This versatile writer has co authored numerous novels with sci-fi great Larry Niven, produced media tie-in novels for Star Wars, Star Trek Deep Space 9 and has had nearly a score of his screenplays produced.
In more of a science fiction rather than fantasy style are the Patternist series beginning with Patternmaster, Lilliths Brood AKA the Xenogenesis Trilogy and the Parable series. Unafraid to face social issues yet never preaching or allowing that passion to overwhelm her storytelling, The most popular of her novels is Kindred, a time travel story that author herself described as “grim fantasy”, bringing a 20th century African American woman in touch with both her black and white ancestors during the slavery era. She wove many strands from her experience and education into her tales and added her own vision of what might be and what could be with powerful and lasting images. As an author she neither ignored her roots nor was she defined exclusively by them. You may read tributes to her by fans, friends and critics but nothing speaks more clearly than her own words. Taken from us far too soon, Octavia Butler made a deep impression on all those fortunate to have read her work. Professor Delaney is still writing as well as teaching at Temple University. Dhalgren in particular has garnered as much criticism as praise and due to my plebian taste doesn’t suit me nearly as well as the (to me) more accessible Babel-17 or The Einstein Intersection. His most notable and arguably his best novels are Dhalgren, Babel-17, The Einstein Intersection, Nova and The Fall of the Towers. He has won both Hugo and Nebula awards for his work, and has had 19 novels published to date. Samuel “Chip” Delaney has the distinction of not only being the first known and notable African American Sci-Fi author but also the first openly gay Sci-Fi author as well. To celebrate Black History month I would like to share a few extraordinary African American Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror authors with you. Nuanced and deeply moving, The Vanishing Half is an unforgettable meditation on family, privilege, and belonging.African American Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Authors When their daughters’ lives intersect, the family must explore the lingering trauma of the past, as well as the complex implications of passing. It centers on a set of twin sisters who escape their southern Black community in pursuit of two different futures: one is pulled back to that same town with her Black daughter, while the other secretly passes for white and conceals her past from her husband. That novel, The Vanishing Half, arrives this summer. The Mothers, her debut novel about motherhood and young love in Southern California, was a New York Times bestseller, as well as one of the most talked-about books of 2016, leaving legions of fans eager for her sophomore effort. If you’re looking for a place to start, here are fifteen Black writers from novelists and short story writers to poets and essayists who have already published essential works with more to come.īrit Bennett ( is a widely published writer and National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree whose essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and The New York Times Magazine, among other publications. It’s important to show publishers the power of the almighty dollar, because what else do big American corporations listen to? Invest in Black writers not just to bring justice to the publishing industry, but to revel in and grow through their artistry, their craft, and their stories. It’s not enough to simply voice support for a more equitable future for Black writers-after all, that’s just lip service. One of the best ways to hold the industry accountable is to speak with your wallet. It’s no secret that publishing, an industry too long dominated by white gatekeepers, has historically disadvantaged Black writers, yet the #PublishingPaidMe movement quantified what the industry has long known and refused to remedy-that the pay inequality between Black writers and non-Black writers is staggering. Jemisin and Jesmyn Ward criminally underpaid for their award-winning books. What the crowdsourced document revealed was a truly pitiful undervaluing of Black voices, with celebrated Black authors like N.K. If you follow any writers on Twitter, you likely noticed #PublishingPaidMe trending throughout the past week, as writers both renowned and new revealed the advances they’ve received throughout their careers.