Category Archives: Science Fiction

Why You Need to Read: “Aurora Rising”

The Aurora Cycle: #1: Aurora Rising

By: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Published: May 7, 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

            “Scarlett Jones (diplomat) introduces the other members of our squad. ‘Tyler Jones, our commander. Zila Madran, science officer. Finian de Seel. Engineer. Catherine Brannock, pilot. And finally, Kaliis Idraban Gilwraeth, combat specialist’.” (Chapter 7, Kal).

            I’ve always been curious to read stories by authors who write multiple genres of literature. Jay Kristoff has written several amazing stories within the sub-genres in both the fantasy and the science fiction genres. Now, he’s back with a new series with Amie Kaufman—who co-wrote The Illuminae Files with Kristoff—to present us with Aurora Rising, the first book in The Aurora Cycle. Jay Kristoff has described the series as a cross between The Breakfast Club and The Guardians of the Galaxy, which piques a reader’s curiosity. 

            This series is different from many other ones in that the story occurs after the characters graduate from school. Aurora Academy is a military school for future space cadets; and, after they graduate, there is a draft in which the top commanders get to pick their crew members for their first set of missions. Tyler Jones, who is The Top of his Class, missed the draft because he decided to explore a restricted section of a dimension—The Fold—used for space travel, stumbled upon a ship that was lost over 200 years ago, and rescued its only survivor—a girl who is the same age as him, technically. The good news is that his twin sister, Scarlett—who is a trained diplomat—and their best friend, Cat Brannock—a pilot nicknamed “Zero”—bail on the draft in order to join his crew. Unfortunately, those who make up the rest of Tyler’s crew—the science officer, the engineer, and the combat specialist—are the ones no one else wanted in their crew: an aloof girl with a trigger finger, a handicapped boy with a motormouth, and an ostracized male whose species is in the midst of a civil war and he’s not fighting in it. Then, there’s Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley—or Auri—the girl who slept in cyro for over 200 years, who awakens with mystical powers and with the top intergalactic police forces deeming her a criminal and are attempting to arrest her. Meet Squad 312! All of these characters have flaws and with them being 17 years-old, they don’t know how to deal with their insecurities, which make all of these characters more relatable and more believable. 

            Both the plot and the narrative are told in the point-of-views of all 7 characters! Multiple P.O.V.s are NOT new for YA books, for it allows for both character development and plot development. For example, Tyler is a leader, who jumps to conclusions surrounding his crew members—with the exception of his sister—and he would rather follow orders than question them. Kal’s species is in the middle of a civil war and he must choose between serving his tenure with Squad 312 or leaving to participate in the war. Then, there’s Auri, who is dealing with being out-of-time and understanding what is happening to her. 

            The author’s style reminds readers of the reality of space travel. While it’s exciting, it’s dangerous and requires training and knowledge in order to endure it. Auri almost dies after spending over 200 years in cryostasis; Kal’s people are decimating each other in a civil war, which broke a treaty, which had dire consequences; and, an intergalactic coverup is the real threat to the universe. Both the mood and the tone match what Kaufman and Kristoff are exploring in this series: space is vast, mysterious, and archaic. Add an element of danger that is as realistic as space travel and you have a story told by these authors. Both authors do an excellent job illustrating the differences between the star students and the outcasts. However, school is out, and so are the treatments they were all used to receiving. Both the mood and the tone display the need for these characters to become the adults they need to be!

            The appeal surrounding Aurora Rising will be a positive one, and I say this because there are adolescent readers who are sci-fi fans, who have been craving for a new book series about space explorers who are kids like themselves! In response, Kaufman and Kristoff have come up with a trilogy that reflects the Star Trek series. Young readers will enjoy this novel because the characters are kids who just graduated from school and have to deal with the reality of the “real” world/universe. Adult readers will enjoy this book because it will remind them of how they were like after completing school and continuing on with life. The truth within the fiction is what will appeal to readers the most. And yes, I’m already looking forward to the second book in this series!

