Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture

by Ytasha L. Womack

2014 Locus Awards Finalist, Nonfiction Category

In this hip, accessible primer to the music, literature, and art of Afrofuturism, author Ytasha Womack introduces readers to the burgeoning community of artists creating Afrofuturist works, the innovators from the past, and the wide range of subjects they explore. From the sci-fi literature of Samuel Delany, Octavia Butler, and N. K. Jemisin to the musical cosmos of Sun Ra, George Clinton, and the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, to the visual and multimedia artists inspired by African Dogon myths and Egyptian deities, the book’s topics range from the “alien” experience of blacks in America to the “wake up” cry that peppers sci-fi literature, sermons, and activism. With a twofold aim to entertain and enlighten, Afrofuturists strive to break down racial, ethnic, and social limitations to empower and free individuals to be themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Short Stories, Art, Speculative Fiction, Music, Essays

213 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Ytasha L. Womack is an award-winning filmmaker/author/journalist and choreographer. She is author/creator of the popfuturist/afrofuturist novel 2212:Book of Rayla, first of the groundbreaking Rayla 2212 series. Her other books include the critically acclaimed Post Black: How a New Generation is Redefining African American Identity, a popular cultural studies text universities across the US, and her most recent work Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci Fi and Fantasy Culture. She also co-edited the anthology Beats, Rhymes and Life: What We Love and Hate About Hip Hop.

A Chicago native, her film projects include The Engagement (director) and Love Shorts (producer/writer). A social media and pop culture expert, she frequently consults and guest lectures for corporations and universities across the world. She received her B.A in Mass Media Arts from Clark Atlanta University and studied Arts, Entertainment and Media Management at Columbia College in Chicago.

- summarised from http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/bio/wo...

She can be found at:

http://www.iafrofuturism.com/

https://www.facebook.com/iafrofuturism

http://postblackexperience.com/

http://www.postblackthebook.blogspot....

Reviews

[Elle (ellexamines on TT & Substack) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a solid introduction to the history of Afrofuturism, the themes that often appear in Afrofuturistic texts, and its future.

Womack argues that Afrofuturism uses hope to counter the hopelessness that experiences of systematic racism can bring forth in future generations.

Imagination, hope, and the expectation for transformative change is a through line that undergirds most Afrofuturistic art, literature, music, and criticism. It is the collective weighted belief that anchors the aesthetic. It is the prism through which some create their way of life. It’s a view of the world.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Some things that I liked about this framing:
➽The idea of science fiction being, in some cases, less traumatic than the actual past of black people
➽The idea of technology and aliens as a good rather than an evil
➽The questioning of why we actually think of aliens as “bad”
➽Janelle Monae having an entire section of her own (as she deserves)
➽The emphasis on how this has always existed, and the history of people such as Sun Ra

afrofuturism 2019: book one
*Fair warning: at least twelve of the books I read in the next few months are going to be for my Afrofuturism class. So far, we've read Binti and Skin Folk. I'm so excited for more.

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[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book, I truly did, but I couldn't help but find it disappointing.

I first heard about Afrofuturism a few years ago when I discovered Octavia Butler, and then again few months ago while browsing Tumblr, and as an ardent fan of science fiction/fantasy culture I was immediately intrigued. Its a fascinating concept, no doubt but I felt the ideas were not fully fleshed out, as the movement is still growing and developing, there wasn't really any concrete answers on what Afrofuturism/afrosurrealism actually is. It left me wanting more.

I feel like this book is very surface level and more of a primer, something to give you a small taste but you have to delve a bit deeper to truly "get it."

I had my highlighter out the entire time while reading this. Highlighting all of the albums, artists, films, and books I want to check out after reading. There's so much to explore, and this book definitely gave me a great starting point. For that reason alone I recommend it.

*listens to Sun Ra's Space Is The Place, while ordering the rest of Octavia Butler's books from Amazon*

[Gerhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Afrofuturism is a great tool for wielding the imagination for personal change and societal growth. Empowering people to see themselves and their ideas in the future gives rise to innovators and free thinkers, all of whom can pull from the best of the past while navigating the sea of possibilities to create communities, culture, and a new, balanced world. The imagination is the key to progress, and it’s the imagination that is all too often smothered in the name of conformity and community standards.'

Review to follow.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mae Jemison, the first African-American to go into space, was inspired to become an astronaut by seeing Lt. Nyota Uhura, one of the first Black, Sci-Fi characters, kick ass in Star Trek.

Possibly the best Non-Fiction work I have ever read. I discovered so many new things from amazing music, to films and books that I definitely need to watch/ read in the near future.

Afrofuturism is difficult to explain or define. It aims to imagine a future where Black people are central figures in society. It's a relatively new term, but if you analyse works of the past, you find that it's definitely not a new concept.

