Best Afrofuturism
"Dirty Computer" is the third studio album by American singer Janelle Monáe, released in 2018 through Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records. The album is accompanied by a 44-minute narrative film, referred to as an "emotion picture," which expands upon the record's dystopian themes. It explores conce...
Released in 2010, "The ArchAndroid" is the debut studio album by Janelle Monáe, issued through Bad Boy Records. This conceptual record comprises the second and third suites of her ongoing "Metropolis" science fiction narrative. The album extensively blends funk, neo-soul, indie pop, and classical in...
Octavia Butler was a pioneering American novelist whose work significantly impacted science fiction. Known for exploring themes of race, power, and survival through a distinctly feminist lens, she developed the genre of afrofuturism. Her narratives, such as *Kindred*, examine complex social issues w...
Octavia E. Butler’s *Parable of the Talents* continues her complex vision of a near-future Earth ravaged by climate change and social collapse. Published in 1998, this science fiction novel explores themes of faith, survival, and societal rebuilding through the story of Lauren Oya Olamina, a young w...
Octavia Butler’s *Parable of the Sower* presents a stark near-future vision of California ravaged by environmental disaster and social breakdown. The novel centers on Lauren Oya Olamina, a young woman developing a new religion called Earthseed to guide humanity through this collapse. Notable for its...
"The Electric Lady" is the second studio album by American singer Janelle Monáe, released in 2013 on Bad Boy Records. The album continues the Afrofuturist Metropolis narrative established in her earlier work, blending funk, soul, hip-hop, and rock elements. Structured as a double album, it features...
Octavia E. Butler is a celebrated 20th-century novelist known for her impactful science fiction. Her work, frequently categorized as Afrofuturism, examines profound issues of race, power dynamics, and human experience. Butler’s narratives resonate particularly with readers interested in social justi...
Space Is the Place is a 1974 Afrofuturist science fiction film directed by John Coney, starring jazz musician Sun Ra and his Arkestra. In the film, Sun Ra portrays a version of himself, claiming to be from Saturn and proposing to transport Black Americans to a new planet through his music. The produ...
Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements is a 2015 anthology edited by Walidah Imarisha and adrienne maree brown. Its contributors include activists, organizers, and writers who use speculative fiction to examine oppression, resistance, identity, and alternative social...
Who Fears Death is a 2010 science fantasy novel by Nnedi Okorafor set in a post-apocalyptic Sahara, exploring themes of genocide, identity, and sorcery. The story follows Onyesonwu, a child of rape who discovers she has magical abilities including shapeshifting. The novel won the World Fantasy Award...
An Unkindness of Ghosts is a 2017 science fiction novel written by Rivers Solomon. Set aboard the Matilda, a massive generation ship traveling through space, the narrative follows a protagonist named Aster who investigates the ship's brutal, deeply entrenched racial caste system. The story serves as...
Binti is a science fiction novella written by Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor, first published in 2015. The story follows a young woman from the Himba ethnic group who leaves her home to become the first of her people to attend the prestigious intergalactic Oomza University. The book receive...
