Were Mr. Darcy and Boo Radley Anti-Social Misfits—or Autistic?
How Fiction Can Reframe a Misunderstood Mental Condition
Is autism cool?
It is in literature, as novels featuring characters on the autism spectrum have become so frequent that they’ve spawned a new genre: “autism lit,” or “aut lit.”
Many of the works put a positive spin on autism. These autistic characters have abilities as well as disabilities; they exist not only as mirrors or catalysts to help others solve their problems, but as active agents with inner lives.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, first published in 2003, did more than any other book to give life to …
