After today’s class, write at least 250 words summarizing your readings and the lecture notes on Le Guin, Butler, and Afrofuturism.
14 thoughts on “After Class Writing: Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Afrofuturism”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Rebecca Delgado
ENG 2420
Professor Ellis
December 6, 2017
Ursula K. Le Guin was born in 1929 and is a feminist SF author a part of the New Wave Era. Le Guin has won 5 Hugo Awards and 6 Nebula Awards in her career. Her parents were anthropologists which impacted her work and 3 distinct characteristics were incorporated in her work;
1. Plot of novels usually follows a man in an alien or alienating world going on a quest during winter and in the journey makes a conceptual breakthrough enabling him to bring together disaffected groups.
2. Her stories are considered anthropological fiction.
3. Her fiction is informed by Eastern Taoist tradition rather than Western philosophical tradition.
“Nine Lives” was published in the November 1969 Playboy Magazine. Hugh Hefner encouraged her to use the initials “U.K.” so male readers would not write off her story. “Nine Lives” is about humans being cloned and those clones being more proficient than their human counterpart. What the human took a long time to do, the clone can do automatically. All but one clone ends up dying and must learn how to build relationships with its’ human counterparts.
Octavia Butler is a Black American SF author born in 1947 and died in 2006. Butler was the first well known African American SF writer. She was also the first SF writer to be awarded a McArthur Genius grant. Her stories include time travel, science of biology, and social sciences. Themes involve slavery, victimization, classism, racism, and identity. “Speech Sounds” is about a town being infected with a plague that makes the population unable to speak or read so they heavily rely on body language. Rye is a woman who used to be a teacher and able to read and has the ability to speak yet dares not to. Obsidian is able to read but cannot speak, both are jealous of the other’s ability. Since they live in a dangerous society, Obsidian, and an implied husband/wife are killed and two verbal kids were left behind. Rye ended up taking them back to safety and the story ends.
Afrofuturism is a genre written by Black writer about Black lived experiences. It is not a subgenre of SF but is between Feminist and New Wave SF. It was coined in 1994 by Mark Dery in a radio interview. Themes include concerns, and concepts promoting technology. Three goals of Afrofuturism include;
1. Telling a good story.
2. Recover the past and reconsider the present.
3. Imagine of inspire new futures based on these recovered histories and culture.
Jia Du
ENG 2420 Science Fiction
Professor Ellis
December 6, 2017
The professor started the class discussion by talking about Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-Present). She won five Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards. She was also part of the new wave. The K. in her name came from her parents. Guin is one year younger then Philip K. D. They also went to the same high school but never actually met each other. Her story has few characteristics but the top three are,
1. Plot of novel follow tragedy, man in alien or alienated world goes on a quest during winter time. During the journey he makes a break through that able him to bring together disabled groups.
2. Call her fiction anthropological interest in people, politics. She try to understand the Alien other.
3. Her fiction is informed by Taoist tradition more so then western tradition. Taoist Tradition has a balance poll like yin and yang.
Some of her famous works are Hainish Cycle where people on different planets contacting each other and establish some kind of relationship. She also published fantasy story Earth Sea. Another story she published was Nine Lives (1969) by play boy magazine. She was the first women to be published by play boy but her gender was hidden from the public.
Next Writer the professor mentioned was Butler Estell (1947-2006) she was a well-known African American writer. She became the first SF writer to receive the MacArthur Genius Grant. In 1970 the writer takes off because of the Clarion Writers Workshop. Harlison took her under his wing. Her characteristics of the stories contain, time travel, slavery, victimization, classism, racistism, and identity. One of her famous works are Kindred (1979).
Next topic the professor talked about is Afro Futurism. 1830 Brazil, 1860 Japam. Use SF to explore science, society, and race. Three goals of Afro Futurism are.
1. Tell a good SF story
2. Cover the past and reconsider the present.
3. Imagine or inspire new future based on these recorded history
Ursula K. LeGuin, “Nine Lives” is about two workers named Martin and Pugh stationed on a planet called Libra to look for mining deposits. They were given 10 clones to assist them. But then a tragedy stuck the clones killing everyone but one male clone. The clone reenact the deaths of his fellow clones. They learn about relationships but at the end they receive a new shipment of clones to replace the lost ones.
