2014 Locus Awards Finalist, Nonfiction Category

In this hip, accessible primer to the music, literature, and art of Afrofuturism, author Ytasha Womack introduces readers to the burgeoning community of artists creating Afrofuturist works, the innovators from the past, and the wide range of subjects they explore. From the sci-fi literature of Samuel Delany, Octavia Butler, and N. K. Jemisin to the musical cosmos of Sun Ra, George Clinton, and the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, to the visual and multimedia artists inspired by African Dogon myths and Egyptian deities, the book's topics range from the alien experience of blacks in America to the wake up cry that peppers sci-fi literature, sermons, and activism. With a twofold aim to entertain and enlighten, Afrofuturists strive to break down racial, ethnic, and social limitations to empower and free individuals to be themselves.

Bartenders, pilots, shark chasers, dancers, tech evangelists, and con artists all find themselves lured by the lore of a mysterious bar in Lake Michigan off the Chicago shoreline.. When a couple goes missing, this land of escape unravels and the game of love unfolds. Those caught in the turmoil of this notorious gambling spot must hold on to what's true and dear -one another. This book explores the ephemeral connections that keep us human when the spaces we frequent fall apart. Love may be the greatest gamble of them all. A speculative fiction book like no other, be immersed in a text that writes off the page.

RAYLA 2212 follows Rayla Illmatic, a third generation citizen of Planet Hope, a former Earth colony that has claimed its independence. But the utopian world has turned upside down and Rayla is on a quest to right the wrongs and end the rule of the Dirk. After her lover, and rebel leader Carcine disappears on a mission to find mystical scientist Moulan Shakur, Rayla embarks on a journey to complete it. She soon finds herself on a journey to find The Missing, a group of New Age Astronauts who were lost in the teleport project. But all isn't what it seems in this world where time and space shift at will. This story ties reincarnation, space travel, virtual worlds and love. As Rayla discovers new worlds, she comes to discover herself and her power.

First introduced in 2011 by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, Miles Morales reconceived Spider-Man as African American and Latinx, and his debut marked a new direction in the beloved saga.

Miles Morales as Spider-Man is a coming-of-age tale of a smart, affable teen coming into his power. From his reluctance to becoming a super hero to his desire to help others, to the rocky balance between his school life and super hero responsibilities, Miles is always at the precipice of making decisions-choices whose consequences are as weighted in his personal life as they often are for the survival of the world.

Illustrated with full-color art, this entry in the MARVEL AGE OF COMICS is a look at the hugely successful reimagining of one of the most popular super hero characters of all time.

Where does a time travelling warrior find peace? The war is over and Rayla Illmatic is charged with rebuilding her beloved Planet Hope. However, Rayla's restlessness is a distraction for the Council and she is sent on a mission to the very solar system that believes she and her world are a myth. Rayla is Mars bound but the deep waters below the red world's crust uncover a mysterious waterway. A web of myth, mystery, love and the future, Rayla must face her nowness and navigate the fluid streams of existence that remix her new found reality. This is the second volume in the Rayla 2212 series.

Year 2198: Planet Hope's Teleportation program has crash-landed Eartha and the Neo Astronaut crew on the home of their ancestors and her namesake. But the mind powers that got them to this unfamiliar world can't get them back and Eartha must fight her way out of the galaxy to get home to her young son, Delta. A daughter of Shogun City, Eartha is warrior trained. However, the solar system's galactic police prevent anyone from going beyond Pluto. Battling forces determined to deem Planet Hope a farce, Eartha fears she must rely on her burgeoning Dream Sage powers, the very powers she vowed never to use again...the very powers that could keep her lost in the dream forever. Discover the adventure of one of Planet Hope's greatest Neo Astronauts before the rise of Rayla.

As a young journalist covering black life at large, author Ytasha L. Womack was caught unaware when she found herself straddling black culture's rarely acknowledged generation gaps and cultural divides. Traditional images show blacks unified culturally, politically, and socially, united by race at venues such as churches and community meetings. But in the post black era, even though individuals define themselves first as black, they do not necessarily define themselves by tradition as much as by personal interests, points of view, and lifestyle. In Post Black: How a New Generation Is Redefining African American Identity, Womack takes a fresh look at dynamics shaping the lives of contemporary African Americans. Although grateful to generations that have paved the way, many cannot relate to the rhetoric of pundits who speak as ambassadors of black life any more than they see themselves in exaggerated hip-hop images. Combining interviews, opinions of experts, and extensive research, Post Black will open the eyes of some, validate the lives of others, and provide a realistic picture of the expanding community.