Slay

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2019

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-9

Chapters 10-13

Chapters 14-17

Character Analysis

Themes

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Important Quotes

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Background

Authorial Context: Brittney Morris and Video Games

Whether crafting narratives for major franchises’ video games or her own original fiction, Brittney Morris compassionately and insightfully engages with contemporary issues in her writing, particularly those affecting young Black people. Her debut novel, Slay, was published in 2019 and explores the themes of race, identity, and belonging through the lens of online gaming. The novel’s protagonist, Kiera Johnson, is a 17-year-old who develops a virtual reality game for Black players after encountering discrimination in mainstream games. Although SLAY offers a sense of community and belonging for people around the world, Kiera and her creation come under fire after a player is murdered over a dispute about the game.

The novel explores the ethics of creating exclusive spaces for marginalized groups. While examining these weighty philosophical questions, Morris also addresses the everyday challenges Kiera faces as a young Black woman, such as struggling to balance her responsibilities while making time for her friends and trying to decide whether college is part of her future. Like Kiera, Morris herself is an avid gamer, which helps her add a depth of detail and realism to the virtual world of SLAY. In addition to writing novels and short fiction, the author has worked on multiple video games and served as an advanced writer for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, which received accolades for its story. The award-winning game compares to Morris’s original fiction in its handling of the themes of race and identity. One of the two protagonists is Miles Morales, an Afro-Latino 17-year-old. Over the course of the game, he juggles school, relationships, and college applications while defending New York City and coming into his own as Spider-Man. Through her novels and video games, Brittney Morris tells suspenseful stories that treat issues facing young Black people with respect, realism, and heart.

Cultural Context: Young People of Color and Online Gaming Communities

As video games become increasingly popular, the demographics of players have become more diverse. However, research indicates that online gaming communities still have significant progress to make if they are to become welcoming and inclusive spaces for players of color. A 2015 study into the gaming habits of teenagers found that “Black teens (83%) are more likely to play video games than white teens (71%) or Hispanic teens (69%)” (Lenhart, Amanda. “Video Games Are Key Elements in Friendships for Many Boys.” Pew Research Center, 6 Aug. 2015). However, Black teens are less likely than white teens to use a voice connection while playing online, suggesting that they do not feel comfortable with other players making inferences about their ethnicity based on their voices. Due to their intersectional identities, young women of color tend to face more discrimination online. A 2011 study focusing on Black and Latina gamers on Xbox Live found that the “anonymity and disinhibition” of online games contribute to “a displacement of real world inequalities into virtuality” (Gray, Kishonna. “Intersecting Oppressions and Online Communities.” Information, Communication & Society, 19 Dec. 2011). In response, some women of color separate themselves from the larger gaming community and form all-women groups of players. Despite the impact of racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination on virtual spaces, online gaming offers players affirming experiences as well. In 2020, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that “95 percent of adults aged 18-45 who played online multiplayer games in the U.S. had positive social experiences while playing. They helped other players (86%), made friends (83%), and felt they belonged to a community (83%)” (“Free to Play? Hate, Harassment and Positive Social Experience in Online Games 2020.” Anti-Defamation League, 17 Nov. 2020). At the same time, the ADL observed that about 40% of female and LGBTQ gamers experienced harassment based on their gender and sexual orientation and that a third of Black and Latinx gamers were harassed based on their race or ethnicity. Although online games can provide positive social experiences and foster a sense of belonging, the online gaming community still has work to do to become a safe space for young players of color.