Do Better: SFF without Sexual Violence discussion
Archive
>
August 2021 - What did you read?
date
newest »
newest »
Mod
Recommending to DB:
The Stars Are Legion - already on DB bookshelf
Klara and the Sun - CW (view spoiler)
She Who Became the Sun - CW (from author): (view spoiler)
NOT Recommending to DB:
How Long 'til Black Future Month? - CW (view spoiler)
Ninefox Gambit - CW (view spoiler)
After Atlas - CW (view spoiler) NOTE: I'm recommending we keep Planetfall on the DB shelf, because this series can be read as standalones
Starting with my July reads since I forgot to post last month. I'll make another post with my August reads. July reads:
Escaping Exodus - There isn't sexual violence per se, but (view spoiler) Also, there is animal abuse/death, bullying, child abuse, emotional abuse, graphic violence, oppression, sexism (against men), slavery. And more. Lots of content warnings for this one.
Ghost-Spider, Vol. 1: Dog Days Are Over - No, but at the end (view spoiler)
We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep - No sexual violence that I remember. CW for child abuse/neglect/death (and can I add in cult/religious manipulation/control?)
Klara and the Sun No SV. Child illness/death.
Every Heart a Doorway(already on shelves)
Signs Preceding the End of the World - I don't remember any sexual violence (Also, not sure if this qualifies as SFF...it's more magical realism at most.)
A Psalm for the Wild-Built(already on shelves)
Come Tumbling Down - No SV. I already don't remember much, but I think there might have been suicide?
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 (already on shelves)
Firebreak(already on shelves)
Beowulf: A New Translation - I didn't retain much from my reading of this haha. I don't feel like I can say if it has SV.
Mod
Hey, good to see you! And thanks for playing catch up and sharing. And no worries if you're not 100% sure, we'll validate. 😁 I have the same problem, I need to come up with a better tracking system!
My brain always adds an explanation point to this thread as though I should feel guilty for my Read shelf.Its really bad that I read so much but don't update you all for this project. I will get better at keeping track of suitable SFF for this groups shelf!
Mod
Jo, recently you've really given me book envy 😂 What excellent reads!!!
Mod
I'm especially curious to read Klara and the Sun: my experience with Ishiguro has taught me that we might have a different... sensibility? I always end up feeling somehow baffled by his books 😂 And yet, I can't seem to keep away, haha.
Mod
Your comment made me wince in shame because I'm - supposedly? In name at least? - a mod here, and I feel exactly the same.
Mod
DB Material
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher (not on our shelves: woot woot!)
It's an eerie portal horror (Is "portal horror" even a thing? Let's pretend that it is) that reminded me a bit of Annihilation, but with a B movie-esque soul to it. I'm not sure the... wacky? turn the story takes at a certain point entirely worked for me, but it certainly made for a fun, engrossing read.
As for the other 8 books I've read, one (The Library at Mount Char: Ryan, your Dr Dolittle comment made me 😂) didn't leave much of an impression, one (Convenience Store Woman) I found excellent but isn't SFF and of the remaining 6, which I'll list below, I can only say that while they were among my favorite reads of the year, they're also each of them very, extremely not DB material. To the point where listing all the CVs for each title would be a lot of work: if anyone is interested in knowing more about them, don't hesitate to ask and I'll expand on it - just know that we're talking anything from (view spoiler) and... the list goes on.
Really NOT DB Material
The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun
Sealed by Naomi Booth
(These two don't actually contain SV that I can recall but I would still be hesitant to recommend them for our shelves, especially the latter)
Little Eve & Rawblood by Catriona Ward
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez
My Mother's House by Francesca Momplaisir
Mod
I haven't read After Atlas yet but by all accounts, it deals with a different set of characters and, as you said, the excellent Planetfall stands on its own, so I'm totally okay with keeping it on our shelf.
August reads:Sorrowland - This does have sexual violence, unfortunately. But it was still really good!
She Who Became the Sun - I don't remember any sexual violence. There is child abuse/neglect/death, bullying, graphic violence, oppression, and sexism.
Black Water Sister - There is an attempted rape.
