YA no clickbait

[frayadjacent]

I refuse to click on that Against YA piece -- I've had my share of obnoxious/snobby/infuriating discussions and whatnot this week, thanks. But I have been enjoying scrolling through the responses on metafilter.

And through it I keep thinking a few things:

 - sanguinity, chaila, beccatoria, and I (when I can keep up! I'll get there) are having a fascinating conversation about different theories of justice, coding people as indigenous, and pwning ladies in Xena and Wonder Woman.

 - I am beyond sick of grimdark (usually white dude) stories==morally complex and "grown up". I'm not saying that the original essay makes that equation (wouldn't know, didn't read it), but, I just...I want fiction that is morally complex and offers hope. (Cynicism for its own sake is frankly not very morally complex, but it seems like both books and television shows can write terrible stories with characters who make no sense whatsoever and get away with it if they are cynical.)

 - I also want to be able to read without struggling through sentences, and I want to be engaged enough in the story and/or characters that I can keep reading. Also I want the characters in my fiction to not make me feel like something has crawled inside me and died.

 - I would nonetheless love to read/watch more stories about people over the age of 35.

Comments

[king_touchy]

I would nonetheless love to read/watch more stories about people over the age of 35.

Seconded.

OMG, THIS.

[laurashapiro]

It's like we share a brain!

Re: OMG, THIS.

[frayadjacent]

Hee hee, brain sharer. :D

[thirdblindmouse]

I clicked through, and the whole essay is very light on substance. In summary: "No offense to The Westing Game, but Twilight is dumb and adults shouldn't read it or anything else in its genre. They should read the book I most recently fell in love with."

[frayadjacent]

Ha ha! Sounds about the level of lit crit I expect from Slate.

[timetobegin]

ahaha some of those comments are gold.

grimdark is the worst :(

[anoel]

I am so with you - I refuse to click the link and I'm getting sick of grimdark being the only thing worthy of greatness in TV, books and movies. Regarding age, that's one of the things I've been really enjoying about Orange is the New Black. It really shouldn't be a big deal but it's SO great to see older women having such great plots and character depth.

[frayadjacent]

Yes! Me too! Ooooh I'm 5 episodes into S2 and LOVING IT. And Orphan Black has a couple of great older women characters; are you watching that?

[anoel]

I knooow, it's so great! I rewatched up to that point with friends and it's still great upon rewatch. I'm behind on Orphan Black, haven't been feeling the season so far but I've heard good things! It tends to be a better binging show for me so I'm saving up for when I have a free day to do it.