Okay, like I said, I got a little over-enthusiastic? distracted? overwhelmed? trying to pick one favorite Black literature book for #blacklitchallenge, so I started a stack, and that stack became many stacks. Today’s stack is Black speculative fiction, science fiction and fantasy, whatever you want to call it. This time I was actually strict with the one book per author rule, which was particularly difficult for Octavia Butler, but I persevered. I loved all of these books and would recommend them all. . . Tiny short descriptions for each! PARABLE OF THE SOWER — The first book I read by Butler and still my favorite. Depressingly plausible near-future scifi plus empaths. . SHE WHO HEARS ALL WHISPERS — Corrupt magical systems, magical disease, seaside ecology and a bereaved mother out for vengeance . A RUIN OF SHADOWS — Badass older black woman protagonist, assassin army, bloody fight scenes, and a wise-cracking djinn. . BINTI — Girl leaves home to follow her dreams, but with math magic, interstellar empathy, and tentacle hair. First in an amazing trilogy. . THE BLACK GOD’S DRUMS — An alternate post-Civil War New Orleans with steamships and resistance nuns and mind-controlling gas and African orisha. . PYM — Brilliant send-up of racism and rugged individualism in the form of “What if THE NARRATIVE OF ARTHUR GORDON PYM OF NANTUCKET by Poe was a true story?” . ESCAPING EXODUS — Joyfully weird world-building with space octopus creatures, macro microflora and bioengineering. Queer black characters in a generation ship story with a twist. . THE FIFTH SEASON — You already know, but what if geology was magic? Queer black characters, apocalypse, magical school and caste systems. . #bookstack #speculativefiction #sff #blacksff #octaviabutler #octaviaebutler #parableofthesower #davaunsanders #shewhohearsallwhispers #ldlewis #aruinofshadows #dancingstarpress #nnediokorafor #binti #pdjèlíclark #theblackgodsdrums #matjohnson #pym #nickydrayden #escapingexodus #nkjemisin #thefifthseason https://www.instagram.com/p/B8eqk04Bp2S/?igshid=5l0d4z0hf834