Representation matters. And it cultivates social change.

[KLC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting subject matter, but I didn't love the book. It's a decent resource, but I was hoping for something more in-depth. This is a slightly more thoughtful version of Wikipedia. However, that's not a bad thing if you're just looking for an introduction into some influential Afrofuturist artists.

Even though I didn't like the book, I would encourage people to read it. Womack's whole intention was to let black Americans know that there is a place for them to be smart and creative. She quotes someone early in the book. I didn't write it down and I can't remember who it was. But they said they were frustrated with writing about black people because there was really no way to write a story in the past without it being about a tragedy. They said it better than I did, but it's a powerful sentiment. It's the whole reason Afrofuturism exists. If writers want to tell a story about African Americans without the characters being reduced to their race, they have to create a fictional, futuristic world.

There were several things I liked. But one glaring flaw is that I came away not understanding what the author thinks Afrofuturism really is. Is it a genre? A philosophy? A cultural movement? I think it's all three, but the book doesn't put it in clear terms. If the book is titled "Afrofuturism," it should give a clear, concise definition of what it is.

I also found some passages way too hyperbolic and even problematic. I wrote down several examples, but I'll just share a small one. In the chapter on Egyptian influences - chapter five, I believe - she says that some people believe aliens built the pyramids because no one thinks people of color could do anything like that. First of all, no one with any kind of critical thinking ability believes it was aliens. But those who do, think so because they underestimate how advanced ancient societies were. It has nothing to do with color. They feel the same way about ancient European societies as well. She throws that statement out there and moves on, as though it's common knowledge. That's what I find problematic. A lot of people will just accept that she's right, especially younger people.

I could go on and on and on about what I don't like, but it's at least worth skimming for the artists mentioned.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG I've only just read the introduction and the first couple paragraphs of the first chapter but I'm already in lurv!

*******************

This was a great book. I'd been a fan of Nnedi Okorafor, Octavia Butler, George Clinton/Parliament, and Sun Ra for some time now, and have been meaning to check out a few other authors in the Afrofuturism and Afrosurrealism vein, but I never really made a connection insofar as a movement or genre. Ytasha Womack is engaging and balances well her personal experiences with an expository look into the movers and shakers of the AF scene. I now have a laundry list of artists, films, and filmmakers to check out. I especially loved the final chapters where Womack connects AF to community outreach, which is something I would LOVE to get involved in.

The only drawbacks to this book:
(1) (echoing another reviewer here) This book would have done well to include a recommended bibliography/discography, etc. As it stands now, just be prepared to take notes! You're going to want to explore.
(2) There were just a couple cringe-worthy incorrect historical notes (one I couldn't get over was that Napoleon had destroyed the library in Alexandria--I believe part of it caught fire with Julius Caesar's Civil War and was later subject to continued destruction by regional bigwigs).
(3) I tired a little with some of the digressions that were along the lines of "so these people aren't exactly AFs, but they did this one thing that could be included in the genre." This wasn't bad by any means, and it generally just illustrated Womack's point that African Americans have a rightful stake in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Surrealist communities, but it did strike me as a little bit of a stretch.

Regardless of these minor setbacks, this is such a terrific primer. I hope lots of people read it and are inspired to look more into the AF genre. I know I'll be thinking and talking about it for a long time.

[Paolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific look into and introductory text for Afrofuturism, or speculative and science fiction as created in all of its forms by African-Americans, and one that is sorely needed in a genre and culture so heavily entrenched in its straight-white-maleness. On a personal note, the section discussing afrofuturistic music basically had me shaking in excitement and agreement, making me feel that all those hours studying ethnomusicology were not in vain.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and wide ranging, but scattered, overview of African-derived futurist and science fiction works in film, music, literature, visual arts, and comics. Very thoughtful but would have benefited from some greater theoretical structure and a careful editor!

[Kusu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Afrofuturism is a great tool for wielding the imagination for personal change and societal growth. Empowering people to see themselves and their ideas in the future gives rise to innovators and free thinkers, all of whom can pull from the best of the past while navigating the sea of possibilities to create communities, culture, and a new, balanced world. The imagination is the key to progress, and it’s the imagination that is all too often smothered in the name of conformity and community standards.

On the one hand, Afrofuturism encourages the beauties of African diasporic cultures and gives people of color a face in the future. But from a global vantage point, the perspective contributes to world knowledge and ideas and includes the perspectives of a group too often deleted from the past and future. Sometimes Afrofuturists address otherness dead-on, while some simply give life to the stories that dance in their mind. But all are aware that the future, technology, and the scope of the imagination have unlimited potential that culture can inform."

This book was very informative, both regarding the current culture and growth in this genre of arts and also its past and origins. It was concise and entertaining.