            Aurora Rising is a fun sci-fi book that presents the collaboration of two authors to readers who are both familiar and unfamiliar with them. While both the character development and the world-building are well done, the plot leaves more questions than answers, which means there will be a follow up to this book, obviously. Yet, the story is entertaining enough for readers to want more from this trilogy. 

My rating: Enjoy it (4 out of 5). 

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Why You Need to Read: “A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World”

A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World

By: C.A. Fletcher

Published: April 23, 2019

Genre: Science Fiction, Coming of Age, Post-Apocalypse, Dystopian 

            “I wasn’t going home Not then, not yet, or not to my home anyway. I was going to go to his home. I was going to get my dog. I was going to take his boat. And then, when and only if I did that, I would go home,”(Chapter 13, “The tower”).

            The world has ended. However, this post-apocalyptic story does not occur as the world is ending, or immediately after the world ends. Instead, the story follows the descendants of those survivors; these people are living in what remains of the world 100 years later. And yes, the novel is about a boy who goes on a journey to recover his stolen dog. Before you judge the plot of this book, recall the plot of the movie, John Wick.

            Griz is the protagonist and we follow the events of his adventure afterthey happen. Griz lives with his family—parents and brother and sisters—on an island. There are other people who live in this big world, including their neighbors with whom both families make supply runs together. As mentioned in the summary, a thief—named Brand—“stops by the island” and takes one of the family’s dogs. Griz, who believes in family and doing the right thing, takes off after Brand in order to get the dog back. Throughout Griz’s journey, he explores what remains of our world: buildings, wildlife, landscape, etc. Griz learns more about the world because he must survive alone with his knowledge and his instincts to guide him. The few people Griz meets throughout his journey presents both the struggle and the complications surrounding each individual, including Griz. 

            The plot is straightforward. Griz leaves home to chase a thief who stole from his family and took his dog. I would not call this a “hero’s journey” plot; but, instead an adolescent leaves home, learns about the world, and returns a changed person. The plot is coming-of-age; and, the subplot is survival, the man versus nature conflict. It is mentioned throughout the novel that so much time has passed and there are so few people left—according to Griz, approximately 7,000—that a lot of the previous knowledge has been lost and abandoned. Computers and vehicles are no longer operating, medical services have been reduced to herbs and remedies—an injury or an illness can lead to one’s death—and, maps are as useless to someone who doesn’t know where they are compared to someone who is able to travel to those places. The apocalypse not only reduced the human population, but also reduced all helpful knowledge for humanity to thrive. These factors let readers know that Griz’s journey is more complicated than we first believe it to be. 

            The narrative is told from Griz’s point-of-view after the events occurred. Griz is recounting the events of his life and his journey in a blank journal he found during one of his family’s scavenging trips. With limited ways to keep oneself occupied, writing in a journal is a good idea. This narrative could be said to be reliable because the times in which, Griz does catch up with the thief, he doesn’t allow his judgment to cloud over with what the thief tells him about himself and the world. The fact that Griz includes what the thief has to say makes this story more believable because the need to survive is highlighted in this narrative. In addition, Griz mentions parts of the story he decided to omit because it was “irrelevant” to his story. Not only does this make the narrative easier to follow, but also gives the narrative a bit of realism in that not every detail has to be included within a given story. 

            The style the author, C.A. Fletcher, uses makes for a believable “what is” scenario without the mention of zombies. What happens to the world and its survivors years after the world ends? In this case, the world continues as it was, but with limited interference from the actions of humanity. What’s left of any buildings are either safe, or decrepit; all animals roam without fearing humans because there are so few left; and, plants and vegetation thrive where they are with only the elements to concern them. Fletcher’s mood for his story is that the world goes on with or without humans. However, the tone reiterates the darker side of humanity. Yes, Griz and his family were gullible enough to allow a thief into their home, but the thief tells Griz more than once that he is not a “bad guy.” And, the thief is right, to an extent. With so few people and limited resources, there are some people who would resort to darker methods for survival. There are no laws to restrict anyone, anyone could get away with doing just about anything—theft, kidnapping, murder, etc.—and, not worry about consequences or law enforcement. Fletcher gives readers a two-sided notion of a post-apocalyptic world with this style of writing. 

