AfriWare Books Website
  • Store
  • READING GUIDE
  • Events
  • Blog
  • SEARCH
  • EBOOKS
  • AUTHOR INFORMATION
  • ARTIST BIO/PRICE
  • NNEDI OKORAFOR BOOKS
  • PODCAST
  • LARUE'S HAND IN CLAY
  • About Us
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  • BOOK FAIR /SCHOOLS / CLUBS
  • Photo Gallery
  • EJP BOOK DRIVE
  • Videos
  • Newsletter/Articles
  • Archives
  • External Links
  • Afriware Statement on COVID-19
  • GREATER LAKES
  • Afriware Merchandise
  • AFFILIATE INFO
  • SEBRON GRANT ART DESIGNS
  • Mother's Day Bundles
  • Welcome
  • CARTOON

Categories

All
Artist Interview
Black Boy
Black History Books For Kids
Book Lists
Book Reviews
Irving Bunton Page
Journals
NATURAL HAIR
Reading List
TOURISM

Archives

March 2023
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
June 2022
May 2022
March 2022
January 2022
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
January 2016
December 2015
June 2015
August 2014

books by nnedi okorafor

8/11/2021

 
Picture
​It all started with “Zahrah, the Windseeker.”  That was the first book I read by Dr. Nnedi Okorafor.  I was swept into her magical world of adventure, greenery and new technology.  Though an uncommon combination to find in literature setting elements, it is one Okorafor steeps in her tea kettle of stories with ease.  The resulting steam that quietly wafts through the crevasses of the mind are transformative.  
In addition to appointing myself as the “President of the Nnedi fan club,” I’m also thankful I can call her friend.  When I first met her shortly after the publication of “Zahrah” in  2008 through a friend,  I must ashamedly admit, I did not have any appreciation for fiction in general.  Still spiritually travelling through a mix of rage and resentment for “What They Never Told You in History Class,” I was determined to focus solely on historic works that highlighted the achievements of our African ancestors.  Reading time was hard to come-by, so why,  I reasoned, would I waste it in a fantasy?  Little did I know, that fiction in general, and Okorafor’s creations in particular, expanded the mind to stretch into future possibilities.  Futures unimagined were left to chance; but as Okorafor’s work taught me, futures could be shaped and influenced by us, just with our unique perspective and focus.  Okorafor is a powerhouse, and force to be reckoned with, and thankfully, she has written in abundance to inspire our tomorrows.  This book list includes all of the work she has exclusively written or has contributed to that are in print.  Some titles are available in soft and hard covers.  Audio Books are also available through our affiliate link here.  Based on her writing pace, this will be updated frequently.  ​
  1. Akata Woman
  2. Noor
  3. Ikenga
  4. Remote Control
  5. After the Rain
  6. Shuri: Wakanda Forever
  7. From a Certain Point of View (Star Wars) (paperback)
  8. Who Fears Death
  9. Ikenga
  10. Binti: The Complete Trilogy
  11. L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 36: Bestselling Anthology of Award-Winning Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Stories
  12. Future Tense Fiction: Stories of Tomorrow
  13. Laguardia
  14. Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected
  15. Wakanda Forever
  16. Akata Warrior
  17. Binti 1 (hardcover)
  18. Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
  19. Black Panther: Long Live the King (Marvel Premiere Graphic Novel)
  20. Binti: The Night Masquerade
  21. Akata Warrior
  22. Chicken in the Kitchen
  23. Akata Witch
  24. The Book of Phoenix
  25. Binti: Home
  26. The Book of Phoenix
  27. Lagoon (paperback)
  28. Binti 1 (paperback)
  29. Who Fears Death
  30. Kabu Kabu
  31. Afrosf: Science Fiction by African Writers
  32. Zahrah the Windseeker

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Amongst the many reasons I admire her, I have three that are most prominent as a bookseller.  Of course there are many others as a fan and as a friend, but I’ll focus on the professional ones for the purposes of this post. The first is her active involvement in the selecting of cover images that ethnically reflect the content and characters she writes about.  At a time when it wasn’t popular or trending, she strongly advocated for her covers to reflect powerful Black female figures that are contained inside her books.  It may not be easy to appreciate if you think of how prevalent and almost common place it is today.  This was not always the case, however.  There was a time when, believe it or not, Black authors had to reason and advocate for what would seem to be the most obvious foregone conclusion; for book cover images to match the ethnicity of the characters.  Truth can be stranger than fiction I’ve come to find.

