(no subject)

[skygiants]

If I have one fandom I'm really deeply and scarily and permanently attached to, I think, the way so many of you are about Supernatural or Lost and many other wonderful and worthwhile things, it's Diana Wynne Jones books. I am here asserting my right to spam about them! *plants flag, looks defiant*

For those of you who know the books but don't follow dianawynnejones: Diana Wynne Jones has said recently in a letter that Cat Chant, from the Chrestomanci books, is written as slightly autistic.

I find this utterly fascinating, especially having just recently read Diane Duane's take on autism. On an initial think back to the character, that characterization seems to make a lot of sense to me in terms of the way Cat is described as perceiving the world, and interacting with others. (For context, DWJ has also said in interviews that she thinks that she herself is somewhere on the autistic spectrum.) But your thoughts, show me them!

Comments

[skygiants]

Yeeeah. As you can tell from the post, I had a significant problem with that in the book. It doesn't seem like a - responsible, I guess, is the word I want? - way to portray the condition, as just something you can switch off and 'make someone normal'. Or fair, at all, to readers on the autism spectrum.

On the other hand, I would highly recommend the Diana Wynne Jones books. They're fantasy novels set in a slightly different universe, vaguely Edwardian, in which magic is both common and government-regulated. The one starring Cat is called Charmed Life, and the book is from his perspective, and I've always found the way he was drawn as a character very cool and interesting - doubly so, now that I know he was written as slightly autistic.

[e-mily.livejournal.com]

I...... would love to say that I will put them on my list, but I haven't read a book in forever.

Video games and work are my life. (WOW = <3. Yay socializing with people who love me.)

But I will keep them in mind. Cause they do sound interesting.