            Anyone who is a fan of post-apocalyptic stories will enjoy Fletcher’s novel. As I mentioned before, there are no zombies or first wave attacks in this story; and, this does not happen immediately after the events at the end of the world. And, that’s the appeal of A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World, the aftermath of the apocalypse! Given the approximate age of Griz (16?), adolescent readers will find this novel appealing as well. I can see this novel becoming an assigned book in schools.

            A Boy and His Dog at the End of the Worldis an entertaining dystopian bildungsroman novel that puts a lot of emphasis on the atmosphere of the Earth over the characters. Readers learn from Griz’s experiences that both knowledge of survival and knowledge of people go hand-in-hand. My only issue with this novel is that while Griz learned and accomplished much on his journey, he doesn’t seem changed by it that much. It could be because Griz is telling the story in his journal. The “story doesn’t end with the journey” notion that left me wondering whether or not Griz and his family has more to tell us about their world. Other than that this novel was fun to read. 

My rating: Enjoy It (4 out of 5).

Why You Need to Read: “Trail of Lightning”

The Sixth World: Book One: Trail of Lightning

By: Rebecca Roanhorse

Published: June 26, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction, Native American Literature, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Folklore

NOTE:Understand that any incorrect use and/or spelling surrounding the culture mentioned is unintentional.

            “But I’m no hero. I’m more of a last resort, a scorched-earth policy. I’m the person you hire when the heroes have already come home in body bags,”(Chapter 1).

            There are numerous ways readers find out about which books to read by which authors: school assignments, friends and family, book clubs, random recommendations, the Internet, etc. In this case, it was from the 2018 Hugo Awards. One of the awards presented—the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer—announced its winner…Rebecca Roanhorse. If anyone watched my reaction video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oyX_U2U8kE&t=11s), then you know that I was shocked upon hearing this announcement because I believed either Katherine Arden, or Jeanette Ng should have won that award. Yet, I never heard of Rebecca Roanhorse, or her stories, before, and she did win a Hugo for Best Short Story that same evening. Suddenly, I had a new author to read and her debut novel is titled: Trail of Lightning. And, I’ll admit, I was wrong about my assumption!

            Maggie Hoskie is the protagonist. She is a survivor of a climate apocalyptic event known as “The Big Water,” when the water levels rose and engulfed most of the Earth’s terrain and its inhabitants. After this event, the Navajo Gods, heroes and monsters returned to Earth and to humanity. One of the gods, Neizghání a.k.a. “Monsterslayer,” trains Maggie to become a Monsterslayer like himself. When Neizghání suddenly leaves Maggie, she is able to accept jobs for her handiwork. Maggie’s skills as both a survivor and a monster hunter reflect all of the emotional traumas she’s experienced. However, when a job becomes something more than she can handle, Maggie, reluctantly, agrees to work with Kai Arviso, a medicine man who is also unsure about his supernatural abilities. Throughout the story, readers learn about Maggie and Kai’s past lives including how they survived the flood and how their supernatural abilities are both assisting and restraining them. Other characters, such as Kai’s grandfather, Grandpa Tah, notice how the relationship between Maggie and Kai could be a good thing for the survival of their community, but in a post-apocalyptic world, one should know better than to hope for such a thing. 

            The plot of the story is Maggie and Kai searching Dinétah (the Navajo reservation) for the source of dark magic that’s hunting the surviving humans. The subplot, which will probably carry over to the next book, is the concept surrounding “clan powers.” Clan powers are gifts from the “Holy People” and the gods to mortals. Maggie isn’t a fan of her gift and Kai views his only as a way to survive. However, readers—and Maggie—don’t know what Kai’s gift(s) is, so there is that small mystery to consider. Maggie’s superhuman abilities are not what she would call a blessing from the Diyín Dine’é (people with supernatural powers). Yet, Maggie uses her gifts to make a life for herself. This subplot comes up again throughout the novel, and it is safe to say that this subplot won’t be resolved as quickly as the plot. Both the plot and the storyline of Maggie’s training go hand-in-hand. This is because readers learn how Maggie became acquainted with the gods and how to harness her gifts to become a Monsterslayer. At the same time, we learn about Maggie’s friends and her relationships with other people living in Dinétah. The plot development is appropriate for this story, allowing it to unfold through the characters. 

