Welcome to the blog tour for Super Sick: Making Peace with Chronic Illness! Each stop in the tour features a fictional character who experiences chronic pain or illness.

But first … an introduction!

When I was asked to be a part of this blog tour, it didn’t take long for me to decide, yes, I very much wanted to spread the news about this book! I know what you’re thinking. It’s not exactly the sort of thing I normally read and review here. I only read a few nonfiction books a year, but I knew this had to be one of them.

You see, I, too, suffer from chronic conditions, and it had never occurred to me that there is, in fact, representation lurking in unexpected places in fiction.

When I think of heroes (especially superheroes), I naturally think of someone strong and healthy and, well, hale, right? But that’s not always the case. Allison Alexander’s book really made me think about the way chronic illness is handled in fiction (and what we can learn from it). If you want to read more about this and learn more about the book, you can read my semi-review here (plus find a list of fictional works that include chronically ill characters!).

So I’m excited to have her here today for a guest post, talking about a character that I hold near and dear to my heart, too, in a book that I absolutely loved.

But without further ado, I’ll let her tell you about it herself …

Often, when a book or movie represents a disability or illness, the entire thing is about that illness; think Forrest Gump or The Fault in Our Stars. These characters’ identities are entirely swallowed up by their disabilities. In other shows, characters with illnesses are only there on the sidelines to “inspire” the protagonist, in the way that Tiny Tim’s only purpose in A Christmas Carol is to be pitied by Scrooge.

Writers have also excluded characters with disabilities from stories due to the idea that once you’re disabled or chronically ill, you’re done. You’re no longer a hero until you have found a cure or have  “overcome” your disability.

As someone with a chronic illness, I appreciate it when I see three-dimensional protagonists who have conditions and are learning to deal with them while taking part in a larger narrative—characters like Raoden.

The protagonist in Brandon Sanderon’s first novel, Elantris, Raoden is cast into the city of Elantris after being taken by the Shaod, a transformation that used to change his people into gods but now turns them into something more akin to zombies. 

“Every pain… every cut, every nick, every bruise, and every ache—they will stay with you until you go mad from the suffering,” an Elantrian named Galladon informs him upon his arrival.

Elantrians can’t die, but they also can’t heal. Even the pain of a stubbed toe stays with them forever. As simple cuts and scrapes add up (never mind if they accidentally break a bone), their pain increases, and eventually they go crazy from it.

Sanderson’s descriptions of constant pain and the depression the Elantrians suffer strike home for me. It’s incredibly difficult to describe how chronic pain impacts your brain unless you’ve experienced it yourself. It’s a monster that drains your life away.

Hope is something that those of us with chronic pain desperately search for—not necessarily hope for a cure, but hope that life means something and that we can find peace despite our suffering. This is what Raeden brings to the Elantrians; he creates a community of people who support each other and uses distraction as a coping mechanism. He gives the people tasks to do, like rebuilding the city’s crumbling structures. He himself buries himself in books, which help keep his mind off the pain. This is a familiar tactic to me, as I often read books, watch TV, and play video games to keep my mind off of my own pain. 

Raoden’s perseverance in searching for hope reminds me to do the same. I don’t always find it, especially when I’ve spiralled into depression, but I remember what that hope felt like and I can rest and try searching for it again tomorrow.

Do you struggle with chronic pain or illness, or do you know someone who does? What have you noticed about how fictional characters with these conditions are portrayed?

About Allison Alexander

Allison Alexander is an earthbending Ravenclaw from Hoth who’s more comfortable curling up at home with a video game than venturing out into the wild. As an author, editor, and blogger, Allison aims to make spaces for minority characters in science fiction, fantasy, and pop culture. Also, her favourite character class in Dungeons & Dragons is a bard, so that should tell you everything you need to know about her.

From her home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada—which she shares with her husband, Jordan—Allison writes books, edits novels, and mentors aspiring authors. Her book, Super Sick: Making Peace with Chronic Illness (Mythos & Ink) details her experiences with chronic illness and analyzes fictional characters who struggle with disabilities. She includes interviews with other chronic sufferers and explores how society values healthiness, doctors don’t always have answers, and faith, friendship, and romance add pressure to already complicated situations.

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• April 16: Create Write Now – Laura Roslin & Perseverance
• April 17: Mythos & Ink – Launch Day Party on Facebook
• April 17: The Paperback Voyager – Doctor House & Pain Management
• April 18: Armed with a Book – Raven Reyes & Pressing On
• April 19: The Geeky Gimp – Cloud Strife & Depression
• April 20: The Writerly Way – Raoden & Chronic Pain
• April 21: Invisibly Me – Wade Wilson & Shame 
• April 22: Avalinah’s Books – Jane Foster & Worthlessness