Nnedi Okorafor on Sci-Fi Through an African Lens

'Nnedi Okorafor, a recipient of the prestigious Hugo Award, is a prolific writer of science-fiction and fantasy novels for adults and young adults. She spoke with The New Yorker Radio Hour's Vinson Cunningham about how her Nigerian American heritage influenced her interest in fantastical worlds. “It’s part of the culture—this mysticism,” she says. “I wanted to write about those mystical things that people talked about but didn’t talk about because they were mysterious and interesting, and sometimes forbidden.” Her novel Akata Woman, which comes out this month, is the third in a series that also acknowledges complicated relationships among peoples of the African diaspora.'