In 2012 when L. A. Banks came to my bookstore,  Afriware Books, Co , she shared with us the history about the difficulty that Black authors have had with book cover selection.  Banks was a prolific New York Times bestselling author and she too had to debate the characters that graced her covers.  She described how at one time Octavia Butler, one of the Black trailblazers in science fiction, had to take her picture off of her covers so “people wouldn’t know she was a Black woman writing this futuristic outrageous, off the chain work.”  She spoke about how Black authors in the romance genre in the 1990’s were told by publishing houses to change the color of their character if he was a doctor to make him a “white hero.”
Picture
All of Okorafor's book covers are stunningly strong female characters.  Her young adult book called, “Ikenga” is the only book written with a main character who is male.  It is important to also note that her other works have at least one positive Black male character.  Her “Ikenga” cover does depict a Black male character, however, the one selected by her publishers wasn’t as powerful as her first choice, in my opinion.  Her facebook post appeared about the publisher’s reasoning behind the final cover image selection shortly after it was published. It is unfortunate that there’s a wide gap between what the public wants and what decision makers in positions of power allow.  I use the word “allow” because it is clear from the comments in her post that the public agreed with Okorafor.  They should have placed more trust in the opinion of the best selling author who had successfully chosen covers for The Book of Phoenix, Who Fears Death, and her Akata series that preceded it. 
Picture
​Each of Okorafor’s “Binti” series covers (three soft cover and hard cover editions) all prominently highlight Black women.  I must pause a moment here to briefly acknowledge that she is one of few authors who has a hardcover version of her book published after her softcover edition.  This is almost unheard of unless of course, your sales and future prospects are as  bright as Okorafors.  But I digress…

Understanding that a picture is worth a thousand words, Okorafor doesn’t have to write a dissertation about the importance of her book cover selection because the image speaks for itself.  Though a commonly repeated trope of book selection is “not to judge a book by its cover,” the sheer dearth of Black images on book covers at the time, made and continues to make its presence a statement on its own.  Okorafor shared more about the process of determining which genre her writing style was closest to in an interview with UCTV in 2019 (  https://youtu.be/nanoQWr9o7o ).  She discussed that when she was browsing through the shelves in a library, she happened upon a book with a Black woman on the cover and that was the reason she bought it.  She didn’t know who the author was nor what the book was about.  The book turned out to be “Wild Seed” by Octavia Butler ( https://youtu.be/nanoQWr9o7o ), and she said she felt Butler’s content affirmed her own writing.  Nnedi says she had Professors who initially tried to steer her away from science fiction saying it “wasn’t real literature.” 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Dr. Nnedi Okorafor (right) pictured with Afriware Books' owner Nzingha Nommo inside Akiba Bookstore of Trinity United Church of Christ, then co-managed by Nommo.
The second reason I admire her  prolific works is because of her devotion to interacting with her fans.  She has an extremely active facebook and twitter account.  Even her cat has an account (and soon a graphic novel).  She often shares little tidbits that keep her followers stoked and eager to get her next book.  I admit that this reason feeds both my fan side and my professional side since she graciously agrees to go so far as to doodle and autograph a prized selection of books with Afriware Books.  We are so fortunate for her willingness to give us this privilege when her exceptionally busy schedule allows.  And, her books sell like hotcakes around the world.  From the Netherlands to a U.S. house on  Quaker Road, we’ve shipped them everywhere.  When she penned her “Shuri” comic book series at the height of the popularity of “Black Panther” we were on top of the world when she agreed to even sign, number and doodle the posters of the cover of that book!

The timeliness of this act alone jump started the sale of physical books - at least hers.  Stunningly so.  A whirlwind was assembled with the stroke of her pen, her creative mind, and an engaged fan base.  People were drawn into the novelty and uniqueness her signature would add to separate it from any online version.  E-books were selling at an all time high and some booksellers were asking ourselves how we would survive the new trend of the one-click download of an ebook on your computer or the hip looking E-book reader available in every color and style imaginable.  The book industry was severely impacted by the shift.  There were questions about whether physical books would be needed again.  After all, the price point was a fraction of that of a physical book.  Amazon was also entering the prime (pun unintended) of its life appearing to have even outwitted the publishing industry itself with a kind of slash prices and burn traces of the original publishers zeal.
Picture
​The last reason I admire and appreciate her work is her devotion to sharing stories about Africa.  I recall a TV commercial that was about the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop.  In the moving center of each of Okorafor’s books is a character that stands out from the rest.  That character usually delivers a wise message that is clear, strong, authentic and ancient.  It is sure and unmistakable.  Before you encounter it, you didn't know how penetrating and full bodied the message would feel in your spirit.  It lingers in the mind and often is disruptive of established beliefs.  As she stealthily draws the reader into a great story, she leverages the comfort we find there to deposit seeds that grow in unexpected ways and places in the mind.  She’s like a surgeon in determining how and when she does this, but before you realize she’s working on you, her plot has moved on to something else.  

