This Is Horror

TOD 065 State of Black Science Fiction Encore Authors Panel


In this podcast The Outer Dark presents ‘The State of Black Science Fiction’ Encore Authors Panel, presented by Subsume Summit, moderated by Milton J. Davis and featuring Marcus Haynes, Violette L. Meier,  Kortney Watkins, and Aziza Sphinx, plus The Outer Dark Symposium 2020 news and special guest co-host Tonya Liburd.  The panel was recorded live on Saturday Jan. 25, 2020, and the intro was recorded Tuesday Jan. 28, 2020.

Show Notes

Special Guest Co-Host Tonya Liburd joins Anya to update listeners on The Outer Dark Symposium 2020 and talk  a little about her own work and the upcoming submissions call for award-winning Abyss & Apex Magazine where she serves as senior editor. She also shares some exciting spec-lit publishing news and recommends authors P. Djeli Clark, Zin E. Rocklyn, Brandon O BrienR.S.A. Garcia, and Malon Edwards. Plus her parrot Rio has something to say about his pivotal role in her Patreon!

(0:20:20) Then The Outer Dark airs ‘The State of Black Science Fiction’ Encore Authors Panel‘, an extension of the panel we aired in episode TOD060 taped at Subsume Summit. The dynamic discussion is moderated by Milton J. Davis and features Marcus Haynes, Violette L. Meier,  Kortney Watkins, and Aziza Sphinx .  After an introduction by Subsume founder Dedren Snead, writer of the Sorghum & Spear comics series, Milton provides some background on the State of Black Science Fiction group and panel series, then the authors introduce themselves and give their perspectives on the current state of black science fiction in literature, film, and comics, the Black Panther effect and its limits,  taking black spec-lit beyond Afrofuturism and the “struggle,” and the growing influence on the spec-lit genre by  African diaspora authors. The conversation then turns to perceptions of SF/F/H by black readers, driving the future of black science fiction and keeping their work from becoming just a multimedia trend, the importance of transforming the literary canon, nurturing readership, innovative entrepreneurial marketing approaches,  and how listeners can find the panelists’ works. Scroll down to Additional Links for more info on authors and mass media mentioned on this podcast. This event was recorded on Saturday, Jan. 25 at Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History in Atlanta, Georgia

The Outer Dark Symposium on the Greater Weird is the only annual conference centered around contemporary Weird fiction. Our mission is to foster conversation and connect communities among the diverse slate of creators and audience members under the umbrella of speculative fiction—inclusive, safe and welcoming to women, LBGTQ+, and writers of color. The fourth annual symposium will be held March 27-28, 2020 at Silver Scream FX Lab. Find out more, including a link to purchase supporting and attending memberships at TheOuterDark.org.

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Additional Links

‘The Ace of Knives’ by Tonya Liburd, Postscripts to Darkness 6

‘The Ace of Knives’ sections read by Tonya Liburd

Nisi Shawl

Tananarive Due

‘Bootleg Jesus’ (Diabolical Plots, June 17, 2019)

Maria Haskins’ Recommended Reading List 2019

Chesya Burke

‘Name Calling’ by Celeste Rita Baker (Abyss & Apex)

Sheree Renee Thomas

Moko Magazine: Caribbean Arts and Letters

Nalo Hopkinson

American Monsters 2, edited by Margrét Helgadóttir (December 2019)

Get a first look at Raybearer, a dazzling West African-inspired YA fantasy by Jordan Ifueko (Entertainment Weekly)

David Mogo, Godhunter by Suyi Davies Okungbowa 

‘Scholastic publishing Overwatch book starring Numbani hero Efi Oladele’ (by Nicki Drayden) (polygon)

The Prey of Gods by Nicki Drayden

‘A Dead Djinn in Cairo’ by P. Djeli Clark (Tor.com)

PLANETEJOBN The Extraordinary Journey of a Black Nerd Group

The Soul of Black Comics: An Interview with John Jennings (Black Perspectives)

Charles R. Saunders

Samuel R. Delaney

Nnedi Okorafor

Tade Thompson

MultiverseCon

Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi

Changa’s Safari series by Milton J. Davis

Changa and the Jade Obelisk Kickstarter campaign

Hags, Haints, and Hoodoo by Violette L. Meier Order link

N.K. Jemesin’s The Fifth Season to be developed as a TV series (Deadline.com)

Children of Blood and Bone movie (Fox/Disney/Lucasfilm) (Deadline.com)

Nnedi Okorafor’s ‘Who Fears Death being developed for HBO with George RR Martin (Chicago Tribune)

Amazon Lands Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed (Deadline.com)

TOD 041 Patternmaster: The Legacy of Octavia E. Butler from BlacktastiCon 2018

TOD 040 Black Women in Speculative Fiction Panel from BlacktastiCon 2018

TOD 007 Big Black Beautiful Roundtable: A Panel from The State of Black Science Fiction Convention 2016

TOD 005 Black Women in Spec-Lit and Horror: Two Panels from the The State of Black Science Fiction Convention 2016

Show Credits

Host/Executive Producer/Founder: Scott Nicolay

Host/Producer/Show Notes: Anya Martin

Co-Host, News from The Weird: Justin Steele

Reviews from The Weird: Gordon B. White

Logo Design: Nick “The Hat” Gucker

Music: Michael Griffin