List of Afrofuturist literature

Afrofuturism, as a genre, describes fictional works which encompass Black science fiction and may engage with any and all structural elements of the broader umbrella of subgenres (horror, fantasy, magical realism, historical fiction, etc.) classified under Black speculative fiction.

Afrofuturist literary works resist singular notions of a “Black” cultural experience. Instead, Afrofuturist narratives draw upon a variety of ethnic, national, regional histories and cosmologies, as well as indigenous religious frameworks. Thematically, Afrofuturist literature delves into revisionist or alternative history making, while galvanizing conversations on social injustice and Black liberation. Afrofuturist literature investigates questions of Black intellectual production, materiality, and intellectual ownership, while reimagining the potential futures of individuals within the Afrodiaspora.

The emerging genre of Afrofuturist literature is influenced by two strands, Afro-pessimism and Black optimism. Afro-pessimism asserts that the violence of colonialism and slavery contributes to a definition of Blackness as a state of non-being. In this state, Black individuals exist within and yet are alienated from the rest of society. In Afrofuturist literature, Afro-pessimism underscores a bleak view of futurity and any inherent possibility for Black self-determination and social advancement. In contrast, Black optimism reconsiders Blackness after slavery and colonialism relative to modernity, technology, and culture. Black optimism emphasizes Blackness as a complete and holistic state of being. It rejects the essentialism and inherent abjectness of socially-determined “Blackness” as portrayed in Afro-pessimism. Within the context of Afrofuturist literature, the Black imaginary and its creative expression are essential pivot points for self-determining futurity.

List of Afrofuturist literature

 * Turnbull, Cadwell
 * 2021
 * No gods, no monsters: a novel
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