: Re: How do I write "fantasy counterpart cultures" without being accused of cultural appropriation? In my book series, the various planets of the galaxy are inhabited by different cultures, most of

@Michele605

Well, people have been borrowing ideas from other cultures since time immemorial. And I, for one, disagree with using people's contemporary anxieties about race to disregard a totally benign and healthy process. So, in my opinion, there's really no such thing as cultural appropriation.
Assuming you partly or wholly agree, the question then arises: how best to spend your time? Should you invest your resources accommodating the anxieties of a particular way of thinking (in my opinion, at least)? Or should you write the novel you want to write?
I can't tell you how to live your own life. But personally, I'd write the book I want, and perhaps start up a blog for your audiences, exploring the disadvantages of sticking to the traditional way of looking at the topic.
Then when someone says: "You're book is evil!" you can point them to your blog, where you argue against something that they deem offensive about your written work.
To be sure, it's a messy fight. If you do something like this, some people will judge you and condemn you when they see what you have written as offensive and disgusting. People get nasty about such things, quite hypocritically, I think. But I think this makes it more important, not less, to stand up in the face of pressure on these kinds of issues. Bonus points if you can de-radicalize the critics and bring them toward the center, but above all, please don't let them control your writing. I think that's fundamental.

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