treasure filled days
And express the danger of terrorizing times--
Dabble in magic and mysticism
Give away--if only a tiny piece--
The story of imagination's playground.

Sci-Fi Legend:

Spotlight on Octavia E. Butler

The fusion of ideas,
Blended into a world of possibility--
Uncontradicted and unheard of
Science and mythology combined,
Soaring above and beyond
The usual fantasy...
Jumbled letters and words
Breathe!
This isn't the usual story
And I'm determined to sort it out
Add my own flavor
To create some place no one else can reach
Somewhere I want to go.

Octavia E. Butler was a best selling science fiction author and the first science fiction author to receive a "genius" grant from the MacAuthur Foundation (in 1995). Her books were known for their blending of African-American spiritualism and science fiction concepts. Her first novel was published in 1974 and went on to become a 5 volume series, thriving in a genre generally reserved for white males. Butler soared to the ranks of best selling author from the disadvantage of dyslexia, by cultivating her skills regardless of the difficulty [1]. Awarded both the Hugo and Nebula twice from prominent science fiction societies. In 1998, Butler said "I'm black, I'm solitary, I've always been an outsider." She passed away on February 24, 2006 [2].

References

1. "Octavia E. Butler". Biography; visited 2014
2. Margalit Fox. "Octavia E. Butler, Science Fiction Writer, Dies at 58". New York Times. March 1, 2006