What's Next For Fantasy? Hopefully Diversity

Promo poster for Studio Ghibli's Tales From Earthsea

Fantasy is a lot of things: otherworldly, an escape from reality, vast and wonderful. But most of the time, fantasy is painstakingly white. From Tolkien to Lewis to Rowling, popular fantasy can't seem to find a place for people of color.

This is definitely changing with the years, though. Black Panther, which has elements of both sci-fi and fantasy, is currently breaking box office record after record. Meanwhile fantasy video games like Dragon Age: Inquisition are incorporating more people of color into their stories. Though there is still a long way to go, things are getting better very slowly.

Ursula K. LeGuin's underrated Earthsea cycle is a great example of a work that was ahead of its time. All of the protagonists, despite what the horrible cover art tells us, are people of color. Set in the fictional archipelago of Earthsea, Ursula K. LeGuin's world building shines in this beautiful Taoist based realm.

A Wizard of Earthsea was one of my favorite books growing up, and rereading it this year confirms that it's still one of my faves. Not only is the cast diverse, but the story takes the hero's journey on an internal level that we hadn't seen done in fantasy for a while. The story of Ged's quest to find the shadow he's released on the world is such a great metaphor for coming of age. Ged has to deal with consequences, a hard pill to swallow for some. Through this journey, Ged learns a lot about magic, the world, and most importantly: himself.

The big reveal at the end that the shadow is a part of Ged that he hasn't accepted yet shouldn't be that big of a shock. It's sort of predictable, but getting to know Ged so well and seeing his character take form, the ending made so much sense. Sometimes you just gotta' come to terms with the parts of yourself you don't like, because that part of you is still you. It's our job as people to mold ourselves into what we want to be, we can't abandon ourselves only educate.

I would recommend watching the Studio Ghibli adaptation of the series titled Tales From Earthsea. Out of all the horrible adaptations of the Earthsea cycle, this one is the least horrendous. The story is OKAY and the characters are nothing like the ones in the book, however the world is spectacular. It's exactly what I pictured Earthsea to look like, from the architecture to the landscapes. It's a visually striking film, albeit a lackluster plot.