source: Atlanta Black Star
Sci-fi and fantasy are two genres dominated by white, male voices. It can be extremely exhausting to see the same themes written by people with the same or similar perspectives. Here are seven prominent African-American women working in these two genres who have made a name for themselves by telling unique stories.
N. K. Jemisin
Jemisin found acclaim after the release of her first novel The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. She has been short-listed for major awards in such a young career and was awarded the Locus Award for Best First Novel.
Nnedi Okorafor
Okorafor writes African-based science fiction stories and children’s books. Her novel Who Fears Death won the World Fantasy Award for best novel. Her works include Akata Witch, Zahrah the Windseeker, The Shadow Speaker and a children’s book Long Juju Man. She is a professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Buffalo.
Nisi Shawl
Shawl’s greatest work is Filter House. In 2008, she won the James Tiptree Jr. Award for that novel.
Nalo Hopkinson
Hopkinson has published a number of novels, short stories and edited anthologies. Her novel Sister Mine won multiple awards, including the John W. Campbell Award, the World Fantasy Award and the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. She teaches at the University of California, Riverside.
Octavia Butler
Butler’s work has reached a mainstream audience. In 2010, Butler was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame posthumously. She wrote many works, and her bibliography can be found here.
Tananarive Due
In 1995, Due wrote her first novel, The Between. She has books that have been optioned for movies. In 2012, she became an endowed Cosby chair of the Humanities at Spelman College.
Andrea Hairston
Hairston is an author and playwright. Her most successful book, Mindscape, was awarded the Carl Brandon Parallax Award and was short-listed for the Philip K. Dick Award and the Tiptree Award. She teaches at Smith College in Massachusetts.
Sci-fi and fantasy are two genres dominated by white, male voices. It can be extremely exhausting to see the same themes written by people with the same or similar perspectives. Here are seven prominent African-American women working in these two genres who have made a name for themselves by telling unique stories.
N. K. Jemisin
Jemisin found acclaim after the release of her first novel The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. She has been short-listed for major awards in such a young career and was awarded the Locus Award for Best First Novel.
Nnedi Okorafor
Okorafor writes African-based science fiction stories and children’s books. Her novel Who Fears Death won the World Fantasy Award for best novel. Her works include Akata Witch, Zahrah the Windseeker, The Shadow Speaker and a children’s book Long Juju Man. She is a professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Buffalo.
Nisi Shawl
Shawl’s greatest work is Filter House. In 2008, she won the James Tiptree Jr. Award for that novel.
Nalo Hopkinson
Hopkinson has published a number of novels, short stories and edited anthologies. Her novel Sister Mine won multiple awards, including the John W. Campbell Award, the World Fantasy Award and the Sunburst Award for Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. She teaches at the University of California, Riverside.
Octavia Butler
Butler’s work has reached a mainstream audience. In 2010, Butler was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame posthumously. She wrote many works, and her bibliography can be found here.
Tananarive Due
In 1995, Due wrote her first novel, The Between. She has books that have been optioned for movies. In 2012, she became an endowed Cosby chair of the Humanities at Spelman College.
Andrea Hairston
Hairston is an author and playwright. Her most successful book, Mindscape, was awarded the Carl Brandon Parallax Award and was short-listed for the Philip K. Dick Award and the Tiptree Award. She teaches at Smith College in Massachusetts.
