Why would we at greydogtales celebrate Black Speculative Fiction Month? Because. But if you want that it in more detail, we can supply. We came at the whole black creator scene in our usual manner – whoa, something interesting. Weird works with fresh perspectives; stories that introduce new characters and put different spins on old ideas.
We were already into an unconnected range of black writers such Octavia Butler, Benjamin Zephaniah, Samuel Delaney, Charles R Saunders, Chinua Achebe and N K Jemisin – now here were Sword & Soul, Steamfunk and Afrofuturism as lively and thought-provoking movements. And we found black creators happy to talk about what they were doing, and why. We didn’t do it because we’re worthy or well-meaning, we did it because they’re good.
So that’s us. Why should you care, dear listener, even if you’re as white as a recently-scrubbed albino sheep in a Yorkshire snowdrift? Because:
- Black creators are putting out new and exciting fiction (and art) for all readers, but some of it doesn’t get noticed;
- This might encourage other budding black creators to take those first steps;
- It reminds editors, publishers and others of the wealth and diversity of material out there;
- Kids of every origin should have great fictional role models for them to grow up with;
- It’s a hell of a lot of fun.
Today’s post is merely a quick round-up of a few ‘things of interest’ related to Black Speculative Fiction Month. We’re a signpost site, and this sort of stuff deserves a signpost to it.
In Black Speculative Fiction, the real work is being done by the black creators themselves, trying to get their own networks and communities to celebrate and contribute, to buy and recommend their books and graphics. Spreading the news of their creativity into the wider world. Taking ownership of their work and ideas, not letting them be used and messed with by corporate white offices. Getting noticed at all.
A lot of issues, in short, which any creator should recognise.
As we said in a recent social media discussion, we’re a guest at the table. We don’t have to be there if we don’t want to be, and it’s not our place to complain that we don’t like the tablecloth, or where the spoons have been placed. On the other hand, if we’re passed a dish that excites and intrigues, then why not say so – and ask politely if there are more courses to come, trying not to drool too much?
So, for those of you who want to see what might be for dinner, or who want to help with the washing up and chat about it all later, here are a few links to get you going.
Black Speculative Fiction Month
Slightly oddly, we’ll start with a couple of older ones which still stand up well – a brief ‘starter’ article by Troy L Wiggins:
And a piece by Nisi Shawl which gives you a jolly good run-through of some key black speculative writers from 1859 to 2015 – A Crash Course in the History of Black Science Fiction.
On our point about the importance of black role-models, it’s worth reading this report on the ‘Black Heroes Matter’ discussion held at the New York ComicCon 2017, on Bleeding Cool:
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/10/07/creators-discuss-black-heroes-matter/
Or if you want a serious look at Afrofuturism, check this out.
“Imagination is the key to Afrofuturism for black people. We need alternate images of what could be. Sometimes in the world of activism, people can get lost in the problem and can’t imagine a solution.”
Ytasha Womack
https://thinkprogress.org/afrofuturism-imagining-a-black-planet-d515413927d2/
For all sorts of info relevant to Black Speculative Fiction Month, go and browse Balogun Ojetade’s site Chronicles of Harriet. Balogun’s industry ranges across the media, including graphic works (Black Power: The Superhero Anthology), the Ki-Khanga roleplaying game and his own fiction.
We can also add that his novel Savannah in the SWATS is well worth getting – a potent mixture of African source myths, demonic possession, shapeshifting – and dare we say even Lovecraftian elements, when the dirt really hits the fan. Add in a seriously gross god, and note that the conjured children are particularly weird and nasty. Read it as a big grimdark contemporary adventure, or as a twisted struggle of right and wrong, love and hate.
https://chroniclesofharriet.com/
For a fun look at People of Colour in period fantasy, Denny Upkins makes a few points:
https://thenerdsofcolor.org/2016/02/11/going-medieval/
One of the most hard-working black creators we know is Milton Davis, who as writer, publisher and editor, has been involved in YA fiction, Sword and Soul, Steamfunk and Dieselfunk, role-playing games and almost every branch of taking black creators forward.
Apart from his own imaginative writing (Changa’s Safari, Bass Reeves and lots more), his Griots anthology is an excellent introduction to the fantasy side of Afrika.
“Griots is a terrific introduction to Sword and Soul, and a way to find a whole range of authors who you may not have encountered before. It’s not surprising that The Three-Faced One by veteran black fantasy writer Charles R Saunders (‘Imaro’) stands out, but there are some terrific other writers in here as well. I would recommend this collection as an ideal ‘starter’ text for anyone who wants a proper taste of Africa and a refreshing change from pseudo-European medieval fantasy. 4 stars rather than 5 because it is a very varied collection, as it should be; 5 stars for its intentions and the work of the editors, Milton Davis and Saunders himself.”
He has also recently published Charles R Saunder’s Nyumbani Tales.
“With his visionary take on African-themed sword and sorcery, Charles Saunders was decades ahead of his time. He’s a true original. The rest of us are still trying to catch up with him.”
-David Anthony Durham, author of the Acacia Trilogy
A lot more can be found at Milton’s MVMedia site:
http://mvmediaatl.com/sword-and-soul.html
If you want simply to pick up a few major-name books, you can’t go wrong with N K Jemisin or Nnedi Okorafor, but not every black creator gets their sort of coverage. We have regularly recommended J Malcolm Stewart’s collection The Last Words of Robert Johnson, and Victor Lavalle’s The Ballad of Black Tom.
Valjeanne Jeffers writes some very enjoyable tales, such as her Mona Livelong paranormal detective stories. Try them out. Nisi Shawl, mentioned above, has written her own fiction, such as Everfair, and has written and taught on the question of writing ‘the other’ for non-PoC creators (with Cynthia Ward)*. And we’ll be interviewing the black writer Brian Barr (Carolina Daemonic) soon – Brian is turning out short stories, comics and novels with a wide range of themes and characters.
There are many others, but you’ll find them through some of the links above, which saves us rattling on too long.
CYBER/PUNK/FUNK
To add to the fun, we’ve just remembered this already-funded Kickstarter which you might like to get in on – “A cyberpunk anthology comprised of 10 short stories drawn and written by queer folk and people of color. The purpose of the anthology is to bring the most marginalized voices to the fore, to tell tales of speculative fiction that examines the world as it is and how it may one day be.” Three weeks to run at time of typing.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/678235406/cyber-punk-funk
Comics fans can also check out sites like Ziki Nelson’s Kugali, one of whose comics we covered here:
http://greydogtales.com/blog/weird-bookshelf-news/
You can find issues and information on their Newborn Saga and other projects at their store:
http://store.kugali.com/newborn-saga/
If you’re in the States, you can find details of some happenings for Black Speculative Fiction Month, with additional links, here:
http://blackspeculativefictionmonth.com/index.html
We’re exhausted now, and will have missed out all sort of good stuff. Go enjoy yourselves.
NOTE: You can find interviews with Milton Davis and J Malcolm Stewart on greydogtales:
http://greydogtales.com/blog/black-is-the-new-black-milton-davis-on-the-rise-of-sword-soul/
http://greydogtales.com/blog/went-roadhouse-met-j-malcolm-stewart/
*We discussed this whole complicated issue in an earlier article: http://greydogtales.com/blog/appropriate-conscience-writing-black-characters/
Be kind to each other, and come back soon…
So. Much. To Read! So many new ways to think about things!
My head hurts. It’s the devil of a job to pick where to start with so much interesting stuff around these days. 🙂