Afrofuturist and black speculative books written by women
At the intersection of imagination, technology, the future and liberation (in the words of Ytasha L. Womack in her essay Afrofuturism), Afrofuturism makes it possible to envisage a future through the socio-cultural black experience. Here is a list of afrofuturist and black speculation novels by women.
Wild Seed
Patternist: Book #1
By Octavia E. Butler
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 11 hours 9 minutes
DDoro knows no higher authority than himself. An ancient spirit with boundless powers, he possesses humans, killing without remorse as he jumps from body to body to sustain his own life. With a lonely eternity ahead of him, Doro breeds supernaturally gifted humans into empires that obey his every desire. He fears no one—until he meets Anyanwu. ... Read more »
Kindred
By Octavia E. Butler
Narrated by: Kim Staunton
Length: 10 hours 54 minutes
The first science fiction written by a Black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of Black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably... Read more »
Parable of the Sower
Earthseed: Book #1
By Octavia E. Butler
Narrated by: Lynne Thigpen
Length: 12 hours 2 minutes
Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Octavia E. Butler paints a stunning portrait of an all-too-believable near future. As with Kindred and her other critically-acclaimed novels, Parable of the Sower skillfully combines startling visionary and socially realistic concepts. God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose... Read more »
Parable of the Talents
Earthseed: Book #2
By Octavia E. Butler
Narrated by: Patricia R. Floyd, Sisi Aisha Johnson & Peter Jay Fernandez
Length: 15 hours 28 minutes
Best-selling author Octavia E. Butler's acclaimed novels have won numerous awards, and she is a recipient of a "genius" grant from the MacArthur Foundation. Parable of the Talents was selected as one of the best books of the year by Publishers Weekly. Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of horrifying... Read more »
The Fifth Season
The Broken Earth: Book #1
By N. K. Jemisin
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 15 hours 27 minutes
The Fifth Season: Booktrack Edition adds an immersive musical soundtrack to your audiobook listening experience! *
At the end of the world, a woman must hide her secret power and find her kidnapped daughter in this "intricate and extraordinary" Hugo Award winning novel of power, oppression, and revolution. (The New York Times)
This is the way... Read more »
The Stone Sky
The Broken Earth: Book #3
By N. K. Jemisin
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 14 hours 16 minutes
The Stone Sky: Booktrack Edition adds an immersive musical soundtrack to your audiobook listening experience! *
Humanity will finally be saved or destroyed in the shattering conclusion to the post-apocalyptic and highly acclaimed NYT bestselling trilogy that won the Hugo Award three years in a row.
The Moon will soon return. Whether this... Read more »
The Obelisk Gate: Booktrack Edition
The Broken Earth: Book #2
By N. K. Jemisin
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 13 hours 19 minutes
Essun's missing daughter grows more powerful every day, and her choices may destroy the world in this "magnificent" Hugo Award winner and NYT Notable Book. (NPR)
The season of endings grows darker, as civilization fades into the long cold night.
Essun -- once Damaya, once Syenite, now avenger -- has found shelter, but not her daughter. Instead... Read more »
Brown Girl in the Ring
By Nalo Hopkinson
Narrated by: Peter Jay Fernandez
Length: 7 hours 54 minutes
To uncover the future voices of science fiction, Time Warner Publishing sponsored a contest that attracted hundreds of submissions. Brown Girl in the Ring was the winning entry, announcing author Nalo Hopkinson to the world as a tremendous new talent. It is the 21st century, and due to the economic breakdown and rising crime rate, nearly every... Read more »
Social Purpose Annual Report
As we look to the future as a Social Purpose Corporation, we’re committed to serving readers and independent bookstores. Read our 2020 Annual Report to see an overview of the year.
Read the Report
The Fifth Season
The Broken Earth: Book #1
By N. K. Jemisin
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 15 hours 27 minutes
The Fifth Season
“The Fifth Season is an amazing, dark, and gripping work that will hook you from the first sentence. I cannot express to you how much this book stunned me. Robin's narration is well paced and engaging. While I wish this was a book for everyone to listen to, it isn't; destruction, trauma, and rage follow the women and girls who tell their stories. This book is about the end of the world, that you actually don't want to stop reading.”
Jessica, Once Upon A Time
The Stone Sky
The Broken Earth: Book #3
By N. K. Jemisin
Narrated by: Robin Miles
Length: 14 hours 16 minutes
Humanity will finally be saved or destroyed in the shattering conclusion to the post-apocalyptic and highly acclaimed NYT bestselling trilogy that won the Hugo Award three years in a row.
The Moon will soon return. Whether this heralds the destruction of humankind or something worse will depend on two women.
Essun has inherited the power of... Read more »