From the dystopian to the speculative, action-packed to horror, here is a curated list of Afrofuturism books and anthologies to add to your reading list. These works explore the intersection of Black culture, history, and identity with elements of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction, offering unique perspectives on the future, the past, and the present.
First, we have “The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer,” by Janelle Monáe and other authors (2022). This collection of short stories is set in the futuristic world of Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” album (2018) and accompanying short film, exploring themes of identity, memory, and societal control. The story “The Memory Librarian” follows a director librarian, a government official tasked with monitoring citizens’ memories and suppressing anything deemed dangerous or different. The librarian herself grapples with her own sense of difference and yearns for something more, creating a compelling narrative of self-discovery within a dystopian framework.
Next is Octavia E. Butler’s classic, “Kindred” (1979). A young Black woman is unexpectedly and repeatedly pulled from her present-day life in 1976 California to the antebellum South. There, she encounters her ancestors on a Maryland slave plantation, where she must protect them, including the plantation owner’s white son. This time-travel narrative confronts the brutal realities of slavery and explores the lasting impact of historical trauma.
Another essential work from Butler is “Parable of the Sower” (1993). Set in a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, the novel follows a teenager and her family as they try to survive the dangers of a crumbling society. They reside within a gated community, but when they must venture outside, they face challenges that emphasize the characters’ capacity for resilience and community in the face of widespread chaos and environmental collapse.
The volume “Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora,” edited by Sheree Renée Thomas (2000), acts as a comprehensive anthology that brings together short stories and essays from a diverse group of authors. The collection includes pieces by influential figures like Octavia E. Butler, Samuel Delany, Walter Mosley, and Tananarive Due. It offers a glimpse of the breadth and richness of speculative fiction through the lens of the African diaspora.
“Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture,” by Ytasha L. Womack (2013), serves as a critical guide to science fiction, fantasy, and the greats of Afrofuturism. The collection explores various artistic mediums, including music, art, and literature, to offer a comprehensive understanding of the genre.
N.K. Jemisin’s “The Fifth Season” (2015), the first book in “The Broken Earth” trilogy, unveils a place called the Stillness, a land that is anything but still. Within this apocalyptic realm, a woman hides a secret as she fights to rescue her kidnapped daughter. This award-winning novel is not a quick read, but the richly detailed world that Jemisin creates makes the journey worthwhile.
Following “The Fifth Season” is Jemisin’s short story and essay collection, “How Long ’til Black Future Month?” (2018). Inspired by an essay she penned in 2013 about Janelle Monáe, the book is comprised of stories and essays. Several of the stories’ settings are also featured in Jemisin’s novels, including “The Fifth Season” and “The City We Became.”
“The Between,” by Tananarive Due (1995), a debut horror novel, follows a Black man trying to save his family. He starts experiencing an alternate reality obscured since he was a boy.
Tochi Onyebuchi’s “War Girls” (2019) is set in a future Nigeria afflicted by war and the effects of climate change. It features soldiers equipped with bionic parts and space colonies, and it tells the story of two sisters living in a war camp.
Rivers Solomon’s novella, “The Deep” (2019), draws inspiration from the 2017 song of the same name by the experimental hip-hop group Clipping (featuring Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes). The novella depicts an underwater society whose mermaid-like inhabitants are descendants of enslaved African women who were thrown into the ocean. It focuses on the historian tasked with gathering painful memories of her people.
“Elysium,” by Jennifer Marie Brissett (2014) narrates the experiences of a couple living in a city as they experience repeated iterations and struggle to survive an apocalypse.
N.E. Davenport’s “The Blood Trials” (2022) is an action-packed novel that follows a young Black woman’s journey to becoming an elite warrior. She must contend with government corruption and systemic racism.
Tomi Adeyemi’s “Children of Blood and Bone” (2018) is the opening novel in a West African-inspired fantasy series. It follows a young Black woman who decides to embrace her magic and take on the monarchy alongside an escaped princess.
Nnedi Okorafor’s Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novella, “Binti” (2015), begins a science fiction series that follows a young woman as she finds herself embarking on an adventure and traveling across space and encountering danger.
Finally, “Zone One” by Colson Whitehead (2011) follows survivors of a virus sweeping through a post-apocalyptic United States, as they search for zombies to reclaim New York City.
4.8 out of 5 stars 