Octavia Butler, “Speech Sounds “is about a civilization in ruin, this disabled human life in many ways, lack of reading and writing and basic communication skills. This result in misunderstandings and conflicts. The character Rye lost her family and love ones so she went on a journey to look for her brother and his family. On the way there, the fight broke out on the bus but was later resolved by a man in a LAPD uniform. He offer her a ride which we refused but later accepted. On the way, they witness a man with a passion of a knife chasing after a women. They decided to help but as a result the man in uniform dies from a gunshot to the head and the women that was being chased also dies. She decided to adopt the children of the deceased mother. She then stated that it has been a long time since she communicated with someone.
Mellissa Valle
Prof. Ellis
ENG 2420
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929-present) Feminist SF author a part of the New Wave Era. During her time she won multiple Hugo Awards and Nebula Awards. Characteristics: 1) Plot of her novels usually consists of a man and an alien or alienating world going on a quest during winter and in the journey makes a conceptual breakthrough that enables him to bring together different groups of people. 2) Anthropological fiction (interest in people/politics). 3) Her fiction is based on Eastern Taoist tradition rather than Western philosophical. Ursula work also involved the hainish cycle or league of all world where forerunners were a major part for the human society in the world.
In November 1969, “Nine Lives” was published in Playboy magazine. She used the initials U.K because of Hugh Hefner. His logic was to use this so male readers won’t end up writing off her story. Her story involves clones, but these clones were better than their counterpart, these clones work faster and performed better. What a human would take a long time doing these clones would do at a faster pase. In the end a majority of the clones end up dying except for one which learner and improved its interactions with the humans.
Octavia E. Butler
( 1947- 2006) Butler, first well known African American SF writer. She was first awarded Macarthur genius grants In SF. Her books included Kindred (1979), Pattermot series and xenogenesis. Most of her stories involves time travel, sciences (both social and biology) and the themes of her work involved racism, identity, slavery, classism ( the cast system), and victimization. “Speech Sounds” is about a town being infected with a plague that makes the population unable to speak or read so they heavily rely on body language.
Afrofuturism
Afrofuturism was created by the white europeans. Afrofuturism was a subgenre between New Wave SF and feminists.
Three goals of Afrofuturism include:
1) Telling a good SF story. 2) Recover the past and reconsider the present( story or culture) 3) Imagine of inspire new futures based on these recovered histories and culture.
Alex Giffen
ENG 2420
Prof. Ellis
6 December 2017
In class we discussed Afro-futurism fiction. This is the relation of trials African Americans and the complexity of science fiction. It is not technically SF, but intersects with it. Themes that are often covered are slavery, victimization, classism and identity. All of these are present between the stories we read for today.
The first reading we had was Octavia Butler’s “Speech Sounds.” The story told of a world ravaged by disease. In this world people can no longer communicate with writing, speaking, or reading. Instead they must communicate via sign language. There are a few who are literate or can speak, but those are often hated by the illiterate. The story is of Rye, who is trying to find any remaining relatives she has. While traveling in here post apocalyptic world she meets a man named Obsidian, a man trying to restore order to the world. Rye is jealous of Obsidian, but confides to him that she can speak. While traveling together they try to stop an attack, but only Rye and the victim’s children survive. Rye hears the children speak and then decides to save them.
The second reading was Ursula K. LeGuin’s “Nine Lives.” It tells of a mining operation on another planet. On this planet are a few normal workers, but when they request more workers they are sent clones. These clones are alphabetically named to separate them, but they live as one unit. They seemingly communicate via telepathically, but they are just so closely related they are basically one person. When they go off to examine a mine, all but one dies. He then must learn to survive on his own without his companions.
