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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD

@nnedi.bsky.social

47K followers 33 following 4.6K posts

*THE* Naijamerican PhD-holding, World Fantasy, multi-Hugo, Nebula, Eisner Award-winning, New York Times bestselling rudimentary cyborg writer, nnedi.com

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · Nov 24

This was my response in The Guardian 3 years ago when I was asked if my work was a response to the prevalence of whiteness in science fiction.

I’m totally patting “January 2021 Nnedi” on the back. Yes, Nnedi. So much yes, 🙌🏾 :

My worlds are African worlds. I'd love to take credit for the culture that is in my worlds' DNA, but I can't. Those cultures existed long before me;I didn't have to imagine them. And my stories certainly don't exist because white male (or female ... let's not forget that white female perspectives also dominate female perspectives in science fiction and fantasy) perspectives refused to imagine them first. My stories aren't a " to whiteness. They exist wholly outside of white-male-anything. These stories that come from my own culture, experiences, from within me, from reflections of specific African cultures. By existing, I'd hope they help bring cultural, ethnic and gender balance to science fiction and fantasy, but that is not my work's reason to exist.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 3h

That last part! YES.

Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 3h

Oh no! 😟

I wonder if they don’t have enough space to spread their roots. But that looks like an old tree! These trees aren’t used to or expecting this type of weather.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 3h

There was lightning happening behind it and whatever that is was there for about 30 seconds. Then it disappeared. 😮

It’s been quite a day, lol.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 3h

When I went home, because the gym was closed, I went for a walk and saw this in the sky:

The sky…dunno what that is in the clouds.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 4h

Looking it up right now. Reports are saying it was a microburst (which is just as scary as a tornado to me…but at least it wasn’t a tornado. Those are very rare here).

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 4h

When I got to the gym, it was closed because the power was out. And this palm tree was just lying in the parking lot! Where the heck did it even come from?? And see that lopsided parking lot light? 😲!!

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 4h

Oh my goodness, my drive was like driving through the aftermath of a disaster! Downed and uprooted trees EVERYWHERE, traffic lights were off, roads closed due to flooding, etc…

Up rooted Palo Verde trees on the side of the road

A large uprooted tree leaning to the side

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 4h

Something intense passed through my part of Phoenix today. It lasted about fifteen minutes. Wind, hail, heavy rain. It’s the desert, but that hurricane caused some weather here. Ok.

Two hours later, I went to the gym…

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 13h

I love the Shuri covers for my series. They were so PERFECT for the story. Fun Fact: The illustrator Sam Spratt also did Janelle Monae's Electric Lady album cover.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 13h

For those who don't know, yes, I have written some Marvel stuff.

For the record: I am the first woman to write T'Challa.

Ngozi, the first Nigerian Marvel character

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 13h

The only ones missing are Zahrah the Windseeker, Long Juju Man, Chicken in the Kitchen and some of my other Marvel titles, 😊.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 13h

A woman in my book-signing line at the Heartland Book Festival gave me these miniature versions of my books. So delightful! 📚I'm going to keep this tiny library on my desk. Nearly every book I've written.

Nnedi's fingers holding a box of miniature Nnedi books.

All the miniature books spread on Nnedi's hand.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 15h

Looooved Frog and Toad! 😃

Reposted by Nnedi Okorafor, PhD

Greg Ruth @gregthings.bsky.social · 16h

SKODEN & HAPPY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY

www.gregthings.com

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

Anyone else obsessed with this book as a kid? 😊 I loved it so much, lol.

Bunnicula:
A RABBIT-TALE OF MYSTERY
BY DEBORAH AND JAMES HOWE
illustrated by Alan Daniel

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

Why do people keep talking to me as if I am not a black woman in America.

*Notice I didn’t put a question mark at the end of that sentence.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

I don’t need to explain myself.

Hope you got it all off your chest.

bxmartian.bsky.social @bxmartian.bsky.social · 1d

What's sad? That ppl stopped mourning a hateful white supremacist, who successfully indoctrinated Gen Z with anti-black, homophobic, and xenophobic ideology? Since his passing, so much violence has been carried out in his name. Are we meant to feel empathy for someone who was so full of hate for us?

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

A beautiful moment at sunset somewhere over Colorado yesterday. 🌅

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

NOPE.

To have a space and a logic.

Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

Let it be understood, the *only* definition of africanfuturism I acknowledge is the one I wrote. Everything else is an interpretation, many of which are quite wrong (especially when it comes to the black diaspora; my God, so many people don't get it, despite the fact that I was clear).

The End.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

See for yourself.

First image is what popped up, second is when I clicked on it.

In the second image, when I clicked on the source, it cited Wikipedia, where there is a WHOLE MESS of BS that gets the definition twisted AF. I'm so done. Letting it all go. Don't ask me about this word anymore.

• Meta Al
African Futurism is a genre of science fiction that explores the intersection of technology, culture, and identity in... more

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

The way misinformation spreads is really something else.

When lots of people get something wrong, social media goes in that direction instead of seeking out the facts and truth.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

"Search African Futurism authors" just popped up at the top of my Instagram app.

I took the time to coin and define africanfuturism yet people can't spell it. The spelling of the term is PART of the definition! Now it's been gotten wrong so often that AI have picked that up. Mscheeew, exhausting.

Africanfuturism (being African-based) will tend to naturally have mystical elements (drawn or grown from actual African cultural beliefs/world views, not something merely made up).
Lastly, africanfuturism is spelled as one word (not two), no hyphen and the "f" is not capitalized. It is one word so that the concepts of Africa and futurism cannot be separated (or replaced with something else) because they both blend to create something new (just like the word "Naijamerican"). As one word, it is one thing and no one can change the subject without starting a different conversation. Like the terms
"science fiction" and "fantasy", africanfuturism is a neutral word, therefore it is not capitalized.

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

A friend of mine was brave enough to walk through there days after it happened. These are his photos:

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Nnedi Okorafor, PhD @nnedi.bsky.social · 1d

Paused at the Charlie Kirk memorial outside Turning Point USA headquarters last night. Not a person there. People have moved on.

For about a week after it happened, this place was packed, media all over the place, people bringing flowers, crying, etc.

All things said…it’s *all* just sad.

Charlie Kirk memorial at Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix

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