The Other in Fantasy

How has the Other evolved in fantasy? Corey Brotherson, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson and Symoné explore representation in fantasy across books, comics, films and games, and why it matters.

The Other in fantasy has worn many faces, from alien sandworms to warring orcs, embodying fears of the unknown and the exotic, traditionally from a Western perspective.

Corey Brotherson's writing often delves into the struggles of forging an identity within hostile spaces. From comic books to video games to his forthcoming novel, his characters range from a desperate modern Black warrior battling her way through traditional Western fantasy tropes and classic Greek/Roman mythology to prove herself (Magic of Myths), to a grieving fae-born MI5 secret agent attempting to claw back her history in a world all too ready to deny it (The Flower Girl).

Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson writes about marginalised people saving the world; her debut novel The Principle of Moments centres BIPOC protagonists across time and space; taking you on a whirlwind adventure, from a Regency Era love affair between a time-traveller and the prince waiting for him in the past, to a rescue mission in the 60th century, where a girl desperately races against time as she searches for the sister the emperor stole.

Symone, a multidisciplinary artist and video game developer, explores and creates fantasy through a multitude of media, through a queer and Black lens. They are co-creating A Dream Within A Dream, a sound, movement and light installation piece, using an interactive narrative structure to guide audiences through experience about dreaming, fusing circus, video games, interactive technology and theatre.

Join Brotherson, Jikiemi-Pearson and Symoné as they explore what happens when the Other is the subject of fantasy rather than the object. Examining their own work, and examples in books, comics, films and games, they’ll discuss intersectional narratives, the reinvention of fantasy in genres such as Ken Liu’s silkpunk and solarpunk, as exemplified by Black Panther; and the importance of dismantling stereotypes in fantasy.