In class, Professor Ellis talked about Le Guin, Butler, and Afrofuturism. Ursula K. Le Guin was born in 1929 and is a feminist SF author a part of the New Wave era of Science Fiction. Le Guin won five Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards in her career. Professor Ellis told of three diverse characteristics were incorporated in her work:
#1: Plot of novels usually follows a man in an alien or alienating world going on a quest during winter and in the journey makes a conceptual breakthrough enabling him to bring together disaffected groups
#2: Her stories are considered anthropological fiction
#3: Her fiction is informed by Eastern Taoist tradition rather than Western philosophical tradition
Nine Lives was published in November 1969 in Playboy Magazine by Ursula K. Le Guin. The founder of Playboy Magazine, Hugh Hefner encouraged her to use the initials “U.K.” so male readers would not write off her story, since she was a woman. Nine Lives takes place on the planet Libra in which two men, Martin and Pugh, had been surveying the planet for resources to extract and are awaiting the arrival of an excavation team to assist them in the mining of it.
Professor Ellis told us about Octavia Butler is a Black American SF author born in 1947 and died in 2006. Butler was the first well known African American SF writer that took off with her writing in 1970. She was also the first SF writer to be awarded a McArthur Genius grant. Afrofuturism is a genre written by Black writer about Black lived experiences. It is a movement in literature, music, art, etc., featuring futuristic or science fiction themes which incorporate elements of black history and culture. It was coined in 1994 by Mark Dery in a radio interview. Themes include concerns, and concepts promoting technology. Three goals of Afrofuturism include:
#1: Telling a damn good story
#2: Recover the past and reconsider the present
#3: Imagine of inspire new futures based on these recovered histories and culture
Professor Ellis told us of two important anthologies called “Dark Matter” (and it’s sequel, Dark Matter: Reading in 2006) published in 2000 which is an anthology series of science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories and essays produced by people of African descent.
Saif Ahmed
Prof. Ellis
ENG 2420
12/8/2017
In Lecture we spoke about Afro Futurism which is an international movement not limited to African Americans that means that it combines al of the Science Fictions philosophies etc.… together to show the present day dilemmas of African American people. Also in class we spoke about our readings for that day and the authors of the stories. First Ursula K. Leguin, she was born in 1929 and is still alive she won 6 nebula awards and she was also a part of the New Wave Science Fiction. For class we read her “Nine Lives” and the story takes place on a planet called Libra far in space and there are two workers on the planet name Martin and Pugh and their job is to find mine deposits because at this time it is the future and there were massive wars which cut the population and politics is done differently now. The planet is earthquake prone. Martin works as a base technician and cartographer and Pugh serves as the base commander and geologists and both of them send data back to earth to an organization called The Exploitation Corps with new recommendations for excavation sites and have a request for additional help. Second is Octavia Butler born in 1947 and died in in 2006 she was the first well known African America Writer in Science Fiction. She wrote the short story “Speech Sounds” and this story is about a plague that takes away people abilities to read and speak and the story starts with a character names Rye and on the bus there was a fight and then an LAPD officer comes in to break it up so Rye is basically asked to take a ride with him in his car and while driving obsidian takes out a map and Rye is jealous and wants to kill him because he can read. They go and women is being chased with kids by a man with a knife and obsidian confronted him and got his weapon taken from him and in the process he gets shot and then Rye takes and uses her gun and shoots him and then she takes care of the kids and the kids can read and write etc. she lets them know that it is ok to do that. This is basically hinting to how African Americans in the past were not allowed to be able read or write so she is telling the story from that perspective. Also the kids were being chased because they knew.
Sharon Rios
Ursula K. Le Guin was born in 1929 and is still alive. She is a feminist science fiction author and part of the New Wave Era. In November 1969, Ursula’s “Nine Lives” was published in the Playboy magazine. Hugh Hefner suggested using her initials, U.K, instead of writing her full name so that male readers won’t end up writing off her story. “Nine Lives” is about a planet that uses clones that are substantially better than their original, because they work faster and perform better. The clones are alphabetically named. When examining a mine they end up dying, except for one. This clone ends up improving its interactions with humans and learns how to survive alone.
