A Spaceship in Bronzeville: Muse

by Ytasha L. Womack

Genres: Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Time Travel

62 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

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

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Spaceship in Bronzeville: Muse is the first of three novellas from Ytasha L. Womack set in postwar Chicago in the historic African-American neighborhood of Bronzeville. Bonnie works as a reporter for the Chicago Defender and is led into a secret society of prominent Bronzeville business owners, artists, and intellectuals after dozens in the area see a spaceship the size of a city block hovering over their neighborhood. Rumors have spread around the community that there is a strange visitor to their neighborhood and this visitor has an offer to members of the society that is at first glance the opportunity of a generation but is ultimately, humorously, a pretty big letdown.

Womack has clearly done the research in setting the scene in this most important destination from the Great Migration. The interplay at the meeting between the businessmen and women and other noteworthy figures from the community felt very real, and must reveal Womack’s background as a journalist herself for the Defender and many hours surely spent in quirky neighborhood meetings. I really enjoyed this quick story and am looking forward to exploring Womack’s unique Afrofuturist world- and character-building.

I received the three novellas in this series by backing the project on Kickstarter. They are currently published in a neat set by Mouse Books and are designed to replace the constant attachment of a smart phone by fitting perfectly in the palm of one’s hand. You can buy them here: A Spaceship in Bronzeville

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting beginning. It took me a little bit to get into the story, but once I did I was sucked all the way in. I loved the little details, the glimpses of the time past. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. I am curious where part two shall take us.

[Thistle & Verse · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing started off a bit rough. I'm not sure if it was a printing error, but there was a repeated sentence that was difficult to understand. Other than that, this story was a good mix of humor and mystery. There was a funny scene where a club of people who are interested in conspiracy theories and the supernatural meet a woman who says she's from the future. I enjoyed the protagonist's restlessness and creativity.