Must Read List Of Speculative Fiction By Writers Of Color

This is a part of our fall Book Club conversation about the short story collection, New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction By Writers of Color, edited by Nisi Shawl. Want to participate? Sign up for our newsletter or record a voice message as you read on the Science Friday VoxPop app.

The SciFri Book Club finished this fall’s exploration of fantastical fiction and diverse futures in New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction By People of Color. Along the way, we looked at stories by Indigenous, Black, Chicanx and South Asian writers and discussed some of the worlds that have blossomed in the imaginations of people who have historically been marginalized in science fiction, fantasy and other speculative genres.

But there’s much, much more to read and explore. Below we’ve compiled recommendations for additional authors, story collections, podcasts and even films from our radio guests.

Nisi Shawl

Author of Everfair and Editor of New Suns

• The Fifth Season, The City We Became, How Long ‘Til Black Future Month and more works by N.K. Jemisin 
• Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora edited by Sheree Renee Thomas 
• LeVar Burton Reads, a podcast of handpicked short fiction, hosted by LeVar Burton
• A Crash Course in the History of Black Science Fiction, a list curated by Nisi Shawl
• Stories of Your Life and Others and Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang

The Carl Brandon Society is dedicated to nurturing writers of color, and often hosts conversations with authors from around the world. Find out more information on their blog.

Aisha Matthews

Managing Editor, Journal of Science Fiction 

• Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
• Brown Girl In The Ring and Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson
• Futureland by Walter Mosley
• An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon 
• Black No More by George Schuyler 

Catherine S. Ramirez

Professor of Latino and Latin American Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz

Films: 

• Sleep Dealer, directed by Alex Rivera, 2009
• Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuáron, 2006

Reading:

• Her Body and Other Parties, a story collection by Carmen María Machado 
• Lunar Braceros, 2125-2148, a work of science fiction focused on people of color by Rosaura Sánchez and Beatrice Pita
• The Rag Doll Plagues by Alejandro Morales
• The Hungry Woman: A Mexican Medea by Cherrie Moraga
• Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse 

Indrapramit Das

Author, The Devourers

• Ambiguity Machines and Other Stories by Vandana Singh 
• Chosen Spirits by Samit Basu 
• The Beast With Nine Billion Feet by Anil Menon 
• The Salvage Crew by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne 
• Midnight Doorways: Fables from Pakistan (out early 2021) by Usman T. Malik 

K. Tempest Bradford

Speculative Fiction Author and Teacher at Writing The Other

Recommended Authors:

• Rebecca Roanhorse: “She is usually pegged as a Native author, and she is, but she is also Black and I think it’s important to recognize that intersection.”
• Linda Addison: “Especially if you like horror and if you’re into poetry, because Linda has published horror poetry (and won several awards for it).”
• Sheree Renee Thomas: “In addition to being an inspiring editor, Sheree is an amazing author. She just had a book come out earlier this year: Nine Bar Blues.”
• Nandi Taylor: “A newer author. Her first book came out this year. Already she’s proving to be amazing.”
• Lightspeed Magazine’s Destroy Science Fiction series

Darcie Little Badger

Author, Elatsoë

• Works by Stephan Graham Jones: “As a horror fan, I’ve read lots of Stephen Graham Jones.“
• Love After The End, edited by Joshua Whitehead: “In terms of authors, I recently had a story in Love After The End, an “anthology of two-spirit and Indigiqueer speculative fiction” edited by Joshua Whitehead, so that’s a great place to look.”
• Walking the Clouds, edited by Grace Dillon: “As well as the table of contents of Walking the Clouds, edited by Grace Dillon, the person to coin the term ‘Indigenous Futurisms’.”

Christie Taylor

Science Friday Producer and SciFri Book Club Captain

• So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction And Fantasy, edited by Nalo Hopkinson & Uppinder Mehan
• A People’s Future of the United States: Speculative Fiction From 25 Extraordinary Writers, edited by Victor LaValle and John Joseph Adams
• Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements, edited by adrienne maree brown and Walidah Imarisha
• Fiyah Literary Magazine

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