            The narrative in Trail of Lightningis 1stperson point-of-view from Maggie’s perspective. The sequence begins and ends with murder and the protagonist’s reaction to each one, which is the same reaction, indifference. However, by the end of the novel, Maggie’s reaction makes a lot of sense. Maggie is a reliable narrator who tells Kai and his grandfather her past and how she survived the first wave of chaos after “The Big Water,” many of which she is not proud of doing. Maggie recounting her past actions through flashback allows the author to present her protagonist as flawed and traumatized, yet relatable. This narrative lets readers follow Maggie’s story—both the present and the past—with ease. 

            Rebecca Roanhorse depicts Navajo Gods when an ethnic group of people would need them the most, after an apocalyptic event. While the retelling of gods, heroes and legends are similar to Neil Gaiman and Rick Riordan, Rebecca Roanhorse has the gods of her ancestors return to Earth when the lifestyle of humanity reverts. Many myths and folklore tell of a simple lifestyle, when humans needed the gods to survive. This style of writing lets readers know that the lifestyle changes, but the culture doesn’t. As long as humanity thrives, so will their gods. The author’s tone within the novel, humanity’s failure of taking care of Earth, reflects the mood, an urban apocalypse where everything has to be rebuilt in order to achieve a sense of normalcy. In addition, Rebecca Roanhorse incorporates Navajo diction for both authenticity and reality, with an explanation (and translation) of each meaning. If other cultures incorporate words of their own into everyday language, then why not learn Navajo ones?

            The appeal surrounding Trail of Lightninghave been very positive. Called, “one of the Greatest Science Fiction & Fantasy Debut Novels Ever Written,” by Barnes & Noble, this novel received praise for the portrayal of Native American (one tribe) culture, too. Not to mention, Trail of Lightninghas been nominated for both the Nebula and the Hugo Awards. The follow-up to Trail of Lightning, Storm of Locustswill be released in April 2019. And, the author’s YA debut, Race to the Sun, which is part of the Rick Riordan PresentsUniversal Literary Pantheon, will be released in Fall 2019. This will expand Roanhorse’s readers and her universe, explaining the Dine’é to the rest of the world. Obviously, I’m looking forward to reading both novels. 

            Trail of Lightningis a brilliant debut novel that allows for an immersive story about Native Americans—Navajo—and their culture and folklore in an ironic apocalyptic urban fiction book. This narrative is slow at times because the world-building overtakes the pacing. I believe the next book in the series and any other one set in this universe will be just as memorable as the first one. I believe Rebecca Roanhorse will be publishing stories for many years to come, and I will read them all. 

My Rating: Enjoy It (4 out of 5). 

The Shortlist Award Reading Challenge 2019

It seems that my #1 goal for 2019 is to exhaust myself into completing all of the other goals I have made for myself: get a job, read 100 books, read and post about ARCs, connect with authors and editors, work on my content for my social media pages, finish some of my WIP for submission, etc. Now, I’ve decided that I’m going to read the books that are nominated for various book awards.

            I’m going to call it: The Shortlist Award Reading Challenge. Last year, I followed the Hugo Awards closely because I knew that The Stone Skyby N.K. Jemisin was going to win “Best Novel,” and All Systems Redby Martha Wells was going to win “Best Novella.” However, as I was looking at the shortlist for the other categories, I realized that I read many of the books and watched many of the media that were nominated. So, I decided to read as many of the other nominees as I could before the winners were announced. Not only did I caught up to many recent series, but also I started reading works by authors who had been writing in the genre for several years. I read what I could access through libraries, bookstores, and the Internet. This process was very insightful. Soon, I was able to select whom I believed should win the Hugo Awards. While I was correct in who won in categories such as Best Novel and Best Novella, I was wrong in other categories such as John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. 

