Quote:
Originally Posted by speakingtohe
Ahh but isn't it often entertaining when they try.
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I think trying is better than not trying, and just because the author didn't nail it the first time, doesn't man she/he'll nail it down in the second. Again, if the author observes others, does research, and gets feedback from people who could relate more to the POV character, I think there really are no boundaries.
[Edit: added example]
There's one white American female author who recently published a SF/F book about bisexual (and other) muslims in a colonized planet. (God's War by Kameron Hurley). Was the POV character a factor in me purchasing it? A bit, just because I haven't seen it before. Was it a good book even beyond the POV character? Heck yes, it's one of the best SF action-adventure books I've read. Did she portray her Muslim characters in a manner that Muslims would find authentic? I have no idea. They're in space, religions and cultures change. And it's interesting.
The author is aware that she relied on some stereotypes on the first book, and got some reader feedback on it, and she's addressing those in the book she's writing now. I think risks are worth it. What is the point of writing if authors could only write what they have real life experience with? SF/F as a genre wouldn't exist.