Ursula has won multiple Hugo Awards and Nebula Awards. Her novels usually consist of a man or alien in an alienated world. The journey usually consists of a conceptual breakthrough that enables the character to bring together different groups of people. Her stories also involve Anthropological fiction, which is the interest in people and politics. Her fiction is also based on Eastern Taoist tradition rather than Western philosophical.
Octavia E. Butler was born in 1947 and died in 2006. Octavia is a well known African American science fiction writer. Most of her stories involve time travel, social and biological sciences, and the themes usually involve racism, identity, slavery, or classism. “Speech Sounds” is about a town infected with a severe plague that affected the literacy of the population. With people being unable to speak or read, they heavily rely on body language.
In class, we also spoke about Afrofuturism that was created by the white Europeans. Afrofuturism was a subgenre of New Wave science fiction and feminists. Afrofuturism had three goals, which include telling a proper science fiction story, recovering the past and reconsidering the present, and inspiring a new future based on these recovered histories and culture.
Jessica L. Roman
ENG 2420-E255
Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Afrofuturism
12/10/2017
This weeks lecture continued with Feministis Science Fiction and introduced Afrofuturism along with authors Ursula K. Le Guin and Octavia Butler. Ursula K. Le Guin(1929) is a a New Wave and Feminist SF writer who one numerous Hugo and Nebula awards. Her mother and father were both anthropologist which influenced her writing. Unlike many other Sf stories Le Guin attempted to to give the aliens in her story an identity, culture, gender and substance beyond just being the alien “Other”. Some of the characteristics of her work include:
1. Plot usually follows a man in an alien or alienating world going on a quest during winter and during the journey makes a conceptual breakthrough enabling him to bring together disaffected groups.
2. Her works are anthropological and try to understand the alien “Other”
3. Her fiction is informed by Eastern Taoist tradition rather than Western philosophical tradition.
Her short story “Nine Lives” was published in Playboy magazine in 1969 under pen name U.K Le Guin. It takes place in a time where not only is cloning possible but it it used to assemble groups that works fast and efficiently as they all have the same way of thinking. In this story two minors, Martin and Pugh, meeting the tendone of clones, known as John Chow, sent to assistance with the assignment. Martin and Pugh observe the peculiarities of the tendone, they are very to themselves and don’t know much about socializing apart from each other. The clones are even romantically involved though we find out only some of the male clones are allow to reproduce. One day while working the mine there is an accident and all but one clone perishes. The survivor , Kaph, after being rescued experiences the death of the other nine clones. After his recovery Kaph is lost, and struggles to learn how to function as an individual that is not part of a self-sustaining group. As if this were not enough to make him feel alienated he discovers a new group of clones, a twelvedone, is set to arrive on plant. This leaves Kalph in a space where he does not yet feel like he belongs with non-clones and will be looked at like an “Other” by the arriving clones.
Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006) Was the first well know African American woman of Science Fiction and is a liminal author between Feminist SF and Afrofurturism. She took off as an SF writer in the 1970s after she was asked to participate in the Clarion Science Fiction Workshop. During this workshop Harlin Ellison was so impressed by her submission he took her on one on one. Butler was also the first author of SF to get an McArthur Genius Grant. Butler wrote time travel stories, on the science of biology and social sciences. The themes prevalent in her works were slavery, victimization, classicism, racism and identity. A favorite book of mine which encapsulates many of these was Kindred, written in 1979. However the short we read for this week was Butler’s Hugo award winning “Speech Sounds” which was published in Asimov Science Fiction in December 1983. The story, which was inspired by a real life bus ride, takes place in dystopian Earth that has been ravaged by a sickness. This sickness affected people in various ways but all in relation to communication. Some people can not longer read, others can no longer speak or hear. The stories protagonist Rye, was a professor, and can no longer read. Her husband has died and after no longer wanting to be along she make the decision to travel to her brother’s home. Because of the state of the wold, this is no easy bus ride. The lack of communication has made people by and large aggressive. There is an altercation on Ryes bus forcing her to exit. During the altercation she meets Obsidian, a former cop. While she does not trust him at first after observing him she judges he is not violent and takes his offer to take her in his car. Obsidian cannot hear but can read and together they are trying to communicate where to go. While they are traveling they become intimate and Rye decides if this man will accompany her she does not need to go to her brother’s home she can take Obsidian home. Unfortunately shortly after there is an altercation outside their car and Obsidian is killed in the cross fire when he attempts to help a women being chase who is also shot and killed. While at his body Rye see’s the small children that she assumes belonged to the women who is now dead. To her amazement while interacting with the children she discovers they can both communicate, completely. A sign that humanity may not be left in its feeble state forever. The story ends with Rye taking the children home determined to be their teacher and protector.
