Black Panther Appreciation 2020

[Cville]

Not sure how any of you feel about audible books, but I just got Saunders' Imaro for free. The narrator does well enough that I am enjoying the listen.

I read that book it was decent, a bit traditional in its characters and story telling.

[MouserGrey]

I read that book it was decent, a bit traditional in its characters and story telling.

I agree. A bit formulaic in that way. I wish I had the discipline for writing but have never been able to develop the habit after decades of effort. I would dearly love to read an afro centric fantasy epic that I found engaging enough to get lost in entirely. History books are as close as I've come to scratching that itch.

[Cville]

I agree. A bit formulaic in that way. I wish I had the discipline for writing but have never been able to develop the habit after decades of effort. I would dearly love to read an afro centric fantasy epic that I found engaging enough to get lost in entirely. History books are as close as I've come to scratching that itch.

Milton Davis' Changa's Safari books are good. But he does globe trotting too.

[chief12d]

Yea the basic idea behind Imaro was that he was basically African Conan the Barbarian. It's a raw sword and sorcery series but unfortunately it falls into many of the same shortcomings of the genre, subpar character work and weak villains being some of the biggest issues. But it's got great action and some insanely vivid worldbuilding so if you're looking for afro-fantasy it's a great place to start. Imaro is one of those franchises I hope gets adapted in some form with all the hype around African-inspired fantasy and sci-fi. I'd love to see a Netflix animated series or something similar to Castlevania.

As far as more recent afro-fantasy, I'd say Rage of Dragons and Black Leopard, Red Wolf are my top suggestions. Rage of Dragons is military fiction based around a story of revenge set in a region that's best described as to Bronze-Age South Africa (namely the Xhosa people). One of the best, if not most frustrating protagonists I've read in a minute lol.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf is one of the most ambitious fantasy books I've read in a while. It's got really complicated but beautiful prose and is heavily inspired by the medieval Mali and Ethiopian civilizations. It often unfairly gets called the African Game of Thrones but I'd say it's more like an African Witcher, with lots of detective/mercenary stuff. But it's disturbingly gruesome, like it makes A Song of Ice and Fire look like Dr. Seuss gruesome.

There's also Children of Blood and Bone but that's YA so take that for what you will lol. I'll be entirely honest and say it wasn't for me but I completely see why teenage girls of all races fell in love with that series. Lots of sappy romance, clearly an attempt to do Avatar: The Last Airbender but with fantasy Yoruba culture. Getting a movie sometime by Lucasfilm so it's definitely worth checking out at least the first book.

[MouserGrey]

I'll try BL, RW again. My first take only lasted a few chapters but it was on audible which can ruin a book with the wrong narrator. My favorite hunting ground for books, Uncle Hugos, was burned down in MPLS during protests before I made my annual pilgrimage. Haven't read YA since before I was a YA but that is encouraging. Somehow missed Rage of Dragons which is encouraging as well. More than three on the list?! Good. Still want Redjack to look into a graphic novel on archaeological accurate story of 25th Dynasty of Egypt. Hint, hint.

Don't mind gruesome, just narrator for BL, RW had such a heavy accent I had to keep going back to re-listen.

[Ezyo1000]

Yea the basic idea behind Imaro was that he was basically African Conan the Barbarian. It's a raw sword and sorcery series but unfortunately it falls into many of the same shortcomings of the genre, subpar character work and weak villains being some of the biggest issues. But it's got great action and some insanely vivid worldbuilding so if you're looking for afro-fantasy it's a great place to start. Imaro is one of those franchises I hope gets adapted in some form with all the hype around African-inspired fantasy and sci-fi. I'd love to see a Netflix animated series or something similar to Castlevania.

As far as more recent afro-fantasy, I'd say Rage of Dragons and Black Leopard, Red Wolf are my top suggestions. Rage of Dragons is military fiction based around a story of revenge set in a region that's best described as to Bronze-Age South Africa (namely the Xhosa people). One of the best, if not most frustrating protagonists I've read in a minute lol.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf is one of the most ambitious fantasy books I've read in a while. It's got really complicated but beautiful prose and is heavily inspired by the medieval Mali and Ethiopian civilizations. It often unfairly gets called the African Game of Thrones but I'd say it's more like an African Witcher, with lots of detective/mercenary stuff. But it's disturbingly gruesome, like it makes A Song of Ice and Fire look like Dr. Seuss gruesome.