            After the winners of the Hugo Awards were announced, I made a reaction video and posted it on my YouTube channel. Then, I continued looking into the nominees and their works. For example, while I am a huge fan of Katherine Arden’s Winternight TrilogyI understood why Rebecca Roanhorse won the award in the category—Best New Writer—over her. And, I realized that some works won in the same category at other awards, and then there were a few awards in which one book won over another book. It makes you wonder if there was a difference in who voted based on preference and/or guidelines. Not to mention, one notices that other works win awards due to the way they stand out from the rest of the nominees per category.

            Like everyone else, I read what is released when I am able to do so. In addition to reading my usual genres—fantasy, science fiction, magic realism, contemporary, classics, graphic novels, etc.—I read many debut novels and I catch up on series that were unknown to me previously. Now, with the 2019 Award Season gaining momentum, I’m excited to see what is nominated and who could win. TV shows and movies can be viewed from at least one viewing before comparing them. Video games are similar to books in that one must invest the time needed to immerse themselves within that narrative. I will comment on these categories for the given awards as well. As of right now, I noticed that once again, there are many books that I have not read, but I am willing to read as many of them as I can before the winners are announced. 

            I want to be able to determine for myself why these books and media have been nominated for these awards. I keep using the terms “books” and “media” because both fiction and non-fiction works get nominated, and movies, television shows, and video games get nominated, too. This is not only a chance to insert myself into what I might have missed otherwise, but also learn how and why these selections were nominated in the first place. 

            So, between now and the end of the 2019 award season, I will read as many of the nominated books and watch as many of the nominated media as I can. This way I can give my critiques before and after the awards. If you want to see the compiled list for the awards I will be following, reading, and critiquing, then please checkout this list on my Google Docs page: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yzQEUvGTILR2LaGMVCibEbeZXp1q5PlSQIch9c0Q-IQ/edit. This list will be updated throughout the award season in order to add to the list, to highlight my reading progress, to provide access to my reviews of the nominees, and to mark the winners of each award in each category.

            In addition, I will be continuing to upload reviews to this blog. Some of the nominees were reviewed previously, and I will continue to add more to my website so that you all have a better understanding of what each book is about. In other words, I’ll do the reading—which, you can do as well—and I’ll let you look over my notes, similar to what I did back in high school. As I complete the list of nominees—regardless of which award each one is nominated for—I will write, upload and share my review. As each awards ceremony gets closer, I will upload both a blog post and a YouTube video with my “prediction” on who should win and why. And, after each award ceremony, I will upload my reaction video on the winners. This is an arduous path I’ve put myself on, but I’m eager to attempt and to accomplish this ambitious goal. 

            Just so everyone knows, this will slow down my progress on my ARCs, essays, theories, and other reviews and content I am currently working on. However, they will get completed, eventually. The only thing that will put a complete halt on everything I’ve been doing is starting a new job—which I really, really need right now—and reworking my schedule to accomplish everything.

            All that being said and addressed, I hope you either follow me, or participate with me as I read as many books as I can and offer my opinions on them. There will be many awards that I won’t be able to add to this challenge, but I’m open to the names and the nominees of each of them. Who knows? I might have read some of those books already, too. This year’s award season is going to be very exciting due to ALL of the nominees. It’s going to be very close, so close that I might have to predict a (potential) second winner within some of the categories. Bring on the 2019 Shortlist Award Reading Challenge! Will you join me? 

Why You Need to Read: “Rosewater”

The Wormwood Trilogy: Book 1: Rosewater

By: Tade Thompson

Published: first published November 15, 2016; reprinted September 18, 2018

Genre: Science Fiction/Afrofuturism 

Winner of the Nommo Award for Best Novel 2017

Apart from the classified stuff about sensitives and the xenosphere, most information about the dome is in the public domain, but it is amazing that the fringe press and conspiracy theorists have different ideas…There are those who believe the dome is a magical phenomenon. I won’t get started on the quasi-religious set,” (Chapter One).

