I hate labels.
That’s right. I hate labels with a passion. Unfortunately, labels happen frequently in the real world.
I write SFF. I am a SFF writer. I want to be seen as a SFF writer, period. But as a non-USian (non-UK, as I dare to add) writer who happens to be born in Southeast Asia, I get labeled as a World SF writer. Worse, I get labeled as ‘ethnic’ (‘exotic’, ‘other’, ‘foreign’).
We have seen how pivotal Racefail 2009 has played in how we perceive as SFF. The race debate, the perception of non-white writers/characters/players is on-going. There is still a lot of work to be done.
But what has Racefail 2009 done for me as a Singaporean writer? One thing: I don’t like to be seen as exotic or ethnic, as if my Chinese heritage covers me with pretty and inscrutable things. I write SFF. I happen to be Chinese.
And yes, we do write.
Jun 21, 2010 @ 06:32:09
Labels tend to put people into boxes. Boxes tend to limit the area we can move around in.
When I read what you have written, the terms that come to mind for me concerning you are: imaginative, fun, challenging, insightful, knowledgable, perceptive. I don’t think they label you, but they do help me perceive you and who you are. There are things I have learned about you in the last year I have known you on-line that help me with that perception. But all it really means, for me, is writer and, hopefully, friend.
Jun 21, 2010 @ 15:04:18
Thank you for your words.