The deeper purpose

I've always loved writing adventure SF, but it strikes me now, looking over my early drafts, how shallow they were.  I've done a lot of reading in the genre since those early works, and I've begun to notice what makes the difference between them and published work.  The books I'm reading lately are packed full of issues and causes.

I've just re-read Mary Robinette Kowal's Lady Astronaut books. They're an alternate history of the NASA space programme where women were allowed to be astronauts from the start.  They story is laced through with references to sexism and racism.  Tackling these prejudices forms a large part of the plot, and provides a great deal of the conflict in what are otherwise quite gentle stories.

When I read these a lightbulb went on in my head. The books are a masterclass in how to incorporate issues into a book without overwhelming the story.  At times the narrative is painful, as we see brilliantly-qualified people of colour get passed over for key roles just because the colour of their skin. We also see brilliant women being sidelined too.

For many years I skirted around putting any issues into my books.  We're always told that 'preaching' is the biggest turn-off for the reader.  But what Mary Robinette does so brilliantly is not preaching.  She has her white characters suddenly realising how much casual racism is in their thoughts.  It's done very subtly.  And the clever thing is that, in many places in the narrative, it's the people of colour who hold the power.  The white Lady Astronaut has to turn to them for help in getting selected as an astronaut.

Reading the books again has shown me how to get issues into my own books.  I've just started re-writing an old novel which has interesting sentient ships and a good quest, but there's a real opportunity to put a deeper purpose in there.  First, I want my female main character to be asexual.  So when her mother dies suddenly and she becomes the head of a powerful autocratic family, can she stay true to her sexuality?  I intend her to resist the pressure to marry and produce a heir.

Another opportunity I have is to put conservation themes into the book.  The estate she heads up is in a place similar to the Scottish highlands, so there's lots of scope for her to carry on her mother's conservation programmes.

Mary Robinette has really shown me the way forward with getting a deeper purpose into my work.