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Does the race of the hero in a book matter to you?
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It will matter to those who cling to hatred and stereotypes. Sane people are more interested in the quality of the writing. As a teenager, I loved Starship Troopers (not so sure I would now). While the hero's surname was Rico, I assumed he was Mexican. It didn't distract me in the least from the rollicking space opera between the covers, and when I learned on the last page that he was Filipino, it just took it to a whole new level of cool.
Basically, I think the characters just need to be believable. It doesn't matter to readers, as long as they are well written, well-developed characters. I'm actually thinking of having my main character be of Mixed Race. Hope I'm not offending anyone. I include characters of all races in my books but I'm wanting to change it up a bit and have a mixed race main character. The race of the characters shouldn't matter and the story is going to be Science Fiction, but I'd like to think all races have potential to be main characters.
No. It doesn't matter to me at all. I dare say it matters to some, just as it does in real life, but it doesn't matter to me.
No, for me, I have to feel like the character could exist and he/she has to be likable. I could care less about race or gender.
Never had an issue with it, so long as they well developed and portrayed I don't care what their race is.
Though I don't have a problem with it, I'm kind of wondering if those that do would actually admit it publicly.
Alexander Cross. Benjamin January. Lincoln Rhyme. As I type this, I'm noting a pattern. The heroes are detectives first, romantic leads second. Although that may have more to do with my reading patterns than anything else.So I guess, all I can offer is 'I don't know.' Lots well written books with Caucasian and Asian MC's are also languishing.
Also, given your link, I should also mention that zombies creep me out. I won't read or watch anything zombie centric.
Jen wrote: "Though I don't have a problem with it, I'm kind of wondering if those that do would actually admit it publicly."The ones who have the biggest issue with it quite likely will admit to it publicly, but that is a very good point.
Victoria wrote: "Jen wrote: "Though I don't have a problem with it, I'm kind of wondering if those that do would actually admit it publicly."The ones who have the biggest issue with it quite likely will admit to it publicly, but that is a very good point."
When I see unrepentant bias, it's usually put out there by someone who wants attention. I can't say whether they believe the filth they spew, or if they're just looking for an audience. Too many people love to argue. The point of that argument...well, it isn't always the point.
If that makes sense.
I've been told by several people that it DOES matter, but not always for the reason you might think. People don't have to have any dislike for people of color for it to matter to them, and here is why: when people see a book cover with, say, a black person on it, they assume it's going to be African American Literature, as in, a book about black culture, history, or whatever. If they aren't interested in that or looking for it, they'll move on. My book, for example, features a beautiful black girl on the cover. It's listed as fantasy and the name lends itself to that genre, but people still often assume that it's supposed to be about African American history. The description is VERY clear that it's a book about a fantasy world, fantasy girl, etc., but they still assume. In our world, if you note that a minority is the main character, people are going to assume that the minority-ness is what the book is about. After all, if you aren't writing a story ABOUT minority issues, why wouldn't you just write it about a white person?I doubt if people usually think through all of that, but I firmly believe it is true. And it's not just white people. My best friend is black and she told me I should consider changing my cover because she, along with most other people, would look at it and assume it's A.A. Lit. Since she doesn't generally read that kind of thing, she would have looked past it.
All that to say, yes, it's probably hurting your sales. You should probably focus your marketing in minority groups/sites. That's where I go to find both diverse books and diverse readers. Not that I've been at it long, but that's what I've recently been learning.
I don't care about the species of the hero, so why should I care about the race?
And if I may get on my soapbox for a moment, I reject the entire concept of race. It's long out of date and has no scientific basis.
And if I may get on my soapbox for a moment, I reject the entire concept of race. It's long out of date and has no scientific basis.
Chris wrote: "I don't care about the species of the hero, so why should I care about the race?And if I may get on my soapbox for a moment, I reject the entire concept of race. It's long out of date and has no ..."
On one hand, yes. On the other hand, I would miss the diversity of color and culture if there was no longer a distinction between them. The world would be a bland place. I would prefer to see us continue to expand our knowledge of and appreciation for people of different backgrounds than to become 'color blind' as people say.
R.A. wrote: I would miss the diversity of color and culture if there was no longer a distinction between them. The world would be a bland place.
Well, there are degrees of blandness. The fact that no other hominid species has survived into modern times makes this planet blander than it would have been if, say, Neanderthals were still with us. Mind you, considering how white people treated black people in recent history, God help the Neanderthals if they had survived. (Though of course homo sapiens would have been convinced that God was on their side, not the side of the Neanderthals.)
My objection is not to diversity - far from it - but to the notion that the many ways in which people are diverse can be reduced to a single taxonomic concept: 'race'. To disapprove of the concept of race is not to be colour-blind, but to hold that using colour as a basis for classifying people is unsound and generally a very bad thing.
