--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In the past few years, more and more…" description: "\"“In the past few years, more and more passionate debates about the nature of SFF and YA have bubbled to the surface. Conversations about race, imperial..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/foz-meadows-35520_books_in-the-past-few-years-more-and-more-pass_2802556.jpg" --- # In the past few years, more and more passionate debates… ![“In the past few years, more and more passionate debates about the nature of SFF and YA have bubbled to the surface. Conversations about race, imperialism, gender, sexuality, romance, bias, originality, feminism and cultural appropriation are getting louder and louder and, consequently, harder to…” quote by Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/foz-meadows-35520_books_in-the-past-few-years-more-and-more-pass_2802556.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/foz-meadows-35520_books_in-the-past-few-years-more-and-more-pass_2802556.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/066/foz-meadows-35520_books_in-the-past-few-years-more-and-more-pass_2802556.jpg) > ““In the past few years, more and more passionate debates about the nature of SFF and YA have bubbled to the surface. Conversations about race, imperialism, gender, sexuality, romance, bias, originality, feminism and cultural appropriation are getting louder and louder and, consequently, harder to ignore. Similarly, this current tension about negative reviews is just another fissure in the same bedrock: the consequence of built-up pressure beneath. Literary authors feud with each other, and famously; yet genre authors do not, because we fear being cast as turncoats. For decades, literary writers have also worked publicly as literary reviewers; yet SFF and YA authors fear to do the same, lest it be seen as backstabbing when they dislike a book. (Small wonder, then, that so few SFF and YA titles are reviewed by mainstream journals.) Just as a culture of sexual repression leads to feelings of guilt and outbursts of sexual moralising by those most afflicted, so have we, by denying and decrying all criticism that doesn’t suit our purposes, turned those selfsame critical impulses towards censorship. Blog post: Criticism in SFF and YA”” [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intense debates on genre literature expose tensions over identity, originality, and criticism, mirroring broader cultural conflicts. **In simple terms:** Genre writers grapple with criticism and identity politics. Key Takeaway Engage critically while respecting diverse perspectives. Themes literature identity criticism culture genre debate Mood thoughtful reflective Type analytical dialogue When to use this quote - author panels - book clubs - online discussions - publishing decisions Key Concepts sociology media studies ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can genre communities foster healthy criticism? - What role should mainstream media play in reviewing SFF/YA? A Different Perspective The conversation can become hostile, stifling constructive dialogue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [“And against whom is this censorship directed? By way of answer, think back to the big subcultural debates of 2011 – debates about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/and-against-whom-is-this-censorship-directed-by-way-of-answer-think/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“We have so long been subject to external criticism that we don’t know how to react to internal criticism, because whereas the most enduring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external-criticism-that-we-don-t-know/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“How can so many (white, male) writers narratively justify restricting the agency of their female characters on the grounds of sexism = authenticity while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/how-can-so-many-white-male-writers-narratively-justify-restricting/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [Even monarchs have need of authors, and fear their pens more than ugly women the painter's pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/even-monarchs-have-need-of-authors-and-fear-their-pens-more-than-ugly/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [“Politics is shit; it corrupts everything it touches...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/politics-is-shit-it-corrupts-everything-it-touches/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) ## More by Foz Meadows > [“everything in our culture tells men and boys to avoid any interest, activity or community dominated by women - and when article after article…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/everything-in-our-culture-tells-men-and-boys-to-avoid-any-interest/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“Context is everything in both narrative and real life, and while the accusation is never that these creators deliberately set out to discriminate against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/context-is-everything-in-both-narrative-and-real-life-and-while-the/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“We have so long been subject to external criticism that we don’t know how to react to internal criticism, because whereas the most enduring,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/we-have-so-long-been-subject-to-external-criticism-that-we-don-t-know/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“How can so many (white, male) writers narratively justify restricting the agency of their female characters on the grounds of sexism = authenticity while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/how-can-so-many-white-male-writers-narratively-justify-restricting/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“It's a hat," said Jess. Manx stretched. "Yes." "A hat with - just to be clear - a lizard on it. A real, dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/it-s-a-hat-said-jess-manx-stretched-yes-a-hat-with-just-to-be-clear-a/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“For centuries, no one was concerned that books weren’t girl-friendly, because no one really cared if girls read; but even so, we persisted for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/for-centuries-no-one-was-concerned-that-books-weren-t-girl-friendly/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“Never having experienced inequality, therefore, the majority of straight white men will be absolutely oblivious to their own advantages – not because they must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/never-having-experienced-inequality-therefore-the-majority-of/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“it strikes me that the writers most deeply concerned with the state of literary fiction and its biases against women could do a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/it-strikes-me-that-the-writers-most-deeply-concerned-with-the-state/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“And against whom is this censorship directed? By way of answer, think back to the big subcultural debates of 2011 – debates about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/and-against-whom-is-this-censorship-directed-by-way-of-answer-think/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“As a fantasist, I well understand the power of escapism, particularly as relates to romance. But when so many stories aimed at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/as-a-fantasist-i-well-understand-the-power-of-escapism-particularly/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“Something that’s bothered me for a while now is the current profligacy in YA culture of Team Boy 1 vs Team Boy 2 fangirling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/something-that-s-bothered-me-for-a-while-now-is-the-current/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) > [“True, life is complex. But so are a great many accidents.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foz-meadows/true-life-is-complex-but-so-are-a-great-many-accidents/) [Foz Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) [Explore all 13 Foz Meadows quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foz-meadows/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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Similarly, this current tension about negative reviews is just another fissure in the same bedrock: the consequence of built-up pressure beneath. Literary authors feud with each other, and famously; yet genre authors do not, because we fear being cast as turncoats. For decades, literary writers have also worked publicly as literary reviewers; yet SFF and YA authors fear to do the same, lest it be seen as backstabbing when they dislike a book. (Small wonder, then, that so few SFF and YA titles are reviewed by mainstream journals.) Just as a culture of sexual repression leads to feelings of guilt and outbursts of sexual moralising by those most afflicted, so have we, by denying and decrying all criticism that doesn’t suit our purposes, turned those selfsame critical impulses towards censorship. 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