When I read posts in book recommendation groups, I often see readers looking for stories with diversity. Whether it’s characters with mental illness, physical issues, chronic illness, or non-neurotypical, the readers want to read about characters whose experiences are different from their own. I remember when a book, I believe it was by Susan Wiggs, was recommended because the heroine had Crohn’s Disease. The chronic illness community ate up that book. It was amazing to see someone who had the same issues, depicted realisticly as they did. Even though I have fibromyalgia, many of the aspects of chronic illness are the same and it was enlightening to see a hero who cared for his heroine even if she wasn’t young, perky, and perfect.
So when I saw this link for the 2018 Worldcon Diversity Nominees, I was delighted because here was another venue, another genre, celebrating diversity in fiction.
Diverse books are wonderful. They bring us experiences we may not have. They show us we’re not alone. And they also show our commonality as human beings who deserve love and who receive love. Have you read a great book lately with a disabled character? Drop the link in the comments!
