Africanfuturism is a genre incorporating elements of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror and magical realism. As first described by Dr. Nnedi Okorafor in 2019, it is "rooted by African culture, history, mythology and point-of-view." Africanfuturist writers often present an optimistic vision of the future, show a deep interest in technology and focus on community and connectedness as solutions to problems. Here are six novels to get you started in this exciting, innovative genre.
“Binti”
By Nnedi Okorafor
Binti is the first member of the Himba people to be accepted into a prestigious intergalactic university. When her transport ship is hijacked by a jellyfish-like alien species, she must combine her mathematical skills and ancestral knowledge to broker a tentative peace between worlds.
“Children of Blood and Bone”
By Tomi Adeyemi
After a tyrannical king kills the maji of Orïsha, Zélie and other potential magic users live in fear of persecution. Joined by a group of unlikely allies, including her brother and a runaway princess, she embarks on a dangerous journey to restore magic and bring balance to the land.
“Harmattan Season”
By Tochi Onyebuchi
In a city rife with colonial violence and political tension, down-on-his-luck detective and former soldier Boubacar is surprised to find an injured woman on his doorstep. When she vanishes overnight, he must rely on fellow veterans, old flames and a young streetwise hustler to seek justice for her—but only if he makes peace with his own past first.
“Library of the Dead”
By T. L. Huchu
Ropa Moyo is a ghostalker in Edinburgh, Scotland, who acts as a messenger between the living and the dead. After learning about a string of child abductions from a newly dead mother, she must plumb the depths of an occult library to uncover secrets that could both save and destroy the city.
“Lost Ark Dreaming”
By Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Decades after rising sea levels flood the coast of West Africa, survivors live in the towering Pinnacle on floors strictly delineated by economic status. When Pinnacle leadership tries to cover up a breach in the tower’s hull, three residents with divergent goals must work together to unearth the history of the building and challenge its unfair hierarchies.
“The Old Drift"
By Namwali Serpell
In a colonial settlement called “The Old Drift,” a settler’s actions set off a spark of violence and retribution that engulfs three Zambian families of different ethnic backgrounds. Traveling from historical past to imagined present, the story of their intertwining shines a light on how memory, technology and chance shape both personal and national destinies.
