About this episode
The episode explores how Black horror and Afro-Futurism can provide insights into contemporary issues through the lens of past trauma.
Black horror can be informed by past trauma and that sometimes gives us glimpses of the future. In Octavia Butler’s classic 1993 book “ Parable of the Sower ,” natural disasters are on the rise, people are vanishing, and America just became “Great Again.” Today, some people are looking to genres like Black horror and Afro-Futurism as a guide for the times. In this story from 2025, Reporter Kristal Raheem went to meet Isis Asare owner of Sistah Sci-Fi bookstore, who’s helping people navigate our present day reality with speculative fiction. Note: Sistah SciFi has a LOT going on, including another event honoring Octavia Butler’s legacy at the San Francisco Library's main branch this Sunday at 2pm.
People in this episode
Guests: Kristal Raheem, Isis Asare
Topics covered
- Black horror
- Afro-Futurism
- speculative fiction
- trauma
- Octavia Butler
- narrative
- cultural commentary
Keywords
- Black horror
- Afro-Futurism
- Octavia Butler
- Parable of the Sower
- speculative fiction
- trauma
- Sistah Sci-Fi
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Sistah Sci-Fi
Books & works: Parable of the Sower
Places: America, San Francisco Library
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