Parable of the Sower: A Graphic Novel Adaptation - Contains SV
The Memory Theater - No SV. There is slavery, child abuse/death, memory manipulation, graphic violence, bullying.
One Day All This Will Be Yours - No SV. ...and oddly, there aren't really any other content warnings from the posted list, but there is genocide.
The Outside - already on shelves
Symbiosis - No sexual violence, but the deception that happened in the first book is referenced. All the same content warnings for Escaping Exodus
Ryan wrote: "My brain always adds an explanation point to this thread as though I should feel guilty for my Read shelf.Its really bad that I read so much but don't update you all for this project. I will get ..."
I feel you haha.
Elena C. wrote: "@Jo & Kristenelle: I've been catching up on your reviews for the books you mentioned (I haven't checked my feed as regularly as I used to lately) thank you both for them! 😁I'm especially curious ..."
I'm glad someone appreciates my reviews haha. Klara was my first Ishiguro. So I'm not really sure how it compares to his other work, but I definitely am interested in reading more.
Just finished up The Memory Police. My review is here.I'm so disappointed by the inclusion of SV (as well as a slew of other triggering content) all in one completely extraneous chapter. Literally could have torn those pages out and it wouldn't affect the story at all. It was a frustrating read for that and other reasons.
Mod
Thanks for the heads up Sarah. I plan to read it at some point, so it's good to know.
And I hear you. Ever since we started this group I've been most surprised at the small mentions of SV, that like you say, feel extraneous.
Mod
Beige & Kristinelle:
She Who Became the Sun - ✔️ Added to DB with CW (view spoiler)
Klara and the Sun - ✔️ Added to DB with CW (view spoiler)
Elena:
Thanks for catching us up 😁 This one looks like a gem, I found many reviewers who were thrilled to find a horror that didn't rely on SV or animal abuse
The Hollow Places - ✔️ Added to DB with CW (view spoiler)
Kristenelle:
Again, thanks for sharing so many of your reads, even if there aren't many new ones to add to our shelves, it's always great to get seconds for books on our DB shelf and to know the details of why books don't qualify. And yes, we do include magical realism and literary works with a touch of SFF, we tag them as "lit with a hint of sff" 😁 The book in question, Signs Preceding the End of the World looks really interesting. I know you didn't remember if it had SV, but I did find a review that said the MC "encountered SV".
We took a look at the rest of the ones you recommended/were unsure of....
Beowulf: A New Translation - ✔️ Added to DB with CW for graphic violence
The Memory Theater - ✔️ Added to DB with CW (view spoiler)
One Day All This Will Be Yours - ✔️ Added to DB with no CW
Mod
Beige & Kristinelle:
She Who Became the Sun - ✔️ Added to DB with CW [spoilers removed]
Klara and the Sun - ✔️ Added to DB with CW [spoilers remo..."
Six new additions to our shelf? Not bad, not bad at all 😁
Do Better: SFF without Sexual Violence
Books mentioned in this topic
She Who Became the Sun (other topics)Klara and the Sun (other topics)
Signs Preceding the End of the World (other topics)
The Hollow Places (other topics)
She Who Became the Sun (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
T. Kingfisher (other topics)Hye-Young Pyun (other topics)
Naomi Booth (other topics)
Catriona Ward (other topics)
Mariana Enriquez (other topics)
More...
We wanna know, what did you read in August? What did you like, what didn't you like and which (if any) do you think might be suitable for our DB bookshelf-database?
Pop by anytime this month and share. Elena and I will research/validate all member's suggestions for the DB bookshelf-database at the end of the month.
Note: For any books you are recommending, if possible, let us know of any common content warnings that you noticed. Here is our current list on our bookshelf-database: (view spoiler)[
Animal abuse
Animal Death
Body Image
Bullying
Child Abuse
Child Death
Child Neglect
Emotional Abuse
Fat Shaming
Graphic Violence
Homophobia (that is acknowledged)
Low female rep
Mental Health
Memory Manipulation
Oppression
Racism (that is acknowledged)
Self harm
Sexism (that is acknowledged)
Slavery
Suicide
Transphobia (that is acknowledged)
Enbyphobia (that is acknowledged)
(hide spoiler)]