If I were you, I'd take precaution.... This week we read Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston. This book has everything—climate change, blood magic, spirit zombies, pirates, and queer love. We stan all 500 pages of this epic fantasy. We also discuss what makes epic fantasy “epic.”
Directed by Remi Weekes, His House follows the story of Bol (Sope Dirisu) and Rial (Wunmi Mosaku), two asylum-seekers who've survived a tortuous journey across the Mediterranean from Sudan. We discuss assimilation, survivor’s guilt, and the horror of living in a dilapidated building. To learn more about the Mediterranean passage of immigrants check out this article: https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/protection/operations/5592bd059/sea-route-europe-mediterranean-passage-age-refugees.html Roger Ebert Re...
This week Amber and Ben sat down with Author Nisi Shawl to talk about their most recent book "Talk Like A Man," and their editing work for the 2020 World Fantasy award winning collection "New Suns". Nisi Shawl’s essay "Crash Course in Science Fiction" has been a guide for this podcast, but Nisi has also won an Otherwise Award (formerly the Tiptree Award) for their short collection "Filter House" and has been a Nebula finalist and Otherwise Honoree for their novel "Everfair," an alternate history...
Speculative or pretentious? Terence Nance's An Oversimplification of Her Beauty is a fusion of stop-motion, animation, and camera phone footage is a headache, and heartache of unrequited art-school love. A tedious arthouse film where humans can be either satellites or planets either mindlessly revolving or gropingly gravitating. Smoke some weed and bring your notebook for this glorious stench.
This cocktail of X-Men superpowers, the prison industrial complex, hyper-militarization of police, and hundred of years of racism spotlighted with viral videos of today is an ambitious novella. The alternate history, just a little bit, to the left of our world takes on a lot, maybe too much. We discuss trauma porn, actual prison rodeos, god-like powers, and the future of incarceration in Tochi Onyebuchi's novella Riot Baby.
Predestination or free-will? Stefon Bristol’s directorial debut, See You Yesterday, is a brilliant nod to time travel narratives while reflecting the horrors of our time. We talk kid-scientists, annoying high schoolers, fate, BLM and Spike Lee. Ya Dig? References: The Venus Effect by Violet Allen https://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/the-venus-effect/
We review the novella, The Deep, by Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes. Add it to the oeuvre of mermaid fiction, but unlike The Little Mermaid, the merfolk of this world don’t lose their voice. We discuss terror management theory, air guns, mermaid cunnilingus and not much more. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin: https://learning.hccs.edu/faculty/emily.klotz/engl1302-6/readings/the-ones-who-walk-away-from-omelas-ursula-le-guin/view The Left...
We review the instant Christmas classic of this year--Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey directed by David E. Talbert. Turns out the best Christmas movies lead to discussion of ensoulment, A.I. euthanization, the fusion of magic and science, and lost opportunities. Also grab a Kleenex for an Afrobeats snowball fight with steampunk custom design. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Prepare ye the way for Black Jesus! Straight Outta Compton, Black Jesus, created by the genius Aaron McGruder adds to the long list of Jesus fantasies. This Jesus brings a whole new take on our Lord and Savior. So kick back, light a joint, and watch this holy series.
What do you get when you shake Mecha, Weird Western, and Afrofuturism? The gonzo fiction of Cannon Busters. We review the anime, Canon Busters, created by the Bronx-born and Japan-based Black creator LeSean Thomas. We don’t know anime, so we get some help from, long-time anime fan,Carmilla.
We are joined by the Locus and Nebula award winning author, P. Djeli Clark to discuss his new book Ring Shout. The New York Times describes the novella as “a fantastical, brutal and thrilling triumph of the imagination.” Educator, historian and author, we drink and discuss this amazing novella. Purchase the book here: https://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/book/9781250767028 Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky (Volume 1) Book by Kwame Mbalia https://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/book/9781368...
