The vast worlds of fantasy fiction often mirror our own. Through this mirror, readers may reflect on their values when they see real-world problems staged in speculative spaces. As a result, fantasy has the power to open the boundaries of pedagogy for today’s students, especially when learning through a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) lens. This ground-breaking, edited essay collection published by McFarland and Company will take two crucial paths: one that celebrates critical analyses educators and scholars can use to empower students and readers, and another that inspires fans and gamers to be more civically engaged with the texts they consume and communities they inhabit.

Potential topics may include but are not limited to: 

• BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authorship 

• Character representation from historically excluded groups

• Colonialism, ableism, and mentalism in high fantasy gaming

• Books and their adaptations in film, television, and gaming

• Inclusive approaches to teaching canonical texts

• Classrooms set in fictional worlds

• Toxic fandoms

Contributing chapters by emerging and established educators, practitioners, and independent scholars are welcome.

Send your abstract of 300-500 words and 50-word author bio to FantasyPedagogy@gmail.com. Final essays of 6,000-8,000 words are to be MLA formatted. This book will be published by McFarland and Company late 2023.

Abstracts Due: December 9, 2022