A friend of mine gave me an ARC of this book from one of the many book expos she attends every year. Instantly, I was captivated by the information found on the back of the book. An alien biodome with “healing powers” appears in Nigeria; people with abilities are either forced into hiding, or forced to work for the government; and, the rest of the world—such as the U.S.A.—have found a way to isolate themselves from the aliens and each other. Tade Thompson’s debut novel is a great combination of sci-fi tropes, human behavior, and originality. 

The characters in this novel are not trying to save the world, or travel into space. These characters are surviving within their communities due to secrets and abilities that others would die to know about. Kaaro is the protagonist of the story and we learn about him very quickly; he uses his abilities for the two jobs he has: as a security “monitor” at a bank and as an “informant” for the government. Kaaro is a “sensitive” who can “find things,” and before he worked at the bank and for the government, he was a criminal whose actions caught up with him. Readers learn about Kaaro through his interactions with Femi Alaagomeji, his boss; Aminat, his lover, who has secrets of her own; Molara, a strange being that resides within the xenosphere; and, the mysterious “Bicycle Girl” who may or may not have some knowledge about Rosewater, the biodome and its purpose. This is how readers learn of Kaaro’s character. Kaaro degrades himself, constantly, due to his low self-esteem and his guilt about his past. 

The plot for Rosewateris learning the how and the why the alien biodome appeared on Earth, and why it offers “healing” to humans. The plot unravels as the story moves along with readers asking questions about the biodome, the aliens, and the rest of the world. The multiple subplots: Kaaro’s abilities as a sensitive is being exploited by his employers, Kaaro’s budding relationship with Aminat and the secrets they decide to reveal to each other as they spend more time together, and Kaaro’s past actions and how they connect to the biodome. All of the subplots are connected to the plot of the story, and it’s not what you expect it to be.

The narrative within Rosewateris told from Kaaro’s point-of-view and is told in real-time with the chapters jumping back-and-forth across a time span of 30 years in various, and actual, locations—an achronological plot. With the exception of the chapters labeled “Now,” the narrative focuses on events that provide answers to the readers’ questions about the characters and the setting. Tade Thompson’s narrative—which is similar to the flashback narrative in the TV show, Lost—focuses on parts from Kaaro’s past instead of all of it. This way, readers obtain what is relevant to the story thus keeping it on track.

The style provided by Tade Thompson in the novel uses a reliable narrator. Usually, authors do not reveal whether or not their narrators are reliable, especially in first person narratives. However, with Kaaro readers know he is reliable due to his outlook of his life due to the choices he’s made as well as admitting how and why Kaaro became a criminal and everything else that happens afterwards. At the same time, we learn of Kaaro’s feelings about the biodome through the author’s tone (his attitude) and his mood (how the readers should feel) about the biodome, which is suspicion. The style within Rosewaterprovides several mysteries within this science fiction story.

The appeal surrounding Rosewaterspeaks for itself. The novel was so popular and so immersive that it won the Nommo Award for Best Novel in 2017, and was reprinted by Orbit in 2018. In addition, Tade Thompson’s book was nominated for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Novel in 2017. The Rosewater Insurrectionis the sequel to Rosewater, and it is one of the most anticipated speculative fiction books of 2019, which picks up where the first novel left off. Personally, Rosewatermade My Selections for Best Speculative Fiction Books of 2018 for similar reasons.

Overall, Rosewateris a brilliant debut novel that fans of speculative fiction will enjoy. Both the setting and the mention of science and religion provide a sense of realism to the story. My only issue with Rosewaterwas that the plot development and the character development took longer than other recent science fiction stories I’ve read. Yet, the buildup to the reveal(s) by the novel’s end will stimulate readers into reading The Rosewater Insurrectionand other stories by the author. Tade Thompson’s method of telling believable science fiction stories will leave readers entertained and vigilant. 

My rating: Enjoy It (4 out of 5)!

