I hope I find you all well today. Things are going well on my end. Class' getting a little chaotic again, but I am managing.
Today, I want to lighten things up a little. The last post was very serious (which it needed to be) but I don't want every post to quite so serious. (There is nothing wrong with that, let me be clear, but that is not what I intended Tug & Tram Blogging to be. I'm also probably not the right person for that).
As you can read by the title of this post, I have two topics to talk about. So let's get right into it!
Avatar: The Last Airbender Finale (Spoilers)
Well, after several late nights binging Avatar with my friend Jacob, we finally completed all three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender. It feels very bittersweet. On the one hand, I've finally seen the series, but on the other hand, I have no more new Avatar to watch. (Unless I start buying the comics, but that's a whole other topic in itself).
Now, as a writer, I can say one thing for certain: finishing stories are hard. It's not something that creators get right the first time. And if you're not careful, a bad ending can ruin the whole experience for a reader. Now, whether or not that's due to unfair expectations or writing, I'm not entirely sure. One recent example I can think of is Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. For some people, it was a really good ending, for others, it didn't match their expectations. I personally liked the movie, though I do admit it has some problems, and the dripping of new information from the novelization is not helping either.
Now, what does Rise of Skywalker have to do with Avatar? Well, both are the endings for their respective sagas, and surprisingly, have a lot of similarities. (Spoilers for Avatar & Rise of Skywalker from this point on).
In Avatar, Fire Lord Ozai acts a lot like Emperor Palpatine. He has a final plan to end the war, and is willing to murder millions to do so. Another similarity is that both of their plans include new giant ships that will bring about their "final order," although this is where the similarities begin to divert.
Fire Lord Ozai, renaming himself the Phoenix King, leads several firebenders on their ships to use the powers of Sozen's Comet to increase their powers tenfold. And they go on a torch mission of the Earth Kingdom.
This' where we finally see, after seasons of buildup, Aang confronts Fire Lord Ozai. And the battle lives up to our expectations! The battle was very satisfying, as Aang struggles with the moral dilemma of how to end the war without killing. And he finds the way thanks to a giant Lion Turtle. He stays true to himself, and fulfills his duties as the Avatar.
Most of the plot points in the story are completed. The war is over, Zuko becomes Fire Lord, and works with Aang to restore their broken world. Characters are reunited with their family members, and peace is back in the world. We also get a certain love plot resolved (yes!) I was very afraid we wouldn't see Aang and Katara's relationship resolved, but we do.
Also, Uncle Iroh gets his tea shop back. It's very satisfying to see him, retired from fighting, just able to relax in peace. It's something that mentors don't usually get in fiction. Often, they die like Obi-Wan in Episode 4.
One thing I will say is that it was almost distracting seeing the similarities between Rise of Skywalker and Avatar's finale. And I have to say, Avatar's ending felt much more satisfying.
Is that a fair comparison? Probably not. Star Wars is a long running, multi-media series, while Avatar is limited to the show, the comics and one spin off show, currently. (I apologize if I missed anything else) With Star Wars, we know that there will be something else coming in the next few years. As for whether or not Rise of Skywalker satisfyingly ends the Skywalker Saga, well, I think we need to wait a few years to a decade before we say that.
All right, I think that sums up my thoughts on Avatar (and also Rise of Skywalker). Time for our next topic.
Books by Non-White &/Or Male Authors
In my last post I said I wanted to do more to help fellow writers who are not like me, ie. white, straight, heterosexuals males. While this' a small step, I want to offer some recommendations for books written by people who aren't like me. This' by no means a "Be all, End All" list of books you should read by more diverse people, but I hope it's a good start. Also, if you have any recommendations, by all means let me know! I'd love to diversify my reading more. All right, lets' get to it!
But before we do, please be aware that several of these books might have elements that're triggering/upsetting for readers. In particular Books 1, 4, 5 and 6. Please read at your own discretion/as you feel comfortable.
