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gloomyboygirl's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 rounded up
It was fine but has already become fairly dated. Felt like it implied a lot that I need spelled out explicitly to be sure I understood.
It was fine but has already become fairly dated. Felt like it implied a lot that I need spelled out explicitly to be sure I understood.
scrow1022's review against another edition
3.0
Lots to think about here. LOTS. Bringing this into work to keep on hand as reference, both for the ideas mentioned and for the additional sources named.
colin_cox's review against another edition
5.0
Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture is a lively and approachable primer. Womack defines Afrofuturism as "an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation...Afrofuturists redefine culture and notions of blackness for today and the future...In some cases, it's a total re-envisioning of the past and speculation about the future rife with cultural critiques" (9). According to Womack, Afrofuturism allows black writers, artists, musicians, and performers the ability to control how dominant cultures understand and perceive them. While Afrofuturism wants to influence cultural narratives about black people better, it also wants to redefine the black imagination. Afrofuturism destabilizes established notions of blackness; therefore, it is a play of past and present. By developing these counter-narratives, Afrofuturists combat oppression, afford opportunities for healing, and "provide a prism for evolution" (38).
Another appealing aspect of Afrofuturism is how it engages with time. Womack writes, "There's something about African American culture in particular that dictates all cultural hallmarks and personal evolutions are recast in a historical lineage. Whether it's the concept of prophecy and speaking into the future or tropes of the past shadowing the present, whether by need or by narrative, many speak as if the future, past, and present are one" (153). All of that is to say, "Afrofuturists are constantly re-contextualizing the past in a way that changes the present and the future" (158). This is another way Afrofuturism functions as an aesthetic preoccupied with healing. The past is malleable, which explains why so many Afrofuturists use time-travel in their work, and by recasting the past, Afrofuturists recast what is possible by destabilizes what was.
Womack does not explicitly address psychoanalysis in Afrofuturism, but so much of what she describes in Afrofuturism reads like it has distinct psychoanalytic undercurrents. For example, when Womack writes, "Afrofuturism is the subconscious's way of knocking at the door of present awareness," is she not thinking both about the unconscious and repression (96)? She makes another reference to repression when she writes, "the land feels familiar, a reality that is soothing for some and unsettling for others. It's as if the artists want you to remember something" (105). These references may be nothing more than an expression of certain psychoanalytic principles that have wandered into our everyday lexicon. However, I wonder what might happen if we push these ideas further. What might psychoanalysis say about Afrofuturism? What might Afrofuturism say about psychoanalysis? Perhaps these are questions Afrofuturists have explored, but if that is true, Womack fails to address it.
Once again, Ytasha L. Womack's Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture is a fun and engaging introduction to Afrofuturism. As Womack demonstrates, this eclectic community of writers, artists, and musicians is thinking about the past, present, and future in smart and creative ways.
Another appealing aspect of Afrofuturism is how it engages with time. Womack writes, "There's something about African American culture in particular that dictates all cultural hallmarks and personal evolutions are recast in a historical lineage. Whether it's the concept of prophecy and speaking into the future or tropes of the past shadowing the present, whether by need or by narrative, many speak as if the future, past, and present are one" (153). All of that is to say, "Afrofuturists are constantly re-contextualizing the past in a way that changes the present and the future" (158). This is another way Afrofuturism functions as an aesthetic preoccupied with healing. The past is malleable, which explains why so many Afrofuturists use time-travel in their work, and by recasting the past, Afrofuturists recast what is possible by destabilizes what was.
Womack does not explicitly address psychoanalysis in Afrofuturism, but so much of what she describes in Afrofuturism reads like it has distinct psychoanalytic undercurrents. For example, when Womack writes, "Afrofuturism is the subconscious's way of knocking at the door of present awareness," is she not thinking both about the unconscious and repression (96)? She makes another reference to repression when she writes, "the land feels familiar, a reality that is soothing for some and unsettling for others. It's as if the artists want you to remember something" (105). These references may be nothing more than an expression of certain psychoanalytic principles that have wandered into our everyday lexicon. However, I wonder what might happen if we push these ideas further. What might psychoanalysis say about Afrofuturism? What might Afrofuturism say about psychoanalysis? Perhaps these are questions Afrofuturists have explored, but if that is true, Womack fails to address it.
