Dr. Rachel Anderson, Dr. Jae Basiliere, and others TBD: "Afrofuturism: The African Diaspora Reimagined"

Afrofuturism is a sub-genre of science fiction that combines the traditional elements of science fiction/fantasy with magical realism and African history, often inventing and inviting alternate histories in the process. It is a movement that had several early proponents, but only took off in the late 1990s after cultural critic Mark Dery coined the term in a 1994 essay. This session will look at the work of some of the early figures of the field, including Octavia Butler and Samuel Delany, and how they shaped the genre.  Then, we’ll look at the work of some more recent authors, including Nnedi Okorafor, N. K. Jemisin, and Minister Faust and celebrate the vital ways in which these authors imagine and reimagine our future.