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[besada]

Showing once again that science fiction movies suck in comparison to science fiction novels. The last science-fiction novel I read featured a female protagonist, a secondary character suffering from schizophrenia, and another secondary disabled character.

My favorite duology in science fiction features a mixed-raced Asian woman whose skin has been altered to match an orca's.

Modern science fiction novels beat the crap out of science fiction movies for representation, and, well, just about everything else.

 

[Desi]

Does Mulan count as a woman of color? Just saying if they count Aladdin...

edit: oops guess Mulan doesn't make the top 100. Aladdin was superior anyway.

 

[Angelus Errare]

Its really just comical that guys can ponder up talking dragons, living mountains, mythical languages and bloodlines based on all kinds of shit

But a brown person, woman, or blind guy leading the charge is just asking for too much lol

The most hilarious statement is when their argument against women or minorities is that, "it's pandering"…

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

You got the asexual bit wrong.

Katniss never expresses a desire to be intimate with Peeta nor Gale (in fact she openly pushes back attempts by Gale as being inappropriate given their circumstances), and by the end of the novel series

Spoiler

she's an emotionally broken husk who ends up pity fucking Peeta and barely gives a shit about what happens to Gale

. Which is fine, because romance was never central to the book's dystopia, not even to the limited extent it was in 1984. Katniss has bigger things to worry about through most of the books and her sexuality is barely touched upon.

 

[Slayven]

Its really just comical that guys can ponder up talking dragons, living mountains, mythical languages and bloodlines based on all kinds of shit

But a brown person, woman, or blind guy leading the charge is just asking for too much lol

Are you talking about movies or real life? Cause being a brown person or other other can pretty unfathomable at times.

 

[agrajag]

the new Star Wars is going to have a black protagonist, I think. And one of the main antagonists is a woman? That's a welcome change for Star Wars.

 

[Cagey]

Yes, let's have more heroes in sci-fi or fantasy movies be disabled. Fantastic storytelling awaits us as Han Solo and Leia's precocious twin 11 year olds cope with their burgedoning Jedi powers and having MS.

 

[robertsan21]

What? Have you seen Salt at least? Kill Bill?

What do you think of Sarah Conner?

Salt sucked, wow it was bad.

Sarah conner yes, she is great, but she is by far the "lead role" in T2, T1 she did a good job. Kill bill, was amazing.

But these movies are like the best of the best, very rare to see this kind of level of movie come out.
The list of bad movies with female leads in action/scifi and fantasy is very long.

 

[The Librarian]

It's not only the lack of women, it's how women are treated too.

Star Trek has a horrible history with its women characters. Aside from DS9, their character depth is paper thin, they're in catsuits or slowing cleavage, or easily manipulated (see ToS).

 

[DY_nasty]

Showing once again that science fiction movies suck in comparison to science fiction novels. The last science-fiction novel I read featured a female protagonist, a secondary character suffering from schizophrenia, and another secondary disabled character.

My favorite duology in science fiction features a mixed-raced Asian women whose skin has been altered to match an orca's.

Modern science fiction novels beat the crap out of science fiction movies for representation, and, well, just about everything else.

You know

I never picked up on it or pieced it together until later, but my favorite author (Arthur C. Clarke) was absolutely head over heels for Black women.

 

[Slayven]

Showing once again that science fiction movies suck in comparison to science fiction novels. The last science-fiction novel I read featured a female protagonist, a secondary character suffering from schizophrenia, and another secondary disabled character.

My favorite duology in science fiction features a mixed-raced Asian women whose skin has been altered to match an orca's.

Modern science fiction novels beat the crap out of science fiction movies for representation, and, well, just about everything else.

Names of books please?

 

[sphagnum]

the new Star Wars is going to have a black protagonist, I think. And one of the main antagonists is a woman? That's a welcome change for Star Wars.

Yeah John Boyega and Daisy Ridley are the leads for the new cast, Gwendoline Christie is possibly

Spoiler

and imperial officer

and Lupita Nyongo has an as-of-yet unspecified role.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Yes, let's have more heroes in sci-fi or fantasy movies be disabled. Fantastic storytelling awaits us as Han Solo and Leia's precocious twin 11 year olds cope with their burgedoning Jedi powers and having MS.