Once again, Ytasha L. Womack's Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture is a fun and engaging introduction to Afrofuturism. As Womack demonstrates, this eclectic community of writers, artists, and musicians is thinking about the past, present, and future in smart and creative ways.
blerdbeats's review against another edition
4.0
I consider Womack's Afrofuturism part of the holy trinity of critical texts on black fantastic fiction (The Dark Fantastic and Super Black). Here, the focus is in the realm of sci-fi, where Afrofuturism is defined as "an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation" through the lens of black culture (9).
What is exciting about Afrofuturism is that it is a modern concept, only as old as 1994. Yet this text points toward its precursors George Clinton and Sun Ra in the funk. Womack then moves forward in time toward authors like Octavia Butler and N.K. Jemisin whose visibility has been recently magnified. The text then looks toward Janelle Monáe for bringing Afrofuturism into mainstream entertainment.
Womack's text, is scholarly but accessible through its allegorical introductions—there is no impenetrable academise to be found here. It accomplishes its goal of defining in layman's terms what Afrofuturism is.
Going froward, I will always think of how black authors writing sci-fi conform to Afrofuturism. Their rarity, and tendency to center their characters around a kind of black expression that (now) has a more precise name.
What is exciting about Afrofuturism is that it is a modern concept, only as old as 1994. Yet this text points toward its precursors George Clinton and Sun Ra in the funk. Womack then moves forward in time toward authors like Octavia Butler and N.K. Jemisin whose visibility has been recently magnified. The text then looks toward Janelle Monáe for bringing Afrofuturism into mainstream entertainment.
Womack's text, is scholarly but accessible through its allegorical introductions—there is no impenetrable academise to be found here. It accomplishes its goal of defining in layman's terms what Afrofuturism is.
Going froward, I will always think of how black authors writing sci-fi conform to Afrofuturism. Their rarity, and tendency to center their characters around a kind of black expression that (now) has a more precise name.
marobbins's review against another edition
5.0
This book truly was fascinating, and it was one of the best nonfiction books I've read in a while. Womack does an excellent job explaining Afrofuturism to the reader in a way that is accessible and easy to follow. I liked the book so much that I ordered her fiction novel Rayla 2212, along with the first Akata Witch series book by Nnedi Okorafor.
I've done research and writing about empowered and diverse female protagonists in speculative fiction, and I completely agree with the book's ideas on how speculative fiction can promote and encourage a better future. I loved how, at the end of the book, the author provided examples of putting this idea into action and improving communities. Also, I appreciated the explanation of how Afrofuturism has influenced hip hop music, in addition to literature and art. Some hip hop artists that I listen to, such as Outkast, Lupe Fiasco, and Erykah Badu, have elements of Afrofuturism in their music and videos, and I now have a new appreciation for them. I also value the spiritual element of Afrofuturism and its emphasis on community.
I have a strong desire to learn more about this concept and continue to do more reading about it, both in terms of scholarship and fiction work. I love how the author talked about her involvement with the fandom community and with popular culture conventions, places that I see moving the future forward in positive ways. Well done, Ms. Womack.
I've done research and writing about empowered and diverse female protagonists in speculative fiction, and I completely agree with the book's ideas on how speculative fiction can promote and encourage a better future. I loved how, at the end of the book, the author provided examples of putting this idea into action and improving communities. Also, I appreciated the explanation of how Afrofuturism has influenced hip hop music, in addition to literature and art. Some hip hop artists that I listen to, such as Outkast, Lupe Fiasco, and Erykah Badu, have elements of Afrofuturism in their music and videos, and I now have a new appreciation for them. I also value the spiritual element of Afrofuturism and its emphasis on community.
I have a strong desire to learn more about this concept and continue to do more reading about it, both in terms of scholarship and fiction work. I love how the author talked about her involvement with the fandom community and with popular culture conventions, places that I see moving the future forward in positive ways. Well done, Ms. Womack.