Best fictional autistic character?

[Scautish]

We all know the characters which NT people love to associate with being great representations of autistic people. But they’re usually constructed so NT people can laugh at our expense, rather than being sympathetic

My absolute favourite is Abed from Community. He doesn’t have a stereotypical “special interest”, his friends recognise his differences and accept them even appreciate them and they support him when he is struggling) he wants to be sociable but can struggle at times. But most of all he is just a likeable decent person. He is just great.

I’d like to give honourable mention to Amy from BBT. Unlike her more famous husband who is the autistic poster-child for ignorants NTs, I think she represents (some of the time) what autistic females go through - for me it’s desperate to be liked but completely alienate people in trying to be liked (esp at school). But BBT has done more damage for autistic people than favours so I’m happy to be told I’m being unreasonable to even mention that show)

I do have a soft spot for Maurice Moss too. Given my subject choice at Uni (physics) I did meet a few like him and though I had absolutely no idea of autism at the time (either mine or theirs) I really liked them and also had good friendships with a few of them. They were safe and gentle people and I appreciated them hugely.

Just wondering if there are others I should be aware of?

Bump

I don't recognize any of the ones you mention, but for me in things I've read redently I think Robin in Bewilderment by Richard Powers. It's not entirely clear he's Autistic, but I certainly read the character that way. He's smart, engaged, cares deeply, struggles with his emotions, and neither fully comprehends or accepts social structures. It helps that the rest of the book is brilliant too.

Have you read The Rosie Project? It's written from the pov of the central character, who is totally logical and takes everything at face value. It takes us into his world, and I thought it was very funny.

Oh yes - I liked the Rosie Project quite a lot. The two follow-ups were both terrible though.

I don’t read nonfiction books so don’t know these characters. But thank you!

Haven't watched this yet but it looks interesting www.avclub.com/jason-katims-as-we-see-it-review-1848392010?fbclid=IwAR2N_vs-SXqv0WcEhhm_XOT_fc4YJ4SjLsHX0ipL4Htxp-qEjAaI1nshdSA

In Ghostbusters:Afterlife the character of Phoebe Spengler is obviously autistic. She’s very smart but blunt, she struggles socially, has some sensory difficulties and finds it hard to express emotion. Despite that she’s really the hero of the film and is able to make a friend and save the world. The film-makers have expressed her autism really well and in a sympathetic manner without saying outright that she has autism.

I’ve not seen Ghostbusters afterlife so will look out for it. That character sounds good. Actually reminds me of Saga Noren from The Bridge (original Swedish version). She was probably character who first made me look into Asperger’s/autism as a possibility to explain my own experiences.

I like to think Stephen Maturin from Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin series is autistic. Don't throw yourself away on Diana Villiers you 200 year old fictional character, marry me instead!

Maybe I’m wrong because I’m a little bit in love with Sheldon Cooper 😂🤷‍♀️.

I don't know the first guy but the other 2 were never referred to as autistic. They may be but they may not be.

I think Entrapta from the new She-Ra is my favourite character at the moment. I think they did a good job in making her well-rounded but she has a lot of obvious traits.

Well definitely not Forrest Gump or bloody Rain Man! I think if Roy Cropper was a real person he would have a neurodiverse condition and I think he plays the part beautifully.

Oh I love Stephen Maturin.

Amelie seems autistic to me. I certainly relate to her.

I don't relate to amelie so much... nearly though
Sheldon.. can't stand this abhorrent amalgamation of negative stereotypes.

Love Newt Scamander
Dahl's Matilda
Dr Strange and the ancient one
Sherlock
Dirk gently (there are books and an American TV version which is very good and an English version very good too)
Futureman
Everybody from silicon Valley
Seven of nine/data
Good thread BTW @Scautish !

I suspect Robyn is. (Cormoran Strike)
She always seems like she's masking... slips into any role needed... observant af, yet Matthew blindsided her a bit.

Does anyone think Morse might have been? He's portrayed as superior, haughty almost but does have a sense of humour, poor relationships with most despite having some charm, obsessed with opera especially Wagner, loner, drinks too much to still his mind, appreciates the beautiful and the cultured. Or maybe the culture thing was due to masking to fit into Oxford academia. Hathaway is similar in Lewis.

There actually aren’t many really good characters who are canonically autistic. People sort of ‘claim’ certain characters saying oh x is definitely autistic but to me that’s the show runners getting credit for diversity they haven’t bothered to actually write and put effort into. So like I really wouldn’t count Dahl’s Matilda/Newt Scamander etc because they might be autistic coded but it’s not very good representation to me.

It’s especially hard to find actual canonically autistic characters in kids books/TV. Like a character who openly is autistic. The Dumping Ground tv show had a boy in it who had autism. He was a bit stereotypical but at least it was actual representation. I would have preferred more of a range but it’s a start!

@Kanaloa I value your perspective, and I like when it's clear in the story, but I also like when it's not. Many of us weren't diagnosed for decades, and a story like Matilda beautifully captures it. She is Hyperlexic, which often appears alongside autism, so neurodiverse even if not autistic imo.

I find the idea that authors should get more "credit" for "writing in diversity" etc a little odd, the diversity is still there and still took a lot of thought and effort. In my writing I find implying thoughts, feelings and motives, and helping the reader get thinking is a lot more of a challenge than writing things overtly in the dialogue or events iyswim

Indeed some of my examples are certainly not autistic, eg Seven of nine and data, they have clearly other reasons in the script for how they are, but they made me feel accepted when my family put next gen on and I was little, I related and aspired to those characters, especially that their unique traits are valued and the contribution they make to the team, they were much loved by the crew and audience and not seen as disposable but as indispensable and I am so grateful to the writers for those characters.

It’s like queer readings, in that way. If there aren’t any acknowledged gay characters (and for a long long time there weren’t) then to find representation people had to read between the lines and sometimes beyond the lines.

The earliest book I read with autistic characters was Elizabeth Moon's "Speed of Dark". I don;t have experience of ASD myself, so I can't say how realistic the autistic characters are, I can only say that I enjoyed the story.

Silas Marner in the George Eliot book.

[quote ProfessorSillyStuff]@Kanaloa I value your perspective, and I like when it's clear in the story, but I also like when it's not. Many of us weren't diagnosed for decades, and a story like Matilda beautifully captures it. She is Hyperlexic, which often appears alongside autism, so neurodiverse even if not autistic imo.

I find the idea that authors should get more "credit" for "writing in diversity" etc a little odd, the diversity is still there and still took a lot of thought and effort. In my writing I find implying thoughts, feelings and motives, and helping the reader get thinking is a lot more of a challenge than writing things overtly in the dialogue or events iyswim[/quote]
I guess my point is characters that are labelled as ‘autistic’ even when the author hasn’t actually put any research or good representation into an autistic character can often feel lazy/demeaning/as if you’re supposed to be happy with a half hearted attempt at neurodiversity with no really good representation.

To use your example of queer coding/queer readings - yes in the past this was an issue but nowadays I’d think of this as ‘queer baiting’ and actually I find it quite an issue.