Nora K. Jemisin Quotes

As a black woman, I have no particular interest in maintaining the status quo. Why would I? The status quo is harmful; the status quo is significantly racist and sexist and a whole bunch of other things that I think need to change.

I think most fiction focuses on uncomfortable settings because that's interesting.

I tend to write society as I see and understand it.

A fantasy novel set in something other than medieval Europe, featuring an almost entirely black cast, is considered risky.

Within the sphere of steampunk, there seems to be a rapidly growing subsphere of gadgetless 'neo-Victorian' novels, most of which attempt to recapture the romance of the era without all the sociopolitical ugliness.

With epic fantasy, there is a tendency for it to be quintessentially conservative in that its job is to restore what is perceived to be out of whack.

I tend to like writing characters that are not typical heroes.

I write for myself – but it is nice when other people like it, too!

Fantasy is fantasy. It's fiction. It's not meant to be a textbook. I don't believe in letting research overwhelm the fiction. That's a danger of science fiction in particular, as opposed to fantasy. A lot of writers forget that what they're doing is supposed to be art.

I've been very happy with Orbit and am thrilled that they're giving me more chances to explore my creative visions.

It's human nature that we come in our own flavours, and it doesn't make any sense to write a monochromatic or monocultural story unless you're doing something extremely small – a locked room-style story.

Quotes of the Hour

Blues is a tonic for whatever ails you. I could play the blues and then not be blue anymore.

We shall fight against them, throw them in prisons and destroy them.

We don't want to abandon any of the market we have now. We just want to gain new market.

I'm not sure if they do this in the States, but in Korea, until high school, on your graduation diploma there's a line that states your future goal. Kids write 'president' or 'astronaut,' or whatever. I always wrote 'singer.'

I now know that inspirations must come from everywhere.

Nora K. Jemisin Quotes

More Related Quotes

Quotes of the Hour

Popular Topics