Lightning Review

How Long ’til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin

A

How Long til Black Future Month?

by N.K. Jemisin

This anthology collects fantasy and science fiction short stories by author N.K. Jemisin. Many of these stories involve resistance of some kind. All feature protagonists of color, and all are challenging, uncompromising, and delightful.

Several of these stories, like “The City Born Great” and “The You Train,” explore the spirits of and in cities. “Red Dirt Witch” takes place in rural Alabama, where the Fey can be fought off with the traditional rowan and ash, but also with sage, rosemary, fig, and the iron in the soil. There are fairy tales and space stories and a story that takes place entirely in cyberspace. Yes, there be dragons.

Jemisin’s beautiful writing continues to stun, and her stories continue to challenge and inspire. The introduction is wonderful all by itself. In it, Jemisin revisits 2002, the year when she decided to try writing professionally. She talks about how impossible it was to publish stories about Black women in science fiction and fantasy at that time, and how much (and how little) has changed since then. At the end of the introduction she says:

Now I mentor up-and-coming writers of color wherever I find them…and there are many to find. Now I am bolder, and angrier, and more joyful; none of these things contradict each other. Now I am the writer that short stories made me.

So come on. That’s the future over there. Let’s all go.

This book should resonate with fans of character-based science fiction and fantasy, as well as people who enjoy high concept stories. They will also resonate with people who like stories that confront social justice issues and stories about diverse characters. Enjoy!

Carrie S

Hugo award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N. K. Jemisin sharply examines modern society in her first short story collection.

N. K. Jemisin is one of the most powerful and acclaimed speculative fiction authors of our time. In the first collection of her evocative short fiction, Jemisin equally challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption.

In these stories, Jemisin sharply examines modern society, infusing magic into the mundane, and drawing deft parallels in the fantasy realms of her imagination. Dragons and hateful spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow South must save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story “The City Born Great,” a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis’s soul.

Science Fiction/Fantasy
This book is available from:
  • Available at Amazon
  • Order this book from apple books

  • Order this book from Barnes & Noble
  • Order this book from Kobo
  • Order this book from Google Play

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
We also may use affiliate links in our posts, as well. Thanks!

Add Your Comment

Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

↑ Back to Top