{"id":6988,"date":"2021-07-18T12:01:48","date_gmt":"2021-07-18T12:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/?p=6988"},"modified":"2021-07-18T12:01:48","modified_gmt":"2021-07-18T12:01:48","slug":"black-women-writers-slay-that-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/greydogtales.com\/blog\/black-women-writers-slay-that-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"BLACK WOMEN WRITERS SLAY THAT THING"},"content":{"rendered":"

You\u2019ll probably have heard of authors Nnedi Okorafor and Tananarive Due, and you maybe know of Helen Oyeyemi or Eden Royce; you really should have read Octavia E. Butler, who was a Grandmistress of SFF\/horror. If you keep your eyes open, though, and if you\u2019re willing to investigate, you can find many other talented Black women writers who are powering away out there in the speculative and horror fields.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been fortunate to get to know a number of these writers, and have enjoyed every minute, so today we\u2019re going to highlight new stuff from just four whose fiction you can check out \u2013 B Sharise Moore, Nicole Givens Kurtz, Valjeanne Jeffers<\/strong>, and Penelope Flynn<\/strong>. Which means we\u2019re missing out many others, so we\u2019ll apologise in advance \u2013 time, space and our remaining memory cells are all against us… <\/span><\/p>\n

1) B SHARISE MOORE <\/span><\/h2>\n

\"black<\/a><\/p>\n

B Sharise Moore<\/strong> delighted us this year with her novel Dr Marvellus Djinn\u2019s Odd Scholars<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

When famed magician, Dr. Marvellus Djinn, selects a motley crew of talented teens to tour her theme park of magic and mythological creatures, all are elated for the opportunity. Once they arrive, the odd scholars realize Dr. Djinn is more than just a wealthy magician eager to provide Colored folks with an escape from Jim Crow. From cotton candy teleportation to haunted obelisks and swallowing monsters, The Motherland packs a thrilling, and dangerous, punch.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

We read the ARC from MVMedia, intrigued by the cover, and gosh, we read it through in one. Our view, in summary? Well, we had no hesitation in writing this \u2018official\u2019 blurb:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c1920s America. The Motherland, a magical theme park for coloured people is about to open, and four gifted Black teens, drawn together through a series of competitions, win entry. In this tale of powers and powders, Moore\u2019s skilful writing brings together likeable characters, a maelstrom of magicks, and a hope for justice, as the youngsters come up with the sort of mad idea which only youngsters can \u2013 to save the park and improve the world. And at the front of the show, but perhaps also behind everything, stands the wonderful Dr Marvellus Djinn. Themes of generational history and injustice serve only to heighten the wild adventure, in a YA book for adults, and an adult book for teens. Thoroughly enjoyable, like a Harry Potter heist-movie with a real purpose.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

What\u2019s perhaps most interesting about Dr Marvellus Djinn\u2019s Odd Scholars<\/em> is the way in which Moore does two things at once, as we hint above. Anyone could read this book, no problem, as a lively alternative timeline adventure through the fantastical, with fun new ideas and monsters you may not have encountered before. Plenty of strange devices and unexpected encounters; the characters are more genuine and engaging than in many YA novels, and you always have an intriguing mystery about who Djinn is (and even how many people you meet in the book might be Dr Marvellus Djinn in one guise or another). However\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

Without preaching or halting the adventure, Moore also introduces you to Black history and historical figures, to issues of terrible wrongs, and to the great and small prejudices people harbour. This is handled really well, and is interesting and accessible to readers of any colour \u2013 it\u2019s about people, people \u2013 but if you feel inclined, as we always do, you have enough there to pursue serious historical and social threads later. Quite an achievement.<\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as we finished the book, we thought \u2018Yeah this should be filmed or televised\u2019, and lo and behold, only this week there\u2019s been an announcement \u2013 Dr. Marvellus Djinn’s Odd Scholars<\/em> is in development at a major television network and it’s being adapted by Sharise Moore herself and her co-writer Devan Renea. <\/span><\/p>\n

We wish them great fortune with the project.<\/span><\/p>\n

Author site here: <\/strong>https:\/\/bsharisemoore.com\/<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Dr Marvellus Djinn\u2019s Odd Scholars<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a>amazon us<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

and on amazon uk:<\/p>\n