Book of Eli was pretty good.

If we consider anyone with prosthetics to be disabled (even with cybernetic enhancements) I liked I, Robot, Return of the Jedi, and Robocop.

 

[Forkball]

Its really just comical that guys can ponder up talking dragons, living mountains, mythical languages and bloodlines based on all kinds of shit

But a brown person, woman, or blind guy leading the charge is just asking for too much lol

The mountains are brown though.

How does this compare to other genres?

 

[Experien]

Katniss never expresses a desire to be intimate with Peeta nor Gale (in fact she openly pushes back attempts by Gale as being inappropriate given their circumstances), and by the end of the novel series

Spoiler

she's an emotionally broken husk who ends up pity fucking Peeta and barely gives a shit about what happens to Gale

. Which is fine, because romance was never central to the book's dystopia, not even to the limited extent it was in 1984. Katniss has bigger things to worry about through most of the books and her sexuality is barely touched upon.

While I'll openly admit to not having read the books (but have heard it described like that), it sounds more like she just like both those guys "in that way" and less asexual. I mean, do asexual types just get with people like that?

 

[Abounder]

Showing once again that science fiction movies suck in comparison to science fiction novels. The last science-fiction novel I read featured a female protagonist, a secondary character suffering from schizophrenia, and another secondary disabled character.

My favorite duology in science fiction features a mixed-raced Asian women whose skin has been altered to match an orca's.

Modern science fiction novels beat the crap out of science fiction movies for representation, and, well, just about everything else.

It would be interesting to compare the protagonists between the top 100 most successful sci/fantasy books versus films

 

[Slayven]

Wait Rue was black?

 

[InvaderZimmer]

There were recent stories about Marvel characters changing genders and races in the comics. Samuel Jackson's character was white originally and some talk about Thor becoming unworthy and a woman taking up his hammer.

 

[sphagnum]

Wait Rue was black?

"…And most hauntingly, a twelve-year-old girl from District 11. She has dark brown skin and eyes, but other than that's she's very like Prim in size and demeanor…"

edit: Or do you mean in the movie? She was there too, and it was funny because a lot of people who never noticed she was dark skinned in the books flipped their lids over it.

 

[Sai-kun]

Yes, let's have more heroes in sci-fi or fantasy movies be disabled. Fantastic storytelling awaits us as Han Solo and Leia's precocious twin 11 year olds cope with their burgedoning Jedi powers and having MS.

This is a really shitty and fucked up post if you're being sarcastic.

 

[turtle553]

Katniss never expresses a desire to be intimate with Peeta nor Gale (in fact she openly pushes back attempts by Gale as being inappropriate given their circumstances), and by the end of the novel series

Spoiler

she's an emotionally broken husk who ends up pity fucking Peeta and barely gives a shit about what happens to Gale

. Which is fine, because romance was never central to the book's dystopia, not even to the limited extent it was in 1984. Katniss has bigger things to worry about through most of the books and her sexuality is barely touched upon.

Just because the circumstances of not wanting to care for others or bring children into a screwed up world where people can be killed so easily doesn't make her asexual. I think there was enough hints in the book about her conflicting romantic feelings towards them that she has a preference even if she chooses to rationalize not acting on it.

 

[Funky Papa]

25. Will Smith, straight
26. Will Smith, straight

tee-hee

 

[Slayven]

"…And most hauntingly, a twelve-year-old girl from District 11. She has dark brown skin and eyes, but other than that's she's very like Prim in size and demeanor…"

edit: Or do you mean in the movie? She was there too, and it was funny because a lot of people who never noticed she was dark skinned in the books flipped their lids over it.

Nah it is an old joke, people lost their shit when the movie came out.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Just because the circumstances of not wanting to care for others or bring children into a screwed up world where people can be killed so easily doesn't make her asexual. I think there was enough hints in the book about her conflicting romantic feelings towards them that she has a preference even if she chooses to rationalize not acting on it.

Fair enough. Though I'm intrigued to see what the reactions of the "Team Peeta vs Team Gale" moviegoers are to the content of the third and fourth movies.

