We honor the dead on Memorial Day, but they’re here to remind us every day. We forgive on Forgiveness Day, but we should be doing that every day. Nobody should wait until the special day. The day is meant to reinforce what we should already be doing. February is Black History Month, and we know there’s thousands of years of Black History.
Part of that history is writers of color who’ve been filling the alleged void of Black Science Fiction (and Fantasy!). Some of the stories are about being Black, some are about people who happen to be Black. All of them are fantastic. Some are mainstream, but many are independently published. They’ve taken the hard road where mainstream publishers are just awakening to looking for voices like theirs.
Hear them.
Now.
I set out on the easy road and scroll through my friends’ pages and groups to make a list article. It took long enough that my back hurts. Good. Pain gives the work meaning. The list is not a completed work, but neither is history. There’s always something going on. Read and if you can, add to it.
Black Authors and Where to Find Them
Al Stewart
Alan Jones
Aleron Kong
Alex Smith (I think this is the right one, maybe)
Alex Jennings
Alexander Simmons
Alicia McCalla
Andrea Hairston
Antoine Bandele
Ashleigh Davenport
Athena Persephoni
Aurelius Raines
Baba Okiki-Ifa Oluso
Balogun Ojetade
Bob McNeil
Brandon Rouse
Brandon O'Brien
Brent Lambert
Brittni Chenelle
Bryan D. Convington
Cadwell Turnbull
Carl Hancock Rux
Carole McDonnell
C. C. Ekeke
Cecil Washington
Celestian Antrig Brightmoon
Cerece Rennie Murphy
Charles Saunders
Charlie J. Eskew
Christopher A. Hunter
Christopher Chambers
Christopher Surratt
Cole Riley
Colson Whitehead
Danian Darrell Jerry
Daniel Jose Older
Darryl Dawson
DaVaun Saunders
David Anthony Durham
Denny Upkins
Derrick A. Bell
Derrick Ferguson
Deston J. Munden
Dewaine Farria
DeWayne Copeland
Donovan Hall
Dwayne A. Madry
Dwayne McDuffie
Echo Ishi
Edward Austin Hall
Ekpeki Donald Oghenechovwe
Elwin Michael Cotman
Emmy Jackson
Enock Simbaya
Errick Nunnally
Eugen Bacon
Evan Winter
Frederick S. Blackmon
Geoffrey Thorne
Gloria Sanders Williams
Hannibal Tabu
Howard Night
Ismael Reed
Jahmil Effend
James Beamon
James L Hill
Jarla Tangh
Jason Malcom Stewart
Jelani Wilson
Jesse J. Holland
Jessie L. Sifford
John H. Sibley
John Jennings
Justin C. Key
Justina Ireland
K Ceres Wright
K. R. S. McEntire
KC King
Keith Gaston
Keith Hayden
Kyoko M
Kwame Mbalia
Letitia Carelock
Leon Clarke
Levar Burton
Mack Little
Malcom Morrow
Marc L Abbot
Marlon James
Mat Johnson
Maurice Broadus
Maurice Ruffin
Milton Davis
Minister Faust (aka Malcolm Azania)
N. K. Jemisin
Nalo Hopkinson
Namina Forna
Napoleon Wells
Nicole Givens Kurtz
Nisi Shawl
Nnedi Okorafor
Nmesoma Okechukwu
Octavia Butler
Odie Hawkins
Percival Everett
Pierre Demery
P.Djèlí Clark
Penelope Flynn
Q Allen
R Alan Brooks
Rachel Cox
Rob Cameron
Ronald T. Jones
Ruth de Jauregui
Samuel Delaney
Steve Bellinger
Steven Barnes
Steven Van Patten
Tade Thompson
Ta-Nehisi Coates
Tananarive Due
T.C. Morgan
T. L. Thompson
Thomas Davis
Thomas Webb
Tim Fielder
Timothy Lee Reed
Tobias S Buckell
Tochi Onyebuchi
Toni Adeyemi
Troy L. Wiggins
Valjeanne Jeffers
Victor Lavalle
Violette Meier
Walter Mosley
W. E. B. Du Bois
William Hayashi
Wole Talabi
Zig Zag Claybourne (Clarence Young)
Black Comic and Book Publishing Companies
During my search, I found companies making comic books and books and more.
Brown Band Entertainment
Diskordia
Etan Comics
Griot Enterprises
Heroes of the World
Kronket Comics
MV Media
PBS Media
RAE Comics
Sistah Scifi
Sovereign Comics
Visonary Studios
Wingless Entertainment
Write On Right On
Credit Where It's Due
I could not have built this list without the work Milton Davis put in on his site MV Media and The State of Black Science Fiction facebook group. I pretty much scrolled and found names and tested links for everybody who created there. It is a good place to learn about Black Fiction, expand the diversity of you reading, and meet some pretty cool people to talk about The Expanse and Wakanda.
More
A Twitter friend of mine, Gabino Iglesias tackled a list of Black Authors You Should Read last year. My list is shorter than his, and his was a pebble from the mountain.
Feedback
If there’s a typo, bad link or an author I missed, let me know in the comments. The work is not complete.