Black History Month Celebration: Year Round Suggested Reading Titles in Afrofuturism and Africanfuturism and Works by Black Authors

SpotlightBlack History Month
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Here at Divination Hollow, we really feel it is imperative to read diversely all year round. As much as we love these focus and highlight months, we truly believe in keeping our TBR piles fresh, relevant, and full of new perspectives! We compiled a list of titles earlier this year to share with our DHR Team Contributors, and we thought our readers may appreciate them as well. In addition, we’ve defined two key phrases you may have heard on and off this month, and a little clarification between the terms so you can properly reference them in your reviews. Check it out and feel free to suggest your own titles in the comments for further reading! We really love community input, too, so let us know if you’ve read any of our suggested titles and what you thought of them. And as always, we would even welcome your review as a guest feature post! Don’t be shy now, come on over!

Check out our suggested reading by Black Authors:

AFROFUTURISM: a movement of literature, music, art, and media featuring futuristic or sci-fi themes which incorporate elements of black history and culture; coined by Mark Dery in 1993

  1. AFRICANFUTURISM: a section of sci-fi directly rooted in African culture; a cultural aesthetic and philosophy of science that centers African culture, history, mythology, and POV with technology based in Africa and not limiting to the diaspora; coined by Nnedi Okorafor in 2019



Recommended Books by Black Authors to Read All Year Round
Books on this list are Scifi, Spec Fic, Horror, Fantasy; alphabetised by book title.

  • Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler

  • Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha Womack

  • Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

  • Awoke: The Want Series by K.T. Conte

  • Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney

  • The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

  • Ballad of the Bladesinger by Jelani Wilson

  • Beloved by Toni Morrison

  • The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

  • Binti Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor

  • Black from the Future: A Collection of Black Speculative Writing by Stephani Andrea Allen

  • Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James

  • Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxanne Gay

  • Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia Butler

  • The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor

  • The Broken Kingdoms by NK Jemisen

  • Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson

  • Buffalo Soldier by Maurice Broaddus

  • Choosing Alpha by Delilah Jackson

  • Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

  • Crescendo: Welcome Home, Death Awaits by L. Marie Wood

  • A Cry to War: The Last Warrior King Series by E.O. Odiase

  • Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora

  • Dark Orbit by Carolyn Gilman

  • David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

  • Dawn by Octavia Butler

  • Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany

  • The Dome by Nova Sparks

  • Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

  • Elemental: Shadows of the Otherside Series by Whitney Hill

  • Elysium, or, The World After

  • Everfair by Nisi Shawl

  • Fallen by Milton Davis

  • Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson

  • The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin

  • Fledgling by Octavia Butler

  • Flight from Neveryon by Samuel Delany

  • Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi

  • Futureland by Walter Mosley

  • The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord

  • The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

  • Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi

  • The Good House by Tananarive Due

  • The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark

  • Her Alien Protector: The Beasts from Beyond by Siren Allen

  • How Long Til Black Future Month by NK Jemisin

  • How To Recognize a Demon Has Become Your Friend by Linda Addison

  • The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemisin

  • Imago by Octavia Butler

  • Imaro by Charles R. Saunders

  • The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead

  • Kindred by Octavia Butler

  • The Kingdom of Gods by NK Jemisin

  • Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

  • Le Roi Du Sang by Tiana Laveen

  • The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull

  • Let’s Play White by Chesya Burke

  • Lost Gods by Micah Yongo

  • Mindscape by Andrea Hairston

  • Minion by L.A. Banks

  • Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond

  • New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Tales from the Caribbean

  • The Obelisk Gate by NK Jemisin

  • Old Farmer’s Road by Isaiyan Morrison

  • Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

  • A Phoenix First Must Burn edited by Patrice Caldwell

  • The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

  • Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

  • The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillion

  • Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

  • The Root: A Novel of the Wrath & Athenaeum by Na’amen Gobert Tilahun

  • Rosewater by Tade Thompson

  • Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

  • Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson

  • Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

  • Smoketown by Tenea D. Johnson

  • A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

  • A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne Brown

  • The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson

  • A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar

  • A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson

  • The Tempest Tales by Walter Mosley

  • Trouble the Saints by Jelani Wilson

  • Twelve Days by Steven Barnes

  • An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

  • The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

  • We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

  • White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

  • Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

  • Will Do Magic for Small Change: A Novel of What Might Have Been by Andrea Hairston

  • Wonderland by Jennifer Hiller

  • Zulu Heart by Steve Barnes

 
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