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Afrofuturism Books

Afrofuturism is a fusion of sci-fi, fantasy, speculative fiction and Afrocentrism. The genre is known for its focus on black identity with gripping characters, magical elements combined with African mythology and alternative histories involving African Diaspora.

18 items

  • Octavia Butler is one of the most famous Afrofuturist authors. This series is considered to be one of her masterworks.
    BookNew York : Seven Stories Press, [2016] — SF BUTLER
  • This steampunk themed novel follows Creeper, a young woman looking for a way to escape onto a smuggler airship in an alternate New Orleans during the American Civil War.
    eBookTor Publishing Group, 2018
  • This brand new title includes magic, forbidden love and an oppressive king. It takes place in a fictional West Africa and is a great pick for fans of Leigh Bardugo.
    BookNew York : Henry Holt and Company, 2018. — YA SF ADEYEMI
  • The first novel in "The Broken Earth Series," "The Fifth Season" tells the story of an empire collapsing and a woman trying to find answers about her husband's murder and her daughter's kidnapping.
    BookNew York, NY : Orbit, 2015. — SF JEMISIN
  • Featuring a mixture of social criticism, strong female characters and magical powers, "Brown Girl in the Ring" is a classic of the Afrofuturist genre.
    Downloadable AudiobookPrince Frederick, MD : Recorded Books ; [Prince Frederick, Md.] : [Distributed by] OneClick Digital, 2011, p2001. — RBDigital eAudiobook
  • This post-apocalyptic dystopian novel focuses on the love and survival of two characters told from a computer's corrupted perspective.
    eAudiobookBlackstone Publishing / Skyboat Media, 2016
  • Colson Whitehead is one of the newer voices in Afrofuturism. In this book, he imagines the Underground Railroad as an actual railroad that moves through an alternative history in the antebellum South.
    BookNew York : Doubleday, 2016. — WHITEHEAD
  • Dark Matter

    A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora

    Thomas, Sheree R.
    This collection of short fiction and essays provide an introduction to black science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction writers.
    eBookGrand Central Publishing, 2014
  • Ralph Ellison's classic novel about black masculinity is considered an early example of Afrofuturism.
    BookNew York : Vintage International, 1995. — CF ELLISON
  • "An Unkindness of Ghosts" takes place aboard a space vessel reminiscent of the American South before the Civil War. In this setting, young Aster fights to find a way off the ship to a freer life.
    BookBrooklyn, New York, USA : Akashic Books, [2017] — SF SOLOMON
  • In this YA novel, an albino girl named Sunny becomes immersed in a magical world in which she must fight a powerful killer and understand her growing powers.
    BookNew York, New York : Speak, 2017. — YA SF OKORAFOR
  • Told from multiple perspectives, this novel features the story of what happens in the aftermath of a giant, mysterious object crash landing off the Nigerian coast.
    BookNew York : Saga Press, 2015. — SF OKORAFOR
  • This collection of short fiction includes titles in which Afrofuturism intersects with social justice movements.
    eBook[S.l.] : AK Press, 2015. — Overdrive eBook
  • This important, but controversial, classic novel was published in 1972 and features a mixture of jazz, magical realism and poetic elements reflecting on technology, cinema and history.
    eBookOpen Road Media, 2013
  • This post-apocalyptic novel tells the story of girl named Onyesonwu (meaning "who fears death?") whose destiny is to save her people from genocide. Find yourself engrossed in her struggle with fate and her harsh circumstances.
    BookNew York : Daw Books, Inc., 2010. — SF OKORAFOR