this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2026
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Yes it makes sense. It would motivate them powerfully. But it's been done too many times, and it's too easy.

The rule makes you find more interesting ways of motivating them. Are they driven by bruised pride? By romance? By obsession? Anything is more interesting than rehashing the cliché Hollywood loves.


Similarly, don't make a villain more evil by saying "they're a dictator and also a kiddie-fiddler orremoved". That's just tacking on villainy.

That would be like having a right-wing US President, and saying "oh he's also aremoved and best friends with a child-trafficker" - lazy, unrealistic writing. Make your villains more nuanced please.

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[–] 9to5@hexbear.net 5 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (4 children)

If you wanna do something out of the ordinary, have a cast that's mostly Black. (I know this exists, but it's still pretty rare.) BUT I want it to be either fantasy or sci-fi.

Like I dont think there is a single fantasy or sci-fi show/movie with an entirely black cast at least that I know off.

EDIT You could say Black Panther, but Black Panther with a mostly white cast would be a very weird idea and feel wrong. So I don't think that one counts, since it needed a mostly Black cast to work. Also super heroe movies are not what im thinking off when I say sci-fi/fantasy.

[–] snowflake@hexbear.net 2 points 3 hours ago

Like I dont think there is a single fantasy or sci-fi show/movie with an entirely black cast at least that I know off.

Have you been reading books from Africa?

[–] Wertheimer@hexbear.net 2 points 7 hours ago

Only a matter of time before Marlon James’s Black Leopard, Red Wolf gets an adaptation. And there’s supposed to be a movie of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower soon.

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 3 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

The Culture average skin tone in humanoids is a lot closer to Black than white, but race doesn't really exist as a culturally meaningful category for them. The only time it comes up is some Azadians making shitty remarks about Gurgeh.

[–] orlando@hexbear.net 2 points 3 hours ago

i'll give you two guesses what the actors in any mainstream adaption would look like.

[–] whisp@hexbear.net 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Nnedi Okorafor or N.K. Jemisin might have some scifi/fantasy. I know of their work but not read anything

[–] 9to5@hexbear.net 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

While that is a very fair recommendation I dont think there are any movies / shows inspired by her. (fuck I just realized im in the writing comm)

[–] whisp@hexbear.net 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Yeelen is a movie I can think of that ian't American.

[–] 9to5@hexbear.net 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Ok. I will give you that. Still the landscape feels very sparse wouldnt you agree ? Like there is Sinners if we count that generously as sci/fantasy. In regards of recent movies but I cant think of much.

[–] whisp@hexbear.net 4 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

Yeah I agree, it's like trrying to find good trans movies. Good rep is hard to find. If you're looking for a decent film that has a predominantly black cast I watched The __ That Sat By The Door 1973, not fantasy nor scifi but I enjoyed that recently. I wish there were more predominantly black films