Paul Huffman answers “Why Arden is referred as 'they'? has...”

Isabel asked this question about Velocity Weapon (The Protectorate, #1):

Why Arden is referred as 'they'? has he/she got multiple personalities or it's a mix of AI-human being that makes this character different from 'normal' humans? This use of plurals for one person is driving mad :P

Paul Huffman I agree with Daniel. I think this is clearly a nod toward the current cultural support for those who consider themselves non-binary (LGBTQ). I was not…moreI agree with Daniel. I think this is clearly a nod toward the current cultural support for those who consider themselves non-binary (LGBTQ). I was not very sensitive to this until about a year ago (summer 2019) when I started working with a lot of non-profits and government service organizations and encountered the rise in stating your pronouns. This is now fairly common in email signature blocks in more progressive circles. As Daniel says, the individuals in this case identifies as non-binary and their preferred pronouns are "they/their".
This strong alignment to current (early 21st century) cultural terms and practices is something I found a little limiting in the book as I expect there will be further evolution on many fronts. I would have liked the author to do more "world building" from a cultural standpoint.(less)

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