Diversity in Fantasy: Are We Doing It Wrong?

If you’ve tried watching Wheel Of Time on Amazon Prime, Rings of Power, or any modern fantasy adaptation for that matter, you’ll notice that some things have changed since the 80s, 90s and early 00s; fantasy has become as multicultural as Toronto.

And while the change is overall positive now that film and series makers don’t limit their casting to the paler-skinned section of the population, it also makes me raise an eyebrow.

Now, before you consider if I’m important enough to cancel—hear me out.

What bothers me is not the fact that elves can now be of darker skin, or LGBT goblins, but the idea of a multicultural small town or village in an old-time setting where everyone lives harmoniously.

While it’s great to broaden fantasy settings and not limit them to those that resemble ancient Europe, having a bunch of different people in one remote location just doesn’t make sense historically.

Steam and Dead Dinosaur Juice

Nowadays, we’re lucky to live in a world where travel is accessible. We have great birds of steel that can take us from one edge of the world to another in hours, not to mention, a lot of them are quite cheap. And while not all people can afford air travel, most of us can at least afford a car or a train ride.

Not that long ago, however, before cars or trains, travel meant days on end on horse, or in a carriage in the best case. And only for small distances.

But traversing entire continents? That would have taken weeks if not months, and likely not all passengers would make it to their destination in one piece. Think of the vikings in their longships, enduring the cold and the rising waves on their way to another pillage-getaway, and you’ll understand just how cushy your life is.

Fantasy stories tend to be set in olden times, where inventions that run on fuel are hard to come by, and transportation by magic isn’t the privilege of all. It would be unlikely for people from different continents to all reside in a small town in such a setting. It would simply not be worth the travel.

Diversity and Inclusion in the Magical Workplace

Go to the nearest tech office, and it will seem that humanity has reached perfect harmony. In big cities across North America, people from different origins work alongside one another, interacting respectfully and meaningfully. But not that long ago (and still in some places today) it might not be the case.

We live in a time when people have the opportunity to move their lives almost anywhere they want, and the longer we get exposed to different people and cultures, the more tolerant and accepting we become. Integration is a process that takes time.

Being the child of immigrants myself, I know just how hard it can be for people to accept who you are and where you came from without ridicule.

So if only not so long ago diversity and openness to other cultures were foreign concepts, how do you think people in old times would have responded to strangers arriving in their towns? Think of the dark ages and you’ll understand just what a great role fear and mistrust of the different plays in people’s minds.

If your fantasy is set in old times, it’s very unlikely that people who lived only among their own all their lives and haven’t seen much of the world would accept others of unfamiliar appearance in their towns, let alone let them settle in.

There is Hope

But fear not, for there are ways to introduce different cultures and people into your fantasy world. Think of George Martin, for instance, who—while depicting an old England-style society in Westeros—also included people from the Summer Isles, Spain-inspired Dorne, and Essos—all cultures rather different from the vaguely English one that populates most of Westeros. You can do so as well, and do it well if you consider some of these ideas:

One Horse Towns and Bustling Cities

I mentioned The Wheel of Time before, and the town of Two Rivers in particular that I have a problem with—a remote location that doesn’t seem like the place of choice for people of different cultures and homelands to settle.

But there’s a vast difference between a remote little town and a large city.

In Monsters and Heroes I set a lot of the events in the capital—a place I never bothered to name and wondered if any readers would notice. The capital is a large, central metropolis that draws travelers, adventurers and charlatans alike. Because of its size, proximity to the sea, and being the kingdom’s capital, it draws different people, who create more opportunities, trade, and interest, which in turn, draws even more people in.

If you want a colorful, interesting landscape to be the setting of your story, make your characters want to visit that place.

Great places for a variety of cultures are capitals where palaces stand and attract the masses, cities located near main roads where travelers cross paths, and port towns into which trade lures ships from distant shores.

Means of Travel

While a horse and a carriage in a fantasy setting won’t get people far from their hometown, a fancy piece of spacecraft from a sci-fi book will. Does this mean you have to write sci-fi to populate a vibrant and diverse city? Not necessarily.

One way of doing so is inventing a means of transportation that allows your characters to travel further than medieval means can.

Whether it’s dragons, magical ships, or huge, teleporting frogs, you can create a world where distance isn’t an obstacle. In a place like that, diversity will feel realistic.

Conclusion

Diversity is a relatively new concept in our world, and it’s not surprising that it’s the same thing in fantasy writing. Making your fantasy setting more diverse could be a great idea to add more cultural complexity, points of view, and conflict to your story, but it can also feel unrealistic.

To make your story less medieval Europe and more downtown Toronto, consider:

1. How have people in a world with no cell phones heard about the location where your story takes place?

2. What draws people from different countries there?

3. Do they have the means to travel there?

4. How would local people respond to visitors from far away lands?

Answering these questions will make your story more interesting, elaborate and believable—without making it seem that you’ve thrown a representative from each culture into the pot just to stay in line with HR requirements.

And now close this tab (though, if you found this article helpful, consider subscribing) and get to writing!