Important Terms
Important Terms
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Speculative Fiction
Speculative Fiction
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An umbrella term that covers several genres but ultimately means unrealistic, fictional work.
The "Dark Other"
The "Dark Other"
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The "Othered" Darkness. It can be anything from the shadows in the corners to the outcast Black character in your favorite show.
Afrofuturism
Afrofuturism
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"Afrofuturism is an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation. 'I generally define Afrofuturism as a way of imagining possible futures through a black cultural lens,' says Ingrid LaFleur, an art curator and Afrofuturist." [1]
The Dark Fantastic
The Dark Fantastic
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“The dark fantastic is my term for the role that racial difference plays in our fantastically storied imaginations.” [2]
Imagination Gap
Imagination Gap
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"When youth grow up without seeing diverse images in the mirrors, windows, and doors of children's and young adult literature, they are confined to single stories about the world around them and, ultimately, the development of their imaginations is affected," [3]
Lack of proper representation causes people of color to lack the ability to imagine themselves in the future. Therefore, there is a gap in their imagination.
Endnotes:
[1] Ytasha Womack,“Evolution of a Space Cadet.” In Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture (Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, 2013). 9
[2] Ebony Elizabeth Thomas. The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games. (New York: New York University Press, 2020), 7
[3] Ebony Elizabeth Thomas. The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games. (New York: New York University Press, 2020), 6
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