Why You Need to Read: “Binti: The Complete Trilogy”

Binti: The Complete Trilogy                                                      

By: Nnedi Okorafor

Published:  Binti(#1) released September 22, 2015

                 Binti: Sacred Fire(#1.5) released February 5, 2019

                 Binti: Home(#2) released January 31, 2017

                Binti: The Night Masquerade(#3) released January 16, 2018

                Binti: The Complete Trilogyreleased February 5, 2019

Genre: Science Fiction, Afrofuturism, Anthology  

Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novella 2015 & the Hugo Award for Best Novella 2016

PLEASE NOTE: The following contains minor spoilers for all four novellas. You have been warned.

I am Binti Ekeopara Zuzu Dambu Kaipka of Namib (Binti).

            Every once in a while you hear about a story that is so unique and so captivating that it is suggested that everyone should read it regardless if it’s not from their preferred genre of literature. Bintiis a story about a young woman who leaves her home—without her family’s blessing—so that she can take advantage of an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the most prestigious university in the galaxy, Oomza Uni. She boards a spacecraft and it is traveling to a distant planet, and Binti has never been away from her home before. It seems like the story will pick up pace once the spacecraft arrives; only it is attacked by a “hostile” alien species. This is the first part of the first novella in the series by Nnedi Okorafor—which, won both the Nebula and the Hugo awards for “Best Novella”—and, neither the action, nor the story ends with the first novella! Binti: The Complete Trilogycontains all of the author’s stories in one volume!

            Bintistarts off with a simple plot: a gifted young woman goes against her family’s expectations in order to attend an esteemed university. Readers are introduced to Binti’s intelligence for mathematics, abilities as a harmonizer, and Himba culture. At the same time, readers are reminded that human differences and alien versus human culture clashes exist in the future as well. One particular rivalry between the species quickly becomes the center of the story, quickly. Binti has to find a way to survive her new—and unexpected—predicament, which will be hard because the Meduse, the hostile alien species want her dead. 

            Binti is terrified to the point where it’s easier to blame herself for her current situation rather than realize how sheltered she was back on Earth. Binti soon realizes that she must rely on her abilities and her talent in order to understand the situation and escape with her life. However, Binti is not in control of either her abilities, or the tools she has with her. This means improvising. She soon realizes that her astrolabe allows her to communicate with the Meduse on the spacecraft. Binti is able to come up with a strategy to save herself, the lives at Oomza Uni, and the lives of the people on Earth, including her family. Even though she succeeds, the experience of Binti’s excursion to Oomza Uni changes her in more ways than one.

            Binti: Sacred Fireis the latest story written by the author in this series, but it serves as an interlude between the first and the second books in the series. This tale provides an appropriate look into Binti’s life as a student at the university she saved. She has become friends with one of the Meduse, Okwu, who is now a student at the university as well. Readers gain insight into Binti’s interactions with her classmates and her professors, and her family and friends back home (the ones who are willing to talk to her). 

            Unfortunately, Binti’s new life at Oomza Uni is not as smooth as she hopes. She is suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder from her voyage to the university and from the bullying from a few of the humans who happen to be from a feuding tribe from Earth. Although Binti is hailed as a hero for negotiating a truce, she feels as isolated at Oomza Uni as she did back home. Not to mention, Binti is still dealing with some personal “changes” to her being. 

            Even though Binti is traumatized and isolated, she is not alone. Her friends are with her as she works her way through her adjustments and her traumas. Binti knows that it’ll take a while to get used to her new lifestyle, but it seems like she’ll be getting the full university experience. 

            Binti: Homeis about what is in the title. Binti completes her first semester or year at Oomza Uni and decides to return home to visit her family and to participate in her tribe’s pilgrimage. Binti has made progress at the university: in her classes, in her therapy sessions, and in her reputation as a Master Harmonizer. However, returning home means traveling by spacecraft, and it’s the same one Binti traveled on to get to Oomza Uni.

            The spacecraft—known as The Third Fish—is a living thing that flies in outer space. Binti—who is still suffering from PTSD—decides to stay in the same room she stayed in during her first voyage in order to face her trauma. Throughout the voyage, Binti is able to make some progress of dealing with her panic attacks and flashbacks. However, Binti still has to face her fear of reuniting with her family. And, since she’s lived away from her home for a while, she’s forgotten some of her people’s more casual customs. Binti has changed in more ways than one because of her experiences. Unfortunately, her family and her tribe are static in their ways and are disgusted with Binti’s changes and growth. 

