Author | Nnedi Okorafor |
---|---|
Cover artist | Greg Ruth |
Language | English |
Series | Nsibidi Scripts Series |
Subject | Africanjujuism |
Genre | Fantasy Young adult fiction |
Set in | Nigeria |
Published | 2011 |
Publisher | Viking/Penguin Books |
Publication place | United States Nigeria |
Pages | 349 |
Followed by | Akata Warrior |
Akata Witch (retitled What Sunny Saw in the Flames in Nigeria and the UK) is a 2011 young adult fantasy novel [1] written by Nigerian American author Nnedi Okorafor. [2] It was nominated for the Andre Norton Award [3] and it is the first novel in her The Nsibidi Scripts series; it is followed by two sequels, Akata Warrior (2017) [4] and Akata Woman (2022).
Nnedi Okorafor based the novel in Nigerian culture and politics, and African cosmology, folklore, and tradition to create many of the entities and spirits in the novel. [5]
Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue was born in America yet lives in Aba, Nigeria. She is Nigerian, Black and albino, and cannot go out in the sun for long periods because of her albinism.
Sunny discovers that she has magical abilities which makes her a "free agent" in the magical community called the Leopard People in West Africa. As a free agent, she needs to learn about the magical community. Her magical teachers connect her with three other magical students to become a coven, a group of magical Leopard People assembled to pursue a purpose. The group is cultivated by leaders in the magical communities to try to capture Black Hat Otokoto, a serial killer who also knows magic.
The novel deals with themes of ethnicity, identity, and dealing with whatever gifts or curses life provides. [7]
The novel was published as What Sunny Saw in the Flames in both Nigeria and the UK; akata has a derogatory meaning in Nigerian dialects. [8] The original edition's title is meant to face and criticize its derogatory meaning.
Kirkus Reviews called the novel "ebulliently original." [9] The New York Times recommended it as one of "7 great fantasy novels for teenagers," saying that Okorafor "weaves an enchanting spell in this book and its sequel." [10] The Los Angeles Times said "in an increasingly globalized world, Okorafor's outsider perspective offers a refreshing Afro take on the popular coming-of-age fantasy genre." [11]
Time recognized the book as one of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, praising Okorafor's use of Nigerian folk beliefs and rituals. [8]
Okorafor's Akata novels have been met with resistance among religious conservatives in Nigeria, who argue that the novels glorify superstition and witchcraft. [5]
Akata Witch received the following awards and accolades:
The novel was also named an Amazon.com best book of the year. [14]
The novel was followed by two sequels; Akata Warrior (2017) [4] [5] and Akata Woman (2022). [15] [16]
DAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim, along with his wife, Elsie B. Wollheim, following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy." The first DAW Book published was the 1972 short story collection Spell of the Witch World by Andre Norton.
Zahrah the Windseeker is a young adult fantasy novel and the debut novel of Nigerian American writer Nnedi Okorafor, published in September 2005. It incorporates Nigerian myths, folklore, and culture. It is the winner of the 2008 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa.
Nnedimma Nkemdili "Nnedi" Okorafor is a Nigerian American writer of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. She is best known for her Binti Series and her novels Who Fears Death, Zahrah the Windseeker, Akata Witch, Akata Warrior, Lagoon and Remote Control. She has also written for comics and film.
Dark Matter is an anthology series of science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories and essays produced by people of African descent. The editor of the series is Sheree Thomas. The first book in the series, Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (2000), won the 2001 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology. The second book in the Dark Matter series, Dark Matter: Reading the Bones (2004), won the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology in 2005. A forthcoming third book in the series is tentatively named Dark Matter: Africa Rising. This was finally published at the end of 2022 under the title Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction, from Tor Books.
The Shadow Speaker is a young adult, first-person novel by Nigerian-American writer Nnedi Okorafor, which takes place in the year 2070. It was a Booksense Pick for Winter 2007/2008, a Tiptree Honor Book, a finalist for the Essence Magazine Literary Award, the Andre Norton Award and the Golden Duck Award and an NAACP Image Award nominee.
Who Fears Death is a science fantasy novel by Nigerian-American writer Nnedi Okorafor, published in 2010 by DAW, then an imprint of Penguin Books. It was awarded the 2011 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, as well as the 2010 Carl Brandon Kindred Award "for an outstanding work of speculative fiction dealing with race and ethnicity." Okorafor wrote a prequel, the novel The Book of Phoenix, published by DAW in 2015.