The last portion of our lecture was on Afrofuturism which was international movement. It is not a sub-genre of Science Fiction but it intersects, meaning it does not have to be one or the other. The term was coined by Mark Deary after interviews with Samuel Delany and other Black writers and can be defined as speculative fiction written by Afro-diasperic and African peoples. The three goals are as follows:
1. Tell a good Science Fiction story
2. Recover the past and reconsider the present inlight of that past
3. Imagine or inspire new futures based on recovered history and culture
Assignment 10-
Ursula K. Le Guin was born in 1929. So far she has won five hugo awards and 6 nebula awards for her sf writing. As well as being a femist SF writer, she is also considered part of the New Wave. This distinguishes her from other female writers by bringing in more soft sf in her writing. She is most known for her series’ A League of all Worlds, and EarthSea. The writing we read, “Nine Lives” (1969) was first published in Playboy, in a gender neutral fashion- with only her initials. The story tells of a set of nine clones going on an assignment on the planet Libra. They are assigned to two regular humans, Martin and Pugh, who are fascinated with the idea of meeting clone people. They question the extent of the connection the clones have. Although the nine of them insist they are individuals, they admit that many of their characteristics are from the same man, John Chow and they are very cognitive to each others thoughts and intentions. After an earthquake, eight of the nine clones die. The last clone suffers, almost at brink of death eight times, and then stabilizes. John, called Kaph, must learn how to survive as, ultimately, the last of his kind, and falls into a depression from being truly alone for the first time. He has gone from being part of a clan to being a lone wolf, or an Other. This concept of Other is a common perception that Le Guin brings up often. Ultimately, his interactions and growing relationship with Martin and Pugh pull him out of his depression and allow him to come to terms with his new life.
Charcteristics of Le Guin writing-
1) plot usually follows the same trajectory- a man in an alien or alienating world goes on a quest during winter, and during the journey he makes a conceptual breakthough that enables him to bring together diseffected (divided) groups
2) anthropoligcal fiction- interested in culture, people, polotics, and the root of the idea is that she tries to understand the alien “Other”- a person or group that is unlike ourselves
3) her fiction is informed (incorporrted into) by Eastern Thaoist tradition more so than western philosphical tradition– heavier emphasis on balance
Octavia (Estelle) Butler- (1947-2006) is, as well as a feminist sf writer, an Afrofuturism writer as well. She is the brige between the two, and one of the most influential Afrofuturism writer. She wrote many deep and life-changing writings, including a book called Kindred, which immerses not only African American struggles of racism, but the paradox of time travel as well. In 1970, Butler was selected to participate in the Clariun SF Writers Workshop. It is an annual program that is six weeks long and only extended to 18 students. During her semester there, Harlan Ellison discovered her writing, and worked exclusively with her during the six weeks to help her develop her sf writing skills. Many of her writings are either Time Travel stories, stories involving the science of biology, or stories revolving around the social sciences. Her themes tend to be slavery, victimization, classism, racism, and how identity is shaped by a person and the external forces around them. We read the short story “Speech Sounds” (1984), which tells the story of a world where a disease has stumped people’s abilities to communicate. Rye, the protagonist, is on a bus on her way to visit her last remaining family, her brother and his son. On the bus, she witnesses and avoids a physical altercation between two gentlemen. Obsidian, a vigilante with a car, helps to diffuse the situation by throwing tear gas into the bus. This action is met with mixed results, which cannot be communicated very well due to the disease than took everyone’s speech. As Rye leaves with Obsidian, they struggle to communicate, learning that each of them have retained a bit of their education. We learn that Rye used to be a professor of English, and she can still speak. I assume Obsidian truly was a police officer, since he is wearing a uniform; he can still read. They have kept their intelligence secret for fear of a jealous rage. They have a fling, and decide to keep traveling together. However, in the next vigilante excursion, Obsidian gets shot and dies along with the culprit and his victim. As Rye grieves, two children run to their mother, the victim, and cry over her. Rye takes pity and attempts to move the body to give it proper burial. “Leave her alone” says the young girl, and the boy warns her against speaking. Rye’s unused voice assures them that they are safe to speak with her, and she gains her family.
