People complain about Rick Riordan “beating a dead horse” but HE CAN BEAT ALL THE DEAD HORSES HE LIKES.
Rick Riordan has actively added diverse characters in all of his books to represent more kids. Characters in his books include:
a Arab-American Valkyrie (Magnus Chase)
a mute elf who uses sign language (Magnus Chase)
a Hispanic son of Hephaestus (Heroes of Olympus)
a half-Cherokee daughter of Aphrodite (Heroes of Olympus)
a Chinese son of Mars (Heroes of Olympus)
a bisexual God/Teen (Trials of Apollo)
a happy and loving gay couple, Nico and Will (Trials of Apollo)
a male dwarf that loves fashion and design (Magnus Chase)
a black daughter of Hades (Heroes of Olympus)
a genderfluid, transgender warrior of Odin (Magnus Chase)
and that’s just off the top of my head!
When Rick Riordan first revealed Nico, a son of Hades in his best-selling Heroes of Olympus series, as gay people asked him “why?” and he said because he wanted kids to see themselves in his books and that all kids need to be able to see themselves in literature and find reassurance that they’re fine just the way they are.
So unlike some people who beat dead horses and don’t even try to be diverse (*cough*JKROWLING*cough*) at least Riordan is constantly adding more and more young heroes and heroines that are diverse, well-rounded, and important.
THAT’S GREAT AND I WILL BUY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HIS DEAD HORSE BEATING NOVELS FIGHT ME
ALSO, Rick Riordan is heading up his own imprint now of more mythology books for kids, and he’s not writing the books himself, but finding diverse authors to write books about the mythology of their own cultures. Apparently he was getting tons of letters all, “Do Indian mythology next! Do something about Polynesian myths!” or whatever, and he was like, “Those aren’t my stories to tell, but let me find people who CAN write those books for you, and make those books exist,” and that is fucking awesome in every way, you go Rick Riordan, 4 for you, Rick Riordan.
WHAT A GREAT MAN I AM SO EXCITED HOLY BANANAS
Oh I forgot to add that the (ever forgotten) Egyptian Series had two biracial main characters and a relationship that could arguably be classified as healthy polyamory.
if I remember correctly, the ENTIRE REASON he originally wrote the demigods in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series to have ADHD and dyslexia was to give his son (who is also ADHD and dyslexic) a hero like him.
^^^^^
He also recently mentioned on GoodReads that Artemis’ hunters are aro ace. While I wish it was on page, it certainly feels a far more authentic addition then just an after thought.
remember when rick riordan single-handedly saved literature
i love this man
He also had this to say on January 10, 2017 regarding whether or not Artemis would accept transgirls as one of her Hunters:
