Autistic Authors, and Autistics and Autism in Literature: A Commentary

Emerging trends suggest that autism is being portrayed in literature less as a diagnosis, and more as a minority lifestyle. Sometimes it is even portrayed as a culture. Autistic factional politics are having a significant effect on autism and literature as well.Of further concern, much of what is written by "autistics" is actually being written by "self diagnosed" autistics, and no matter who is doing the writing (autistic author or self-diagnosed author), plots, characterization, and other elements, are many times being drawn and presented based on observation of "autistics" with unconfirmed diagnoses in informal venues rather than upon observations of real, diagnosed autistics in realistic or controlled settings.This book offers some general opinions about the topic of autistic authors, and autistics and autism in literature, and gives a critique and criticism of some specific literary works. Covered are many different forms of literature, including fiction, nonfiction, autobiographical writing, journalism, and blogging.36,000 words