            The purpose of a pilgrimage is for an individual to seek growth through moral and spiritual growth. Oftentimes, that individual becomes enlightened and transformed by the end of their pilgrimage. This is what happens to Binti during her pilgrimage even if it isn’t the pilgrimage she was supposed to go on. The pilgrimage Binti goes on brings her to a new level of personal enlightenment. And, she is made aware of her own prejudices and slowly comes around to accepting the changes she’s been experiencing. At the same time, the prejudices surrounding three different clans have erupted, and Binti—once again—must rely on her skills as a harmonizer in order to diffuse the tensions before war breaks out. 

            Binti: The Night Masquerade starts where Binti: Homeleft off, with Binti rushing back to her family home after her pilgrimage in order to stop a war before it starts. The Night Masquerade is a personification of the coming of a “big change.” To Binti, she interprets it to mean a war is about to start. And, Binti plans on ending it before it can happen.

            Cultures clash, hidden history is revealed, and someone always gets betrayed. The POVs change so that the readers have a better understanding of what is happening during certain parts of the story. Within the conclusion to this series, readers realize that not everyone is willing to accept change, not everyone wants to interact with someone who is “different” from themselves, and not everyone is willing to admit he/she/it/they have flaws. Binti comes to terms with all of this as she returns to Oomza Uni just in time for the upcoming academic year. All of her experiences and changes within herself allow Binti to elevate herself beyond the status of Master Harmonizer. However, Binti wishes to continue her studies, for the time being. 

            It was thrilling to read Bintiagain. And, Binti: The Complete Trilogyallows readers to enjoy all of the Binti stories in tandem. Fans of Nnedi Okorafor and readers of speculative fiction will appreciate this series compilation as much as I did. Reading through Binti’s life as a university freshman reminded me of some of my experiences during my first year of college as well, including the changes in myself and the stagnancy of everything else. Bintiis a story about personal growth through experience and change, and how expectations depend on individual actions, not those of others. This coming-of-age story is pleasing to all readers and it should not be overlooked. And, readers can rejoice knowing that Nnedi Okorafor has plans to continue Binti’s story! 

TV Episode Review: “Deadly Class: Noise, Noise, Noise”

Note: There are some minor spoilers in this review. You have been warned. 

The second episode in the new series displays the aftermath and the continuation of the events that took place in the Pilot episode. Marcus is traumatized by his first kill, but cannot take any credit for participating in the murder, which Willie has no problem doing. Unfortunately, for Marcus and the rest of his classmates, they have to participate in a pop quiz in order to redeem themselves. Marcus and a few of the other students pass, the rest of class fails.

            The majority of the episode reminds teacher, students, and viewers that the students at King’s Dominion are adolescents who behave like adolescents. So, a house party—set up by one of the “goop” students—is the distraction that is welcomed. The party is typical: everyone shows up, the house gets thrashed, everyone gets drunk and high, energy and emotions are running high, then the cops appear and the party is over. The party is where viewers learn more about the students from the school. Now, there are some minor changes from the graphic novel, but it fits well with what viewers are to expect from the show, which is most of the students are using falsehoods in order to maintain a reputation. This “act” is common in all adolescents. 

            Marcus seems to be the only one who doesn’t have a problem venting his emotions. And yet, viewers learn by the end of the episode that that is not true. On top of the cliché moments in this episode, viewers realize that King’s Dominion’s roster contains a lot of frauds. It makes viewers wonder why certain characters are more comfortable with killing over their insecure classmates. And, by the end of the episode, viewers will ask: What else happened to Marcus? What will happen to Maria? Is Saya comfortable with “spying” on her classmates?

            In all, Noise, Noise, Noiseis an episode that focuses more on the development of the characters and the setting. The 1980s was a turning point for health risks and international relations in the United States. And, we see how the characters continue to deal with puberty, angst and social welfare. While the episode leaves the viewer with more questions than answers, we know that it won’t be long until we get the answers that we want.