 

[sphagnum]

Yes, let's have more heroes in sci-fi or fantasy movies be disabled. Fantastic storytelling awaits us as Han Solo and Leia's precocious twin 11 year olds cope with their burgedoning Jedi powers and having MS.

You know the protagonists in both Star Wars trilogies are technically disabled right?

 

[LosDaddie]

It would be great to have more diversity in films. Where's my latino actors? I love me some Michelle Rodriguez.

Tuvok

You didn't specify Fantasy or Sci-Fi elf

Kurse in Thor 2

:lol :lol
Shut that down quickly.

To claim the latter would be to claim there is a large group of sci-fi/fantasy movies with non-white and/or female protagonists that are released every year which cinema goers choose to ignore in favour of lesser films involving white male protagonists.

You mean people aren't subconscious racists?

 

[Bjomesphat]

Eh, fantasy/sci-fi writers are just appealing to their largest base; white males. There's no one stopping a black author from making an all black fantasy novel, or a woman author making strong female characters.

And this lack of diversity trend has been pretty popular as of late, but who are the ones lobbying for more diversity? I'm actually genuinely curious because I'm not seeing under-represented groups clamoring for diversity in these genres.

 

[HK-47]

Damn someone already did the Rue joke.

 

[Slayven]

Damn someone already did the Rue joke.

I love the classics.

 

[wildfire]

Wow I really didn't expect so low percentage. 0% of Women of any color? This is really bad.

Don't worry. Zoey Saldana will fix that tomorrow.

 

[Cagey]

You know the protagonists in both Star Wars trilogies are technically disabled right?

Book of Eli was pretty good.

If we consider anyone with prosthetics to be disabled (even with cybernetic enhancements) I liked I, Robot, Return of the Jedi, and Robocop.

I, Robot used prosthetics not as a disability, as one would be understood by the average person watching the movie, but as a technological enhancement above-and-beyond human limitation. ROTJ it was an instance of science improving health care.

I get the concept and the classification working "technically", but that's not what is meant by disability -- even by this chart criticizing the lack of diversity. If it were, the number would be higher than 1 (all six Star Wars movies and I, Robot are in the top 100, for example, yet the total remains 1).

 

[sphagnum]

Eh, fantasy/sci-fi writers are just appealing to their largest base; white males. There's no one stopping a black author from making an all black fantasy novel, or a woman author making strong female characters.

And this lack of diversity trend has been pretty popular as of late, but who are the ones lobbying for more diversity? I'm actually genuinely curious because I'm not seeing under-represented groups clamoring for diversity in these genres.

Is there something particular about white males that makes then like sci-fi/fantasy more than non-white males?

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Avater? I think. the dude was wheelchair bound

If he counts, then Matt Damon's character in Elysium counts and Will Smith in I, Robot counts.

 

[teruterubozu]

Showing once again that science fiction movies suck in comparison to science fiction novels. The last science-fiction novel I read featured a female protagonist, a secondary character suffering from schizophrenia, and another secondary disabled character.

Schizophrenia seems to be a favorite theme in sci-fi in general though, no? Or maybe I read too much Philip K. Dick.

 

[Currygan]

isn't Worf black? I mean

 

[TheWarrior]

Who was the protagonist with a disability?

Avatar, Sam Worthington is unable to act

 

[……forgetit]

I bet the whole 8% was Will Smith.

 

[sphagnum]

I, Robot used prosthetics not as a disability, as one would be understood by the average person watching the movie, but as a technological enhancement above-and-beyond human limitation. ROTJ it was an instance of science improving health care.

I get the concept and the classification working "technically", but that's not what is meant by disability -- even by this chart criticizing the lack of diversity. If it were, the number would be higher than 1 (all six Star Wars movies and I, Robot are in the top 100, for example, yet the total remains 1).

I would genuinely consider Darth Vader post-immolation to be disabled at least, considering it is canon that he lost a ton of his power when he was put in the suit. He can't survive without its life support systems.

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

Eh, fantasy/sci-fi writers are just appealing to their largest base; white males. There's no one stopping a black author from making an all black fantasy novel, or a woman author making strong female characters.