Aftrofuturism is a movement in not only literature, but also music and art, merging futuristic or science fiction themes which elements of Black history and culture, specifically the afrodiaspierate people. It is not a genre of sf, but it often intersects with it. The word was coined in 1994 by Mark Derry in a radio interview with Samuel R. Delany. Three goals of Afrofuturism are:
1) Tell a damn good SF story
2) Recover the past and reconsider the present in the light of that past
3) Imagine or inspire new futures based on these recovered histories and culture
Nine lives (1969) is a SF story written by Ursula K Le Guin(1929- Present) published in the playboy magazine. The story took place on a planet called Libra where two men, Martin and Pugh had to gather intel. When their new workers arrived, they realized that they were clones. These clones were far more superior compare to the humans. I mean anything that the human could do, these closes would do it better and faster. After a major earthquake occurs and killed 9 of them out of 10, only one remains.
Speech sounds (1983) is a SF story written by Octavia Butler. (1947-2006) The story is about a disease that confine humankind’s ability to speak or communicate with each other. While some were not able to speak, others were not able to read and write. They used objects as some types of symbols to identify themselves. As a result, they were a lot of miscommunication among them.
Jacob Banschick
Prof. Ellis
ENG2420
For todays lecture, we discussed Afrofuturism, a subgenre of Science Fiction by black authors, telling black experiences. An Afrofuturism story contains the following traits:
1 – Telling a damn good story
2 – Recover the past and reconsider the present
3 – Imagine of inspire new futures based on these recovered histories and culture
“Nine Lives” was written by Ursula K. Le Guin (1929- ) in 1969 in playboy magazine, where Hugh Hefner encouraged her to use the initials “U.K.” as not to turn away it’s primarily male readers. It tells the story of a mining outpost that receives an influx of clones when they request for additional aid. They sleep together, work together, eat together, finish each other’s sentences, and even provide sexual gratification to each other. A seismic tremor occurs, killing 9 of the ten clones, leaving the one surviving clone alone and no longer a collective. Through watch his non-clone coworkers, the clone eventually learns to interact beyond his collective.
“Speech Sounds” was written by Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006) in 1983. Butler was the first African American to receive a MacArthur Genius grant in 1995. It tells the story of a world ravaged by disease which damages nearly everyone’s speech area of their brains, affecting their ability to speak or write to one another. Rye, the protagonist, meets a man by the name of Obsidian, who wishes to restore order to the world. Rye confides to Obsidian that she can speak, and the two set out.
Christopher Gonzalez
Professor Jason Ellis
ENG 2420 – E255
In the lecture for November 29, 2017 we discussed writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia E. Butler and Afrofuturism. The short story “Nine Lives” was written by Ursula K. Le Guin who was born 1929 and is still alive today. She won 5 Locus awards and 4 Nebula awards. Ninve Lives was published in 1969 and was the first story written by a woman published in Playboy. It is about clones who perform much more efficient than their human counterparts. All the clones are killed except for one who must learn human relations. “Speech Sounds” was written by Octavia E. Butler who was born 1947 and died 2006. She was the first well known African American writer of SF. Speech Sounds was published in 1983 and is about a town effected by a disease that makes the afflicted illiterate and unable to speak. In order to communicate the inhabitants must use sign language. In this society those who are literate and can speak are frowned upon.