Well, there are degrees of blandness. The fact that no other hominid species has survived into modern times makes this planet blander than it would have been if, say, Neanderthals were still with us. Mind you, considering how white people treated black people in recent history, God help the Neanderthals if they had survived. (Though of course homo sapiens would have been convinced that God was on their side, not the side of the Neanderthals.)
My objection is not to diversity - far from it - but to the notion that the many ways in which people are diverse can be reduced to a single taxonomic concept: 'race'. To disapprove of the concept of race is not to be colour-blind, but to hold that using colour as a basis for classifying people is unsound and generally a very bad thing.
Unless it's integral to the story I prefer if the author doesn't give too many details. I like to put my own image on the characters, I think many readers do, otherwise why would they get upset that Robert Pattinson wasn't good looking enough to play Edward.
After reading some of these comments, there is hope for some humans after all this time. And yes there is a problem within publishing about race and reinforcing stereotypes. Perhaps some of these people don't yet realise that all people of African descent regardless of their origins, do not have the same blood type for example, neither do all European people. Humans are diverse, this is what we should be accepting.
I thought we were all the Human Race. Shows what I know...
I think it depends on the type of book really. If it is a book meant to entertain then not really. But, if it is a book written to explore aspects of race, culture then I think it would affect them because it would limit the audience. I have had some books that I read that had characters not the same race as I that I couldn't get through but more because the author wrote them to such an extreme "stereotypical" degree that it was asinine and killed the enjoyment of the book. If the characters are allowed to just be people and evolve well with the story then no the race doesn't matter.
When I first read the manuscript for Glogems for Profit, it took a while to realize the protag was black. The Oriental girl was easy to spot.If you write about PEOPLE and don't make a big deal about their race, you'll probably have a good yarn. Bruce Davis (as white as they get) has created a great series (The Profit Logbook) around his main character, Zack Mbele WITHOUT making a big deal of his race. The "big racial deal" is that he's a native of Mars and a veteran of that military.
Not to me, but I admit to liking Japanese manga with cute girls.
Yes, Jen, that makes sense, and I agree; sometimes people make a fuss just so someone is paying attention to them.
Chris wrote: "R.A. wrote: I would miss the diversity of color and culture if there was no longer a distinction between them. The world would be a bland place.Well, there are degrees of blandness. The fact that..."
Gotcha. I agree and thanks for sharing.
I am fascinated by the individual. Every detail about a hero adds to their character. A person is made up of the influences of their background, environment and childhood.
Stan wrote: Not to me, but I admit to liking Japanese manga with cute girls.
I have a thing for elf-maidens, but I'm pretty sure it's not reciprocated.
R.A. wrote: My book, for example, features a beautiful black girl on the cover. It's listed as fantasy and the name lends itself to that genre, but people still often assume that it's supposed to be about African American history. The description is VERY clear that it's a book about a fantasy world, fantasy girl, etc., but they still assume...
Looking at your cover, R.A., I don't think your problem is that the girl is black, I think it's that nothing on the cover says 'fantasy' (not to me, anyway). Certainly there are none of the monsters or dragons you mention in the description.
I have a thing for elf-maidens, but I'm pretty sure it's not reciprocated.
R.A. wrote: My book, for example, features a beautiful black girl on the cover. It's listed as fantasy and the name lends itself to that genre, but people still often assume that it's supposed to be about African American history. The description is VERY clear that it's a book about a fantasy world, fantasy girl, etc., but they still assume...
Looking at your cover, R.A., I don't think your problem is that the girl is black, I think it's that nothing on the cover says 'fantasy' (not to me, anyway). Certainly there are none of the monsters or dragons you mention in the description.
Jack wrote: "I thought we were all the Human Race. Shows what I know..."Well put!
Stan wrote: "Not to me, but I admit to liking Japanese manga with cute girls."LOL!
Pamela wrote: "I am fascinated by the individual. Every detail about a hero adds to their character. A person is made up of the influences of their background, environment and childhood."Here, here!
It would be yes and no for a reason. If the story is about a __ protagonist [pick the culture and genotype and insert, i.e.: Native American, Black American, Japanese, and etc...] the main and supporting characters has to be believable.A character listed as full-blooded Apache, serving in the military of today, whose entire descriptive persona is as Irish as Tullamore Dew just wouldn't be believable.
The devil is in the details...
My books, as are many other fantasy works, are based on another world. The races that exist there are diverse and have good reason to dislike each other in some cases.I hope I create characters that are liked and disliked by readers for what they do, rather than which race they are part of.
There are good and bad people in every race, here and there.
I don't have any problem with the nationality of the characters in books. But then I don't have problems with the nationality of real people either. I would buy a book whatever colour the main character was. I have books about people of all races. I have friends of all races.
Recently a friend and I were talking and he wondered allowed if the fact that our books feature black protagonist might be limiting our sales. I don't believe so but I was wondering what others think.
Read more here: http://www.thedeadwarseries.com/2014/...