IMO Both. It’s lazy-ass writing but some stereotypes are really deeply ingrained into the cultural thingy, so even if the writer is not being explicitly racist, the caricature can come together because certain elements “just feel right together”, so you end up with any one of the standard SF/F cookie-cutter elements.
Which doesn’t make it any less racist or fucking lazy.
Not necessarily, but if you’re not paying attention you can add one element to another and end up with (insert racist trope here) entirely unconsciously and wihout malice. Which again, doesn’t make it less racist.[quote=“AnonyMouse, post:1, topic:99018”]
Do authors have a responsibility to avoid descriptions that come across as racial stereotypes
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If they want to avoid looking like racist fuckwits, then yes. It’s not obligatory, because people like familiar stuff and some tropes are very familiar. But it’ll avoid a lot of tedious explanations if you do.
Maayyybe. Not my sort of read, to be honest. If you can’t convey in human terms what a non-human is like, it’s gonna be a pretty shit read unless you’re real good at what you do. Most authors just ain’t up to that.
As as we’re on the subject of SpaceJews…