Carissa Simeone
Afrofuturism
Ursula K. Le Guin (1929 is a feminist SF author a part of the New Wave Era. Le Guin has won 5 Hugo Awards and 6 Nebula Awards in her career. Her parents were anthropologists which impacted her work.
The 3 characteristics of Le Guin’s work are as followed:
1. Plot of novels usually follows a man in an alien or alienating world going on a quest during winter and in the journey makes a conceptual breakthrough enabling him to bring together disaffected groups.
2. Her stories are considered anthropological fiction.
3. Her fiction is informed by Eastern Taoist tradition rather than Western philosophical tradition.
Le Guin published “Nine Lives” in November 1969, published in Playboy magazine. She used the initials U.K because of Hugh Hefner. Hefner suggested she use her initials because he was knew majority of his readers were male. He didn’t want her story written off because of her gende. Her story involves clones, but these clones were better than their counterpart, these clones work faster and performed better. What a human would take a long time doing these clones would do at a faster pace. In the end a majority of the clones end up dying except for one which learner and improved its interactions with the humans.
Octavia Butler (1946 -2006), was one of the first well-known African American woman as a SF writer. The author wrote “Speech Sounds “is about a civilization in ruin, this disabled human life in many ways, lack of reading and writing and basic communication skills. This result in misunderstandings and conflicts. The character Rye lost her family and love ones so she went on a journey to look for her brother and his family. There was a fight broke out on the bus but was later resolved by a man in a LAPD. The officer offered her a ride which was denied, but later accepted. On the way, they witness a man with a passion of a knife chasing after a women. They decided to help but as a result the man in uniform dies from a gunshot to the head and the women that was being chased also dies. She decided to adopt the children of the deceased mother. She then stated that it has been a long time since she communicated with someone.
Afrofuturism is an intersection of the SF genre. It is considered a subgenre of Feminist SF and New Wave In class it was discussed as a cultural aesthetic. The term was first coined in 1993 in an interview with Samuel R. Delany by Mark Dery (1959).
There are 3 main goals of Afrofutursm.
1. Telling a good SF story.
2. Recover the past and reconsider the present( story or culture)
3. Imagine of inspire new futures based on these recovered histories and culture.
Brianna Grant
Eng2420 E255 Science Fiction
Prof. Ellis
City Tech
17 December 2017
During lecture Professor Ellis expounded on the topic of Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler and Afrofuturism. He also elaborated on the essential works published by these phenomenal authors and how each author’s writing styles were influenced by their viewpoints and by the era in which these works were published.
Ursula K. Le Guin was in 1929 during the New Wave Science Fiction era. She was also a leading lady within the Feminist Science Fiction era. During her life she has won 5 Hugo Awards and 6 Nebula Awards. Thereof, her works can be characterized as:
(1) Plot of novels usually follows a man in an alien or alienating world going on a quest during winter and in the journey makes a conceptual breakthrough enabling him to bring together disaffected groups.
(2) Her stories are considered anthropological fiction.
(3) Her fiction is informed by Eastern Taoist tradition rather than Western philosophical tradition.
Afrofuturism is a genre written by Black writer about Black lived experiences and was created in a 1994 radio interview by Mark Dery.
The themes of Afrofuturism include concerns, and concepts promoting technology. The three goals of Afrofuturism are:
(1) Telling a good story.
(2) Recover the past and reconsider the present.
(3) Imagine of inspire new futures based on these recovered histories and culture.
Afrofuturism is a framework for exploring and understanding issues related to race, gender, class and other social identities while expanding representation in science.” (States News Service, 2017) Bryan Carter who is the associate professor in University of Arizona’s Africana Studies Program states, “Afrofuturism,” the movement simultaneously calls attention to the persistent social inequity faced by the African diaspora while imagining a different reality and future for black people around the world.The science-fiction industry has traditionally ignored people of African descent. Black writers, then, have been able to use this genre to have very different discussions.”