Welcome to Fantasy Friday, dear readers. It’s once again time to Blog For A Beer! (Rules, as always, are here.) This week is International Blog Against Racism Week, an annual event where bloggers talk about their experience with racism, eliminating racism, and promote education and activism. It seemed appropriate to devote this week’s Blog For A Beer to IBARW and the discussion of racism within SF/F publishing. To that end, we posted a very thoughtful essay by J. T. Glover, which you can read in full here. He ends the piece by asking:

…for those who would prefer a different SF: what do you want, and how are you going to get it? My frustration with Mr. Banker’s post was exceeded only by my curiosity. What sustainable alternative exists, now or in future, and how will it come about? Can it be created without alienating most of SF, and if not, does that matter? Even as the writer in me is most concerned with writing well and getting published, the reader in me wants both literary challenges and comfort food. The librarian in me believes that we must make room for everyone, whoever they are and whatever they believe, else we abandon the promise of speculative fiction.

Let’s discuss these questions and the other issues raised by the essay in the comments below. As always, the participant who engages, interests, or entertains us the most gets the prize.

One important thing to note: This week’s comments will be moderated more than usual due to the nature of the discussion. All opinions are welcome, disagreement is welcome, ad hominem attacks, bigoted language, and flamewars are not welcome. If you’re unsure how to participate in a discussion of this nature, this guide is very handy in illustrating what not to do.