The Last Jedi Hogwarts Connection

Plus the Women of Star Wars To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( GENDER [Fear of the Female Voice]( For millennia, Western society has insisted that female voices are a threat-a threat that must be silenced. Sarah Gailey explores how this fear informed ancient myths and fairy tales and continues to influence the treatment of women through the current cultural moment. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( KWANZAA [Black Excellence: Honoring Kwanzaa through Science Fiction and Fantasy]( Alex Brown celebrates the Kwanzaa gift-giving tradition with SFF books-written by Black authors and featuring Black protagonists, spanning the African diaspora-that reflect the seven principles central to the holiday. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( HARRY POTTER [Reconsidering the Tragic Tale of Voldemort's Parents]( Mairead McNulty argues that the sad tale of Merope Gaunt and Tom Riddle Sr., Voldemort's parents, deserves more than the quick assumptions and unfair characterizations that it gets in the Harry Potter novels. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( STAR WARS [Women are the Champions of the Rebellion Now]( From Padme and Mon Mothma's co-founding of the Rebellion, to Jyn Erso's sacrifice, to Leia's leadership, to Rey's taking up the search for Luke, Star Wars has moved away from its focus on male characters to embrace the power of female protagonists. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( BOOKS [The Best Way to Approach The Book of the New Sun]( Matthew Keeley offers seven key pieces of advice for reading (and getting the most out of) Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun-a series with a reputation for being "difficult" for first-time readers. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( COMICS [Watchmen: A Tale of Care and Understanding]( Alan Moore's Watchmen is best known for its grim, gritty, pessimistic qualities, but the story is not nearly as cynical as its reputation suggests. Joe George offers a more perceptive reading of the comic as a story about the value of empathy and human connection. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( STAR WARS [The Force Awakens Characters Are Named After Their Hogwarts Houses]( Emily Asher-Perrin has cracked the code linking all four main characters of The Force Awakens to their respective Hogwarts houses. REY-venclaw, anyone? It just makes so much sense! [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( WHIMSY [Necessary Whimsy: Grumpy Chickens and Other Fun Ways to Escape the Hectic Holidays]( December tends to be a busy month, so consider spending some quiet time curled up with some of these delightful works of fiction, spanning everything from Kate Beaton's The Princess and the Pony and Ben Edlund's The Tick to a reluctant vampire and some very grumpy chickens. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( Follow Tor.com to get updates on all of our original fiction. FOLLOW US: [Follow Us on Facebook]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Follow Us on Tumblr]( [Follow Us on Pinterest]( This email was sent by: Macmillan 175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY, 10010, USA We respect your right to privacy - [view our policy]( Macmillan believes piracy hurts writers, readers and everyone who loves books. Learn more and report suspicious activity [here.]( To subscribe to this or other email communications from Macmillan, please click [here](. Visit our [profile center]( to update your email address and/or other information. If you no longer wish to receive this email communication, click [here]( to unsubscribe.