And this lack of diversity trend has been pretty popular as of late, but who are the ones lobbying for more diversity? I'm actually genuinely curious because I'm not seeing under-represented groups clamoring for diversity in these genres.

...what do you think this thread is about?

And female authors/protags are only now getting their just due in Hollywood, thanks largely in part to Hunger Games/JLaw, Angelina Jolie, Twilight (ugh), Sandra Bullock, Kathryn Bigelow, Jessica Chastain, and ScarJo. With the success of Frozen it's only a matter of time before we see a Marvel film headlining with a female protagonist.

Black actors have a higher hill to climb (especially black women), and Asian/Hispanic actors are barely ever even mentioned in these kinds of discussions, which shows you how far they have to go.

Avatar, Sam Worthington is unable to act

OMG

I, Robot used prosthetics not as a disability, as one would be understood by the average person watching the movie, but as a technological enhancement above-and-beyond human limitation. ROTJ it was an instance of science improving health care.

I get the concept and the classification working "technically", but that's not what is meant by disability -- even by this chart criticizing the lack of diversity. If it were, the number would be higher than 1 (all six Star Wars movies and I, Robot are in the top 100, for example, yet the total remains 1).

This chart didn't include prosthetics, but modern prosthetics can and do improve performance, as we've seen with Oscar Pistorius who is a double amputee. It was a little outdated for them to omit them from the analysis.

 

[HK-47]

Schizophrenia seems to be a favorite theme in sci-fi in general though, no? Or maybe I read too much Philip K. Dick.

Thats a Phil speciality. Especially since it plays into subjective realities, drug use, mental illness, conspiracies and all that shit he loved.

 

[Serrato]

Don't worry. Zoey Saldana will fix that tomorrow.

I thought it was StarLord for the Protagonist. I might be wrong though.

 

[studyguy]

So what they're saying that in the future; Most black men are Will Smith clones, white women are an endangered species, minority women went extinct, disabilities no longer exist and everyone is heterosexual?

This is a future I do no want.

Your choice is Will Smith for anything in the future or Jaime Foxx as anyone in the past from what I'm seeing coming out. Bleak times all around.

 

[Shining Sunshine]

Are none of the Star Trek movies in the top 100?

There's definitely diversity in every Star Trek with Uhura and LaForge.

 

[turtle553]

I bet the whole 8% was Will Smith.

It looks like two were Eddie Murphy in the Nutty Professor movies

I would genuinely consider Darth Vader post-immolation to be disabled at least, considering it is canon that he lost a ton of his power when he was put in the suit. He can't survive without its life support systems.

He could also be a minority in the first two and a half movies on voice alone. But he also wouldn't count as the protagonist.

That is also the problem with this list by only using the protagonist. Who was the protagonist in the X-Men movies? It was an ensemble cast that had a minority female (along with many other females) and a disabled man in a wheelchair.

 

[Ikael]

Just give me good sci-fi / fantasy stories, Hollywood. If said stories implies a character that goes out of the white male form, so be it. My interest won't be disminished one bit from the fact that his / her skin color happens to diverge from mine.

 

[Toa TAK]

Even if it's not technically sci-fi or fantasy, all you need to do is take a look in the Exodus: Gods and Kings thread to know that people want to see actors who aren't white in movies.

Avatar, Sam Worthington is unable to act

Okay, I laughed pretty hard at this.

 

[……forgetit]

Someone name a black elf

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2vlhtL0AEMs

 

[WrenchNinja]

This'll be a good thing to post whenever someone starts claiming that minority representation is fine, which sadly happens more often than you'd think.

 

[pants]

I have a suspicion that the Fantasy side is dragging down Sci-Fi. I get the impression that Sci Fi is the better of the two ito representation

 

[Abounder]

Don't worry. Zoey Saldana will fix that tomorrow.

Guardians of the Galaxy is part of the problem. Stars a white guy and the diversity is made up of aliens. Kind of like in Warhammer Fantasy how every non-white race is subhuman like an Aztec Lizards, Mongol ogres, etc. Writers are faced with having to cram in characters that are robots, aliens, etc and the only human stars end up being white