Binti is an Africanfuturist science fiction horror novella written by Nnedi Okorafor. The novella was published in 2015 by Tor.com. Binti is the first novella in Okorafor's Binti novella series.
Binti: Home is a 2017 science fiction novella written by Nnedi Okorafor and published by Tor.com. Binti: Home is the sequel to Okorafor's Binti from 2015, and is followed by Binti: The Night Masquerade, published in 2018.
Lagoon is an Africanfuturist first contact novel by Nnedi Okorafor. It has drawn much scholarly attention since its publication, some of which was written before Okorafor's important clarification that her work is "Africanfuturist" rather than "Afrofuturist." In 2014 it was chosen as an honor list title for the James Tiptree Jr. Award.
Binti: The Night Masquerade is a science fiction novella written by Nnedi Okorafor. The novella was published in 2018 by Tor.com, and it is the final novella in the Binti trilogy that began with 2015's Binti and 2017's Binti: Home. When the full collection Binti: The Complete Trilogy was published, Okorafor added another short story titled "Binti: Sacred Fire".
Africanfuturism is a cultural aesthetic and philosophy of science that centers on the fusion of African culture, history, mythology, point of view, with technology based in Africa and not limiting to the diaspora. It was coined by Nigerian American writer Nnedi Okorafor in 2019 in a blog post as a single word. Nnedi Okorafor defines Africanfuturism as a sub-category of science fiction that is "directly rooted in African culture, history, mythology and point-of-view..and...does not privilege or center the West," is centered with optimistic "visions in the future," and is written by "people of African descent" while rooted in the African continent. As such its center is African, often does extend upon the continent of Africa, and includes the Black diaspora, including fantasy that is set in the future, making a narrative "more science fiction than fantasy" and typically has mystical elements. It is different from Afrofuturism, which focuses mainly on the African diaspora, particularly the United States. Works of Africanfuturism include science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror and magic realism.
Remote Control is a 2021 science fiction novella by Nigerian American Nnedi Okorafor. It is Okorafor's first novella after the Binti Trilogy and is set in the same universe as Okorafor's Who Fears Death and The Book of Phoenix.
Akata Warrior is a 2017 young adult fantasy novel by Nigerian American writer Nnedi Okorafor. It is a sequel to Akata Witch (2011) and the second book in her TheNsibidi Scripts series; it's followed by Akata Woman (2022). It won the inaugural Lodestar Award in 2018 as well as the 2018 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Novel.
The Binti trilogy or Binti Series is a trilogy of Africanfuturist science fiction novellas by Nigerian American author Nnedi Okorafor. Beginning with Binti and ending with Binti: The Night Masquerade, it follows the heroine Binti as she leaves Earth to attend a prestigious university in space.
The Book of Phoenix is a 2015 science fantasy novel by Nigerian American author Nnedi Okorafor. It is a stand alone prequel to Who Fears Death, it won the 2018 Kurd Laßwitz Preis for Best Foreign Fiction Book and was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award.
Ikenga is a 2020 middle grade fantasy novel by Nigerian American writer Nnedi Okorafor. It is Okorafor's first book to feature male protagonist and was nominated for the 2021 Edgar Awards. The novel follows Nnamdi, a boy who can access superhuman powers with the help of the Ikenga.
The Third Generation of Nigeria Writers is an emerging phase of Nigerian literature, in which there is a major shift in both the method of publishing and the themes explored. This set of writers are known for writing post-independence novels and poems. This generation is believed to be influenced by the western world, politics and the preceding generation of Mbari Club writers, Flora Nwapa and Buchi Emecheta. The emergence of the third generation of Nigerian writers has changed the publishing sector with a resurgence of new publishing firms such as Kachifo Limited, Parrésia Publishers, Cassava Republic Press and Farafina Books. These new writers create new genres and methods that deal with racism, class, abuse and violence.
Akata Woman is a 2022 young adult fantasy novel by Nigerian American author Nnedi Okorafor. It is the sequel to Akata Witch and Akata Warrior and the third book in her The Nsibidi Script series. It debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list following its release in January 2022.
Noor is a 2021 Africanfuturist science fiction novel by Nigerian American author Nnedi Okorafor. The novel was published on November 9, 2021, by DAW Books and is the fourth adult novel written by Okorafor. It is a finalist for the Locus Award for best science fiction novel.
Kabu Kabu is a speculative fiction short story collection written by Nigerian American writer Nnedi Okorafor with stories in both Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism styles and themes. The collection was first published in 2013 by Prime Books.