[Sachi Argabright · Rating 4 out of 5]

[ 4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫]

AFROFUTURISM: THE WORLD OF BLACK SCI-FI AND FANTASY CULTURE by Ytasha L. Womack defines and celebrates the many facets of Afrofuturism. By refocusing the lens on black people and the black experience, Afrofuturism can reimagine black history as well as the vast possibilities in black future. This book explores various formats of Afrofuturistic media (mainly movies, music, literature), and the creators and artists behind them.

When I first heard this was technically a textbook, I was worried it might be too “academic” for me (especially since I didn’t know much about afrofuturism before I read this book). But that wasn’t the case at all! This book is very approachable, and has a good balance of research and interviews. It’s short and concise (around 200 pages), but rich in detail. It also features many references to Afrofuturistic works and media, and there is no shortage of content. Your list of additional things to watch, read, and listen will grow very long very fast. I really enjoyed learning from this book, and I feel like it’s a great introduction to the genre.

My only *small* complaint is that I felt like I needed more detailed information to truly understand the differences between things like Afrofuturism vs. Afrosurrealism vs. black fantasy, but that also could be because the content is very new to me. I know there are many articles and resources I can pick up for further reading, and plan to take advantage of those to learn more.

Highly recommend for those who want to learn more about Afrofuturism, or would like to build a long list of Afrofuturistic content to dive into!

[Brenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very helpful and creatively written book. I read it chapter by chapter, but I probably should take a year to read it and take the time to read every author, see the art of every artist, and watch the public media Womack notes. It would be a good year.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely amazing, honestly everyone should read this book. It combines history, art, music, literature, everything to dissect one of the most important art movements of our time. More people need to know about afrofuturism!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Regina Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super accessible & imaginative look into Afrofuturist themes, folks, & works.

[Red🏳️‍⚧️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great intro to various artists and works of art. Gonna be revisiting this one a lot. Some works I can think to add are

Films
—
Neptune Frost
They Cloned Tyrone
A Wrinkle in Time
Fast Color
See You Yesterday
probably Sorry to Bother You counts
obvi Black Panther and Spider-Verse films
the shows Watchmen, Black Lightning, and Luke Cage (plus I’ve heard good things about I’m A Virgo and The Underground Railroad)
the Lovecraft Country episode “I Am”
the anime Yasuke, Michiko & Hatchin, Basquash, Neo Yokio, and Cannon Busters

Comics
—
Far Sector
Victor LaValle’s Destroyer
Across A Field of Starlight
Geoffrey Thorne’s Green Lantern
Amazons Abolitionists and Activists
Mahou Josei Chimaka
The Wicked + the Divine
Frostbite
The Forgotten Queen
Self/Made
Prism Stalker
Eve Ewing’s Ironheart
Sana Starros
Aleš Kot’s The New World
Milestone comics of old and of new (particularly Icon, Hardware, and Static Shock)
Deathlok: The Souls of Cyber-Folk
The Other History of the DC Universe
Green Lantern Mosaic
Sandman: House of Whispers

Books
—
Three Parts Dead and Four Roads Cross
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
Cinderella is Dead
the audiobooks Carla Grauls’ Life Ever After and Wally Roux, Quantum Mechanic

[Caitlin Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading a few Afrofuturism novels this semester for the critical race theory portion of my MA... I'm not fond of sci-fi or fantasy generally -- I never considered that this might be a reflection of my privilege, as Womack argues that using science fiction may be less traumatic than using one's own past to examine black identity. Keeping an open mind. Pretty good introduction!

[christine plum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have FILLED this book with sticky notes marking memorable quotes and things on which I want to do further research. in fact, I *started* using sticky notes for the first time since college because I didn’t want to forget a single thing said in this book. what a phenomenal resource.

[Malcolm Frazier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I found this book initially exciting yet failing to really grasp on to its own topics and themes which it introduces. This book is at its best discussing musical influences, sun ra and dogon cultural relations to afrofuturistic principles and themes.

Unfortunately, this book suffers from being written I feel a bit too early in 2013, and severe lack of attention given to its plethora of examples which are presented in one paragraph and dropped in the next. Written to early in that examples / sources are not wholly convincing with her arguments or even researchable as the projects had minimal reach or impact. But what's really made this a hard read for me was the authors willingness to introduce a plethora of subjects / examples with minimal context and cohesion, often introducing multiple names and jumping 40 several decades within 3 unrelated paragraphs in a row, making this hard to follow from page to page.

The first half of the book is interesting and worth the read, the second half seems poorly thought out with no clear direction (in my opinion). What sealed the 2 star rating for me was the author many times seems to be forcing afrofuturism onto certain cultural phenomenon without giving a reasonable argument and laying out why something is afrofuturistic. The book feels rather incomplete, more an introduction or qualifying paper for more thorough research to come down the road.

