Anti-imperialist sentiments in fantastic literature date back to (and predate) Mark Twain, but in recent decades the commercial fantasy genre has included many high profile works that are explicitly anti-imperialist in nature. With recent WFA winners and nominees like Kacen Callender’s Queen of the Conquered, and R. F. Kuang’s Babel, it seems as if literature like this has a much higher profile compared to decades past. For a genre that has often fetishized feudalism & empire, this development is of significant interest. This panel will discuss possible reasons for this evolution, spotlight contemporary writers who are using the fantastic genre to explore anti-imperialist themes, and highlight significant anti-imperialist fantasy works that pre-date the last two decades.
Jeremy Lassen (M), P.L Stuart, Naseem Jamnia, Glenn Parris, Alexandra Manglis
Empire A/B