#1 War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi
My first recommendation is a book I'm currently reading. War Girls is a Science Fiction/(Afro-futurism?) novel about a Civil War in Nigeria, and the story of two sisters who're caught in the middle. I won't go into too much detail, (As I don't want to spoil anything), so here are my general thoughts.
The story is very complex and tragic. We see the characters lose a lot, as the war takes more and more from both sides. We see the effects of becoming a cyborg and what a civil war being fought with mechs (think Robotech) would look like. It's brutal, and the ethics of both sides are questioned.
There's also a lot of cultural elements included, which's due to Mr. Oyenbuchi being from Nigeria originally (he currently lives in the US). I don't want to comment on those elements, in terms of analysis, because (aside from taking World Literature in English) I know next to nothing about Nigeria, so I really have no right to comment. I will say that it adds to the tension between the two sides: Nigeria and Biafra.
Which is actually a relevant topic. When reading I assumed (mistakenly) that Biafra was a fictional state made for the story. Turns out, The Biafran-Nigerian Civil War in "War Girls" is based off a real life event in the 1960's, which is still impacting Nigeria today. This' truly a book that could only be written by someone in the cultural setting.
We also see the impacts of post-colonial superpowers trying to influence the events for their own profits, such as the selling of weapons, which offers some very relevant critique of Capitalism and Western countries. I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm close, and can already recommend this book.
If you are interested and would like to buy a copy of War Girls, please check your local bookstore, or visit the Penguin Random House website here, or you can check out Bookshop.org's link here.
#2 G Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel run
My next recommendation takes us into the world of comics, in particular Marvel. It's also one of my favorite modern comic book runs. G Willow Wilson is a female Muslim writer who is well known for her works in comics and novels. She has worked on famous comic book characters such as Wonder Woman, the X-Men and Superman. I'd argue that her most famous run is her 2013-2018 run on the rebooted Ms. Marvel. You can read more about Ms. Wilson on here website here.
Now, key word here is rebooted. Kamala Khan, who most people know to wear the mantle Ms. Marvel, is not the first. That title belongs to Carol Danvers, aka the modern Captain Marvel. Kamala Khan, in universe, is a nerd and huge fan of Captain Marvel. So when she gets powers, it makes sense that she wears the mantle of Ms. Marvel.
Kamala is an important character for Marvel. She's one of the first Muslim superheroes to be the title character of a book, and is one of the newest characters who has stuck around. Comics have a bit of a history of introducing new characters who don't stick around for long. Kamala has broken that mold, and I don't see her going away any time soon.
I love Wilson's run with Ms. Marvel. She writes very believable characters, in particular teens, and she's not afraid to tackle big issues such as voting, discrimination and self identity. Kamala is a very relatable character who is also inspiring as she overcomes obstacles thrown her way. She's also super funny.
I definitely reccomend reading Wilson's run with Ms. Marvel. You can find Ms. Marvel Volume 1 "No Normal" on Bookshop.org here.
#3 The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
The next book is another series, although I've only read book one. The Belles is a fantasy novel written by Dhonielle Clayton, and the COO of We Need Diverse Books. The Belles is one of her newest books, published in 2018. It is the first of a series, with the second book "The Everlasting Rose," was recently released. You can check out her website here.
The Belles is set in the world of Orléans, where people are born with gray skin and can only become members of society when worked on by a Belle, a group of women with magical powers allowing them to mold people's bodies and physical appearances. Our main protagonist is Camellia, who wants to become the Favorite of the Royal Family, but realizes the dangers of the royal court.
Surprisingly, The Belles was inspired by the Uglies series, which I read in high school, though Ms. Clayton makes the idea of changing your body as your own. You can read about Dhonielle Clayton's other books here.
The Belles is a very enjoyable book, and while it's set in a fantasy world, you can see the critique of modern culture and in particular beauty standards. Despite having a lot of focus on makeup, which I'm not personally into, I still found The Belles a fun read.
