The Pierce Adams series set in Florida might be an example, it had magical creatures, and was a magical land but instead of Florida, so no Florida tribe or anything ...
Did you mean Piers Anthony, the Xanth books? <--- is giant nerd
You know, I hadn't even thought about them in context of this discussion, but you have a point; I mean, Anthony's ouvre in general is not exactly unproblematic (though it's mostly writing women that he has trouble with, oh my gawd) but I never once got a skeevy sense off Xanth, at least not in that particular way, even though it's very obviously and unsubtly a magical version of Florida.
In my understanding, it's not *just* the comment by any means (see my answers to Kurosau below); I think it really all comes back to what you said here:
I think I'd research the hell out of it, rather than papering over a major issue.
Yes! That's the issue, really; that it's so loaded, and so much an ongoing issue for people who are still alive -- to write a book that pretty much plays straight into the hands of the racists, because you either failed to do your research or just didn't care, is something that deserves to be called out.
no subject
Did you mean Piers Anthony, the Xanth books? <--- is giant nerd
You know, I hadn't even thought about them in context of this discussion, but you have a point; I mean, Anthony's ouvre in general is not exactly unproblematic (though it's mostly writing women that he has trouble with, oh my gawd) but I never once got a skeevy sense off Xanth, at least not in that particular way, even though it's very obviously and unsubtly a magical version of Florida.
In my understanding, it's not *just* the comment by any means (see my answers to Kurosau below); I think it really all comes back to what you said here:
I think I'd research the hell out of it, rather than papering over a major issue.
Yes! That's the issue, really; that it's so loaded, and so much an ongoing issue for people who are still alive -- to write a book that pretty much plays straight into the hands of the racists, because you either failed to do your research or just didn't care, is something that deserves to be called out.