[Dan Plonsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a terrible book -- for me, at least, because it's about a subject which is very dear to me. Without the life and music of Sun Ra, I don't know where I would have gone off to. This book, however, has nothing to give but useless gushing, generalizations, and descriptions which seem curiously second-hand. For instance, about Sun Ra: "he was a total original." "He explored with healing tones, new sounds, and pushed jazz beyond its bebop dimensions." That is, it reads like an extended essay by a high school student. Womack provides no original analysis, nor does she even find significant ideas in secondary sources. The only creativity manifest is the frequent misuse of words, possibly intended poetically, or perhaps merely the result of lack of editing. The fascinating creators of whom Womack writes are poorly served --damned by uncomprehending praise -- by this shallow and misleading work.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think my own expectations of what this book were set me up to not enjoy it as much. This is an interesting topic, but the way it was presented could be a little confusing. It felt unorganized at times, with people discussed before they were explained and quotes from people just plopped into the chapter even if they weren't the most relevant. You definitely need some base information about Afrofuturism before going into this book to get the most out of it.

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the history of Afrofuturism in everything from music to art to movies and literature. We hear mention of George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Janelle Monae, Octavia Butler, Nnedi Okorafor, Sun Ra and more. The book mentioned many books, movies and musical artists that I want to follow-up with.

[Megan Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book rocked my world. I wrote all over my copy in a fevered frenzy to capture every morsel. It's safe to say that Afrofuturism is my aesthetic.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture is an anthology of a dozen personal essays written by Ytasha L. Womack. It is a collection of essays about defining the term: Afrofuturism.

For the most part, I really like most – if not all of these contributions. Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture contain a dozen personal essays, which are written and researched exceptionally well. Womack explains that Afrofuturistic work is not confined within certain genres, such as science or speculative fiction, but rather an aesthetic which is marked by a desire to be free and unconstrained in any forms of media and genre. Afrofuturism is an intersection of imagination, technology, the future and liberation and combines elements of science fiction, historical fiction, speculative fiction, fantasy, Afrocentricity, and magic realism with non-Western beliefs.

Like most anthologies, there are weaker contributions, and Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture is not an exception. There are a couple of essays that seems like an outlier, which wasn't as constructed or conveyed rather well – comparatively speaking.

All in all, Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture is a wonderful collection of essays that celebrates and defines Afrofuturism.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture is a great introduction to afrofuturism. While reading, I ended up making a list in pencil at the back of the book of authors, books, films, and music to check out -- while I am reasonably well-read in terms of afrofuturist sci-fi and fantasy literature, other areas like music, comics, and art I knew almost nothing about before reading this book so I definitely learned a lot. I also enjoyed learning about afrofuturism's history -- the coining of the term, the use of listservs and websites to share afrofuturist ideas, and the emergence of afrofuturist classes in some college/universities. While I wanted a little more in-depth analysis in some places, I really appreciate the detailed endnotes which are full of further reading for me to explore.

[Fee Bolden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed this book and it peaked my interest in the subject. The author provides a wealth of resources and artists/activists/ scholars who are actively working in the genre.

Afrofuturism is a great tool for wielding the imagination for personal change and societal growth. Empowering people to see
themselves and their ideas in the future gives rise to innovators and free thinkers, all of whom can pull from the best of the past
while navigating the sea of possibilities to create communities, culture, and a new, balanced world. The imagination is the key to
progress, and it's the imagination that is all too often smothered in the name of conformity and community standards.

[Kim Staley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read everything by Octavia Butler and a few books by other authors (Nnedi Okorafor & N.K. Jemisin) that have been called Afrofuturism, but I felt that I wasn’t really getting the big picture of what Afrofuturism is. I wanted answers, as well as lists of other artists, writers, and musicians considered part of the movement. I am walking away from this book with a better understanding and a nice list of other resources to explore, but not quite the deep dive that I was hoping for. From other comments in this section, it sounds like I’ll get a deeper understanding by going directly to Mark Dery.

Edit: I was pretty excited to read about Afrosurrealism. I hadn’t known that was a related movement, and now I’m eager to check out some of Henry Dumas’ work.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An introduction to Afrofuturism - a movement which is still being shaped, but can be a way for black people in particular to envision another future, or tap into some supernatural stuff from the past. Womack talks about touchstone artists (Sun Ra, George Clinton, Octavia Butler, etc), but also people studying the intersection between technology and people of color. A quick and informative read.

[Miquel Codony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muy dispar y no exactamente lo que buscaba, aunque me ha aclarado las ideas y, en general, es interesante.

[Mateo Dk · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

It was fine but has already become fairly dated. Felt like it implied a lot that I need spelled out explicitly to be sure I understood.

[Abi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly interesting concept. I am a fan and I adore the use of imagination as a tool for resistance and liberation <3