Editorial: The Black Genre

By Alex Miller

I remember the joy I used to get as a little kid perusing the aisles of books of my local library in Chicago. I was a nine-year-old who read H.G. Wells, Edgar Allen Poe, and J.R.R. Tolkien. The latter of whom—I must admit—I found extremely challenging. But I was nine; can you blame me? I used to envision those grandiose worlds, those macabre cellars, those dystopian futures. And then I’d think about being a famous author (partly sniggering to myself because I lived in the ghetto on Chicago’s South Side), and I’d pretend I could write such beautiful prose as to put an end to child abuse; exterminate poverty; or heap all the gangsters, crack-heads, and pimps into a dumpster large enough to hold them and jettison the horrid canister into Outer Space.

           Fast forward fourteen years. While perusing a library’s sci-fi aisle as I once did as a child, I made a bit of a less-than-startling, more well-that’s-the-way-of-the-world realization: all my favorite authors are white. I love sci-fi. I love thrillers. I love crime novels. There were black people in other genres, but I only really (secretly) enjoyed the novel Waiting to Exhale. So, where were the black authors of the fiction I love?

           I found myself asking this question over and over, night and day, until I came upon an answer. Maybe there just was no such thing as a black author of speculative fiction or horror. It hurt a bit. I guess it was one of those things that you are just so shocked to discover, you almost want to pretend you’d never learned it. I was reliving the death of Santa Claus. Clark Kent actually didn’t look a heck of a lot different than Superman. I’d never really get to marry Anne Hathaway. Obviously I was just being a simple-minded fool. After I became better educated, I became angry. Not angry at successful white writers for writing exceptional fiction. Oh no.

           I held, and still hold, my ire for the publishing industry. Making a name for yourself is tough, especially if you’re a black author trying to write something besides romance, erotica, memoir, or non-fiction anthology on the struggles of eighteenth century slaves. So you won’t think I’m pulling the race card and shoving it in your face, do me a favor and name as many black authors of sci-fi, paranormal, fantasy, crime novels, horror, speculative fiction, conspiracy thrillers, or mysteries as you can. I’ve Googled it, so I can name at least three now. But why should anyone have to do that? We know our Stephen Kings, our J.K. Rowlings, our Dan Browns, and our Isaac Asimovs; isn’t it time we started knowing our Samuel R. Delaneys, our Octavia Butlers, or our Tananarive Dues?

           I am not so naïve as to believe that Blacks are not interested in this type of fiction. Not anymore, at least. C’mon…get real. That’s like saying that white people don’t like Kool-Aid or watermelons. It’d be kind of racist to say that, actually.

           The truth, I believe, lies in the belief that blacks are mostly only interested in romance-driven dramas, biographies, and erotic fiction. “The Industry” would rather play it safe. People in publishing know that Terry McMillan sells. They know that Tyler Perry’s plays and films are a knockout. And they know that Zane and Antwon Fisher have huge followings amongst the black community. So, because of what they’ve proclaimed a rule, publishers have placed a sort of stigma on the black author who writes sci-fi or paranormal thrillers. Silly publishers: Ignorance is bliss.

            It is because of this skewed thinking that I’d rather not have a lable at all. I’d rather tap dance on glass ceilings than to be labeled a “Black Author,” as if being black has any bearing on how good my writing is. You see, this prejudice, this naiveté is truly what has made things hard for blacks. Really though, it’s okay. It just means that people who are different must try harder to succeed. As often as people try to draw lines and create barriers, that’s how often blacks will climb over those fences to become golf legends, tennis champs, and presidents. Oh, and famous thriller/sci-fi/paranormal/crime writers.