Description
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.
Reviews
"An innovative, fresh take on black identity in the 21st Century. This book shows the unique diversity in the black community, one often mistaken to be monolithic, but is anything but. A must read." --Bob Meadows, People Magazine on Post Black
"At last! A real book about a deeply elusive topic--Black people and the possibility of what Sun Ra used to call the Alter Destiny. Ytasha Womack takes us on a quantum romp through the Afro-Multiverse: she explains some of the biggest, brightest, fastest, heaviest and loudest things in the known world--and beyond! At heart, Afrofuturism gives you a vast and intuitive feel for some of the most pressing issues facing young progressives in the early 21st Century." -- DJ Spooky
"Ytasha L. Womack's book Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture is one of the most comprehensive and relevant reads in the black science fiction realm to date. I highly recommend this book as it masterfully covers the genre's humble past, its flourishing present and promising future. This is definitely a fantastically, engaging read. I couldn't put it down." -- Jarvis Sheffield, The Black Science Fiction Society
"When I coined the term "Afrofuturism" in 1992, who knew young cultural critics like Ytasha Womack would make it their own? Accessibly written, with an emphasis on the politics of the here and now, Afrofuturism beckons us through an intellectual wormhole, into a universe where dark matter is, at last, visible." -- Mark Dery, cultural critic, author, lecturer
"This book is the gravity that holds the universe of ideas that define Afrofuturism. Finally, the starting point for our welcomed explorers." --King Britt, universal sonic architect
"A smooth blend between a personal memoir and a reference source for those interested in delving into the world of afrofuturism." -- Futuristically Ancient
"Provocative and highly detailed, accessible to both geeks and laymen... a fascinating glimpse into what Sun Ra called 'the Alter Destiny.'" -- Smooth Magazine
Awards
Short-listed for Locus Awards (Nonfiction) 2014.
Book Information
ISBN 9781613747964
Author Ytasha L. Womack
Format Paperback
Page Count 224
Imprint Chicago Review Press
Publisher Chicago Review Press
Weight(grams) 317g