If you want to purchase The Belles, please visit your local bookstore, or check out Bookshop.org's link here. (Please note that I'm not getting paid by Bookshop.org)
#4 Future Fiction: New Dimensions in International Science Fiction
I've spoken about Future Fiction in the past, but it seemed too good not to share again. Future Fiction: New Dimensions in International Science Fiction is an anthology collection of authors from around the world, edited by Bill Campbell and Francesco Verso. We have stories from authors ranging from India to Canada, and all are very different. One story deals with an AI house personified as a woman, another with people in India able to take life force energy from dying people, and... the dreaded Panda VR Sex. (Will I FOREVER be haunted by that story?!)
In all seriousness, it's actually... you know, I'm not going to spoil that one. If you're curious, you can go find the book at your library or buy it here. All the stories are different from each other, and you never know quite what you're going to find next.
I had the pleasure of meeting Bill Campbell in person Freshman year of college when he came to speak at Goshen College, to talk about Book #5, and the struggles of African American Writers to break into publishing. He's from Pittsburgh and runs Rosarium Publishing, which works to give diverse voices a place in the world. You can read an interview with him here, or check out his page on the African American Literature Book Club here.
#5 Mothership: Tales from Afrofuritism & Beyond
Again, this book seemed too good not to share. Mothership is the first anthology that Mr. Campbell helped to edit that I ran across. Mothership is a collection of short stories written solely by African Americans, who have won Pulitzer Prizes, American Book Awards, World Fantasy Awards, and The Bram Stroker award.
The stories deal with serious issues that African Americans deal with, and can be at times a bit of a heavy read. However, I still recommend giving this book a read. The forward also gives a look into Mr. Campbell's frustration at African Americans in Science Fiction, being relegated to supporting roles. Mothership's stories allow African Americans to be at the forefront of the stories.
You can find Mothership on Bookshop.org here.
#6 The Vorkosigan Saga
Now our last author is white, but I feel that, given my description above, an exception can be made. All tides lift all ships, as the old saying goes. Our last author is Lois McMaster Bujold, author of the cult classic book series the Vorkosigan Saga. The series follows the adventures of Miles Vorkosigan, a member of the high class on Barryar, a very patriarchal empire, and follows his struggles due to his birth defects from a botched attempt to assassinate his parents.
Miles is not your average protagonist. He's not a physically towering, guns blazing figure. He's short (described as "dwarfish"), and his main strength is his mind, not his physical fighting skills. Sometimes the stories can drag a little towards the middle (from the perspective of someone used to lots of action) but the stories still kept my attention as Miles outwits his antagonists who always underestimate him.
With that said, I do wish to reiterate that the Vorkosigan Saga has some potentially triggering elements, including assault (threatened and done) and trauma. "Shards of Honor" in particular has some potentially triggering elements, so please read at your own discretion/as you are comfortable.
Now, going into the series, there's a bit of a question of "Where exactly do I start?" There's a prequel book, Falling Free, which will help a later story make sense, but doesn't really connect (and happens hundreds of years before Book 1). Miles doesn't actually appear as a character until "The Warrior's Apprentice" (pictured above), and we actually follow his Mom for a few books. I was slightly disappointed that Cordelia took a minor role, but looking at a Goodreads list of the series, she does come back into the forefront in later books.
I have personally read up to Book 11, "Memory," and took a bit of a break (as I just read 11 books of the same series in a short amount of time). But it's definitely one I will go back to at some point.
More so, the series is still ongoing! The last book, No. 16, was published in 2016. You can find the earlier mentioned list here to help you find a jumping on point that works for you. I would personally recommend with Book 2 "Shards of Honor." You can also read the author's recommended reading list here.
Unfortunately, Bookshop.org only has a novella for sale, which you can find here. You can also find Ms. Bujold's Amazon page here.
That's all for this post. Do you have any books by non-white/male authors you'd like to recommend? Let me know in the comments on Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. You can find me on Facebook, @TugTramway, @ConductorPat on Twitter, and on LinkedIn as my regular name (let me know if you'd like to connect).
Thank you again for checking out this post, I hope you enjoyed it. If this post is popular, I might do another one in the future. Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you on the Tramway!
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