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Patrick
Really? Can we not maybe read books before we start condemning them based on a single word, for the sake of contemporary politics?
Laura
Shards of Earth contains quite a lot of women and LGBTQ+ characters as main characters, including several members of the salvage crew that is at the center of the story. Sex, gender, and sexuality are not main themes -- while characters are mentioned as being LGBTQ+ these identities are not plot points; while sexism exists in this universe it is not a focus, nor does it define the women characters' places in the narrative.
Valentine
Reading this question just made me feel tired
Scott
mankind is a blanket term used for many, many decades to refer to the entirety of the human race. ie "One small step for man, a giant leap for mankind". Why go out of your way to make something controversial? Especially if you have read this author's other work, he has been nothing but respectful to men and woman characters (and non-human characters without gender), regardless of sexual orientation.
Tomislav Blažeka
No, why would you even assume that?
Gulliano
You must be a blast at parties
??
Adrian Tchaikovsky's books have good LGBT representation in them. The Doors of Eden, for example, has a trans woman as one of the central characters. He writes fantastic characters no matter what their gender, sexuality or even species is. Please stop assuming 'mankind' refers to men only. It's likely he didn't even write this blurb.
Alvin Powell
Please keep this kind of thing away from the escapism I enjoy in these books. I read about men/women/aliens in this book. Sexual orientation is totally irrelevant. What about the aliens represented in the book? Does the term "Mankind" include friendly aliens?
Ruth
There are various interesting non-humans in the story. And there are many other planets than Earth that have been reduced to "shards", too. Just kidding, but the sentence would be too long if he had included every human, robot, AI, sentient crustacean, etc. And there are LGBTQ+ and emphasis on the plus in this story, but they are not THE story. The Expanse novels turned into a good series- I wonder if this series- to- be can become a TV series.
Barry
In a way 'yes', because without getting into spoilers there is a 'mankind' in this book and there are challenges and alternatives presented. It's either an editorial slip or very clever indeed (I suspect the former).
I think this book contains positive, and yet not uncritical discourse of LGBTQ identity, race, gender politics and disability.
I am mindful that many of the criticisms aimed at you for asking your question, suggesting you shouldn't be 'condemning them' or bringing inclusion into the discussion haven't actually read the book either and have jumped on you a little.
Good science-fiction always asks 'what-if' and this book does it well. I have read many books praised for their representation this year where I have felt they are little more than 'add a one sentence trans character in' or 'I'll just make this person asexual' without actually considering what that means for the character in the story or setting (not that this should ever be the sole focus).
If you haven't read the book I think you may enjoy the exploration of the themes, even though I didn't enjoy the book overall.
I think this book contains positive, and yet not uncritical discourse of LGBTQ identity, race, gender politics and disability.
I am mindful that many of the criticisms aimed at you for asking your question, suggesting you shouldn't be 'condemning them' or bringing inclusion into the discussion haven't actually read the book either and have jumped on you a little.
Good science-fiction always asks 'what-if' and this book does it well. I have read many books praised for their representation this year where I have felt they are little more than 'add a one sentence trans character in' or 'I'll just make this person asexual' without actually considering what that means for the character in the story or setting (not that this should ever be the sole focus).
If you haven't read the book I think you may enjoy the exploration of the themes, even though I didn't enjoy the book overall.
Jacob Folker
Wow, someone must read really boring books.
Patti Pattison
Sounds like the book promo people need to be brought up to date. Probably not the author who chose that word.
John Leckie
Trolling? Virtue-signaling? Especially before reading him, as you obviously haven't. He's awesome to the marginalized.
Hannah
You sound like the kind of person who honestly believes that the etymology of the word 'history' is a combination of the words 'his' and 'story.' I suggest that you brush up on your historical linguistics and spend your energy pursuing issues of actual import rather than trying to make mountains out of things that wouldn't even qualify as molehills in a sane person's wildest dreams.
Mark Toettrup
You may want to actually try to read Adrian Tchaikovsky's book before you make silly accusations. You could perhaps read the first page where you will find this: "She felt a wave of nebulous emotion. A clutch of loss mixed with the soaring nostalgia of When We Were Heroes. She’d been twenty-five and had never seen anything more than a skirmish before. There had been Castigar warrior-caste members spoiling for a fight; Hannilambra merchant venturers, humans from every corner of the Colonies. And there had been a special weapon too. Four men, three women, one nonbinary."
Matx
Ha ha ha ha oh gods no
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