Like Ray Bradbury, William Gibson, and Arthur C. Clarke, Nigeria also has Science fiction writers that have made the country proud on the global scene. Nnedi Okorafor ranks among the top science fiction Authors in Nigeria.
Her full name is Nnedimma Nkemdili Okorafor. She is a Nigerian-American. The well-read author adopted the name Nnedi. Born in 1974 to Igbo parents, Nnedi holds Academic qualifications from the University of Illinois, Michigan State University, and the University of Chicago where she attained her highest academic qualification, a Ph.D.
Her Science fiction Genre
Nnedi is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning science fiction author. Her works specialize in science fiction and fantasy. She was able to generate a mix of Afrofuturism or what she more appropriately calls African Futurism/African Jujuism.
Her most notable awards include; the Wole Soyinka prize for literature in Africa, The Works Fantasy Award, Nebula Award for Best Novella, Hugo Award, and Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album.
Influences and Inspiration
As a Nigerian-American author, her works have been influenced in many ways by African Jujuism and her Nigerian American root.
Being among the third generation of Nigerian authors, she saw science fiction as a way to blend the borders between her Nigerianness and her Americanness. Nnedi popularly referred to herself as a Naijamerican.
She has criticized those that addressed her works as Afrofuturism or Afrojujuism. This is because of the demeaning idea behind the prefix, “Afro.”
Her published works include:
The Shadow Speaker, Who Fears Death (Penguin books), The Book of Phoenix, Akata Witch by Penguin, Akata Warrior, Lagoon, Binti, Binti home, The Night Masquerade, Amphibious (Green which has been featured in many magazines including Strange Horizons), Kabu Kabu (2013), Ikenga (2020), Remote Control (2021), Noir, Akata Woman
She has become a widely read author not only in Nigeria but in Africa as a whole. 24,000 copies of one of her books, Akata Witch, were distributed across Africa through a UBA bank partnership.