What happens when you die? Kati Kati, the Kenyan film by Mbithi Masya, gives you the answer you probably don’t want. Joining the long list of afterlife stories like No Exit, The Good Place and The Lovely Bones, Kati Kati, meaning “in-between” in Swahili, is a fresh take on the purgatory story.
Vox Article:How would you survive on an island haunted by a killer aqua monster? How would you survive both lower demons with nipple piercings and the demonic, but sexy voice of Billy Zane? We have two Final Black Girls, Kiersey Clemons and Jada Pinkett Smith, teaching us about surviving monsters and demons. Join us as we discuss survival horror, real creature effects and the Final Girl trope in Sweetheart (2019) and Demon Knight (1995). https://www.vox.com/2015/10/30/9645674/final-girls https:/...
Akwaeke Emezi had their novel debut two years ago and was shortlisted for the transphobic Women’s Prize. Akwaeke, in powerful protest, decided to renege their newest novel, The Death of Vivek Oji, from the award. Take that Adele. We celebrate this incredible author and their debut novel Freshwater, a story about gods, Igbo spirituality and blood sacrifice. We are joined by our neighbor, Divya. Because neighbors read together. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/05/akwaeke-emezi-shuns-wome...
Sentient ships, nano-bots, and mathematical power come together in Nnedi Okorafor’s coming-of-age trilogy, Binti. Okorafor’s trilogy has been greenlit by Hulu and her debut novel, Who Fears Death will also be showing up on HBO. Okorafor is a powerhouse and we will be watching and reading her works aplenty in the near and distant future. Where to buy the book: https://www.womenandchildrenfirst.com/book/9780756416935 Corrections: The Himba tribe are in the region of Namibia, not Nigeria....
There is no better way to wrap October then with two new horror films. Join us as we discuss Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr.’s Black Box, and Justin Simien’s Bad Hair. Part I: Black Box Part II: Bad Hair Other References: https://shadowandact.com/amazon-black-box-film-jay-ellis-interview Book-Horror Noire: Blacks in American Horror Films from 1890s to Present
Listen as Amber and Ben relive and revere all the incredible moments Season 1 of Lovecraft Country had to offer: Episode 1: Sundown Episode 2: Whitey’s on the Moon Episode 3: Holy Ghost Episode 4: A History of Violence Episode 5: Strange Case Episode 6: Meet Me in Daegu Episode 7: I Am Episode 8: Jig-a-Bobo Episode 9: Rewind 1921 Episode 10:Full Circle Other References: More on Lovecraft Episodes: https://disgruntledharadrim.com/2020/10/01/lovecraft-country-some-words/#more-11030 Bessie Stringfi...
Victor LaValle inverted Lovecraft with his 2016 novella The Ballad of Black Tom. Tune in for an other-worldly discussion of the end times, cosmic horror and racial puberty as we explore this award-winning story. Other Sources: https://www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org/inverting-lovecraft.html http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/reviews/the-ballad-of-black-tom-by-victor-lavalle/
Watch Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror directed by Xavier Neal-Burgin. Featuring actors Keith David, Tony Todd, and Rachel True, director Jordan Peele, and author Tananarive Due. The film is inspired by the astounding film critic Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman who wrote a history book on black horror called Horror Noire. Listen as Amber and Ben breakdown the six phases of Black representation in horror films: Phase 1: Black People as Monsters Phase 2: Black People as Slapstick Comedy Phase 3:...
Gina Prince-Bythewood is a black director, and icon, who brought us Beyond the Lights, The Secret Life of Bees, and, most notably, Love & Basketball. She is the first black woman to direct a major comic book film. We will be reviewing... no, celebrating Gina Prince-Bythewood's 2020 film The Old Guard.
Amber & Ben take a deep dive--reviewing Octavia Butler's 1979 classic book Kindred and 2020's film Antebellum starring Janelle Monae. Check out what we loved, loathed, and everything in between.
A podcast about Black Science Fiction and Fantasy hosted by Amber & Ben