And you won’t be the same after.


In masterful style and grace, Nnedi “channels” an inner griot that hails from an unseen ancient lineage.  It draws upon her lived experience and those of her/our ancestors.  It isn’t cookie cutter nor following a template designed to get likes or favorable reviews.  It is evident that the compass of her soul guides her pen and she honors it whether it is a forbidden road or just one less travelled.  On top of her autochthonous conferred wordsmith degree and accompanying emotions she stirs up, she softly sprinkles humor; it serves to make the rougher patches of road less intimidating.  

​I urge you to come and read it for yourself.

Top 3 Recommendations

  1. ​ Zahrah the Windseeker - an explosion of colors, creatures, and chaos burst open the imagination as a young girl adventures into the forbidden Greeny Jungle.
  2. The Book of Phoenix - just FIRE
  3. Lagoon - you’ll unconsciously hold your breath through some of the water scenes and delight in her bi-lingual forays.
  4. Who Fears Death  - I know I said “Top 3” but the forth one has to come with a trigger warning.  After the toughest part, it can be life changing.

You can blindfold yourself, select one of her books and always be happy with your selection.
Picture

Final Thoughts

​As always, I appreciate that you have read through this blog post.  I hope that you’ve become curious to read more books by Nnedi Okorafor.  We ask that you consider purchasing your books from our Black owned bookstore, Afriware Books, Co.  If there is a title you’d like to purchase that is not mentioned here, or could not be found on the website, feel free to email us at:  afriwarebooks@afriwarebooks.com

Blog Notes

LA Banks visits Afriware Bookstore

Comments are closed.

    AUDIOBOOKS

    Picture

    MERCH

    Picture

    GIFTS

    Picture

    ​join email list

    Picture

    ACADEMIC BOOKS

    Picture
    Picture

    blog Author/
    ​EDITOR

    My name is Nzingha Nommo,  I've been in business since 1993 as owner/Founder of Afriware Books, Co.  Thought I could share a few things I learned from my journey.  I also dabble in veganism, natural hair and other odds and ends.  Learn more on our About Us page.

    Archives

    March 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    January 2016
    December 2015
    June 2015
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    Artist Interview
    Black Boy
    Black History Books For Kids
    Book Lists
    Book Reviews
    Irving Bunton Page
    Journals
    NATURAL HAIR
    Reading List
    TOURISM

    RSS Feed

​AFRIWARE BOOKS CO. A COMMUNITY BOOKSTORE SERVING:



Berkely, IL
Brookfield, IL
Elmwood Park, IL

Franklin Park, IL
Hillside, IL



Maywood, IL
Belwood, IL
Broadview, IL

​River Grove, IL
​Westchester, IL

Oak Park, IL
​Forest Park, IL
Austin, Chicago, IL


Melrose Park, IL
​River Forest, IL
​

Global Communities online

AFRIWARE HOME PAGE
SEARCH OUR SITE
JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SEARCH | About Us | Blog |  FAQ |  Podcast |  Return Policy |  Shipping Policy | Donation

AFRIWARE BOOKS, CO,
1701 S. 1ST AVE., SUITE 400,
MAYWOOD, IL 60153
​708-223-8081


Holiday Hours:  Thurs-Fri. 12-6pm
​Sat. 12-5pm
(Face Masks Requested)
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
afriwarebooks@afriwarebooks.com
Want to try a great website builder, try Weebly at:  https://www.weebly.com/r/9SAD4V
  • Store
  • READING GUIDE
  • Events
  • Blog
  • SEARCH
  • EBOOKS
  • AUTHOR INFORMATION
  • ARTIST BIO/PRICE
  • NNEDI OKORAFOR BOOKS
  • PODCAST
  • LARUE'S HAND IN CLAY
  • About Us
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  • BOOK FAIR /SCHOOLS / CLUBS
  • Photo Gallery
  • EJP BOOK DRIVE
  • Videos
  • Newsletter/Articles
  • Archives
  • External Links
  • Afriware Statement on COVID-19
  • GREATER LAKES
  • Afriware Merchandise
  • AFFILIATE INFO
  • SEBRON GRANT ART DESIGNS
  • Mother's Day Bundles
  • Welcome
  • CARTOON