There's also Children of Blood and Bone but that's YA so take that for what you will lol. I'll be entirely honest and say it wasn't for me but I completely see why teenage girls of all races fell in love with that series. Lots of sappy romance, clearly an attempt to do Avatar: The Last Airbender but with fantasy Yoruba culture. Getting a movie sometime by Lucasfilm so it's definitely worth checking out at least the first book.

black leopard red wolf sounds interesting. Maybe I will look it up and check it out then. If y'all recommend it. I would like to read a African inspired space odyssey if there is any good recommendations. Something like Coates intergalactic Wakanda but actually good and not full of bullshit lol

[MouserGrey]

black leopard red wolf sounds interesting. Maybe I will look it up and check it out then. If y'all recommend it. I would like to read a African inspired space odyssey if there is any good recommendations. Something like Coates intergalactic Wakanda but actually good and not full of bullshit lol

Saunders is still a decent read as well. Worth checking out. I just wanted to note that it is free on audible. Not everyone can listen to them however. Which I find peculiar since humans evolved listening to stories many ages before most of the population had books available.

[Marvell2100]

Not to keep derailing the thread but have any of you read Valiants' Magnus: Robot Fighter or Rai and The Future Force from the mid 90s? There was a Black character named Spylocke that is one of the most badass and intelligent Black characters you'll find in comics.

[MouserGrey]

Gotta derail sometimes. Gives a new perspective when it gets refocused on T'Challa again and gives Xpac a break. Not that I don't enjoy your devils advocate yoga/gymnastics, Pac. Keeps people on toes.��

[Marvell2100]

Gotta derail sometimes. Gives a new perspective when it gets refocused on T'Challa again and gives Xpac a break. Not that I don't enjoy your devils advocate yoga/gymnastics, Pac. Keeps people on toes.��

Dude, you got me lmao over here!

Seriously though, if you guys haven't read them, check it out. They should be in the Dollar bins at your LCS. After seeing Spylocke, you'll want nearly all of your Black characters written like that.

[Cville]

Dude, you got me lmao over here!

Seriously though, if you guys haven't read them, check it out. They should be in the Dollar bins at your LCS. After seeing Spylocke, you'll want nearly all of your Black characters written like that.

Is the whole series worth it? Comixology has 33 issues for $2 each, also on unlimited if anyone has the service.

[Marvell2100]

Is the whole series worth it? Comixology has 33 issues for $2 each, also on unlimited if anyone has the service.

If you want the series just for the Spylocke issues, start with Magnus #25 and Rai and the Future Force #1. Spylocke will be in both but he'll appear in the Rai series a lot more. But you'll need both to have a complete understanding of the story.

[Redjack]

black leopard red wolf sounds interesting. Maybe I will look it up and check it out then. If y'all recommend it. I would like to read a African inspired space odyssey if there is any good recommendations. Something like Coates intergalactic Wakanda but actually good and not full of bullshit lol

well....

i don't have any NOVELS yet but...

I've got novellas in both GRIOTS and STEAMFUNK you might enjoy. And I'm doing a LOT with the universe created in the latter. a LOT.

Also, i don't get royalties out of these books so this isn't me trying to get your cash.

[Overhazard]

If you want the series just for the Spylocke issues, start with Magnus #25 and Rai and the Future Force #1. Spylocke will be in both but he'll appear in the Rai series a lot more. But you'll need both to have a complete understanding of the story.

Well since we're talking about Valiant, there's also Divinity, a series of minis about a black cosmonaut who becomes a reality warping God.

[Ezyo1000]

well....

i don't have any NOVELS yet but...

I've got novellas in both GRIOTS and STEAMFUNK you might enjoy. And I'm doing a LOT with the universe created in the latter. a LOT.

Also, i don't get royalties out of these books so this isn't me trying to get your cash.

I would love the suggestions, again I am really wanting to get my afrofuturism fix and anything that can help would be appreciated.