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Binti
(Binti #1)
by
Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.
Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is will ...more
Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is will ...more
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Start your review of Binti (Binti, #1)
I enjoyed the novella's grounding in cultural differences and the twist of a strong math "Harmonizer" tech, and while I also appreciate the fundamental message of acceptance, I had a really hard time with the message's the execution here.
Don't get me wrong, the writing was good and I loved the firm opening leading to a great horror tale set in a well-imagined SF universe, complete with a reverse fish-out-of-water twist.
It's what happened afterward that I take umbrage.
I like tales of acceptance. ...more
Don't get me wrong, the writing was good and I loved the firm opening leading to a great horror tale set in a well-imagined SF universe, complete with a reverse fish-out-of-water twist.
It's what happened afterward that I take umbrage.
I like tales of acceptance. ...more
WINNER!!! 2015 nebula for best novella!! shows what i know!
and now hugo winner, too!
i cannot be trusted to speak about books! i know nothing!
having been gleefully freeloading off the free tor shorts for years now, i absolutely want to support tor in their "buy some novellas, cheapskate"* endeavor, especially since the first one i read - Every Heart a Doorway - was one of the best things i have ever read ever. but even though Binti won/was nominated for a billion awards, it was only medium-enjoy ...more
and now hugo winner, too!
i cannot be trusted to speak about books! i know nothing!
having been gleefully freeloading off the free tor shorts for years now, i absolutely want to support tor in their "buy some novellas, cheapskate"* endeavor, especially since the first one i read - Every Heart a Doorway - was one of the best things i have ever read ever. but even though Binti won/was nominated for a billion awards, it was only medium-enjoy ...more
Jun 28, 2016
Nataliya
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2016-reads,
hugo-nebula
This is... cute, I guess. Imaginative. Fresh. But yet lacking so much of what makes a cohesive seamless narrative that I am indeed surprised to see that it won the Nebula Award.
I hate to call this one childish for the one reason: good stories aimed at the youngsters should possess the wonderful level of imagination and complexity. And this one has all the foundations, so wonderfully laid out in its strong beginning, promising the strangeness of mathematical reasoning weaved together with the tr ...more
I hate to call this one childish for the one reason: good stories aimed at the youngsters should possess the wonderful level of imagination and complexity. And this one has all the foundations, so wonderfully laid out in its strong beginning, promising the strangeness of mathematical reasoning weaved together with the tr ...more
I like originality and I also like a story told economically and writer Nnedi Okorafor gets my high praise in both categories for her 2015 novella Binti.
Okorafor has created in Binti a speculative fiction gem where a reader is led along a culturally alien yet approachable thrill ride. At once fascinating and hair raising, Okorafor has crafted a dynamic tension that grips the reader throughout this short work.
Binti is a student who has been accepted into a far future academy and chooses to attend ...more
Okorafor has created in Binti a speculative fiction gem where a reader is led along a culturally alien yet approachable thrill ride. At once fascinating and hair raising, Okorafor has crafted a dynamic tension that grips the reader throughout this short work.
Binti is a student who has been accepted into a far future academy and chooses to attend ...more
Binti is a curious little novella by Okorafor, an author who has been my radar for bringing winds of Africa into science fiction and fantasy, and it does not disappoint. A sixteen-year old woman of the Himba tribe has been accepted into the prestigious Oomza University on a mathematics scholarship. The trouble is, “we Himba don’t travel. We stay put. Our ancestral land is life; move away from it and you diminish. We even cover our bodies with it… Here, in the launch port… I was an outsider; I wa
...more
This was one of the most creative books I've read in a while!
Very interesting concepts but I wanted more... will definitely pick up the next one when it's out! ...more
Very interesting concepts but I wanted more... will definitely pick up the next one when it's out! ...more
“But deep down inside me, I wanted . . . I needed it. I couldn’t help but act on it. The urge was so strong that it was mathematical.”
― Nnedi Okorafor, Binti
I can't believe this won a Hugo and a Nebula award !! Apparently this is supposed to be a science fiction novella, offering a protagonist from an African background who is a genius at mathematics and who leaves her tribe to go to Oomza university on another planet. Unfortunately i found this book to be tiring and boring, the writing bland ! ...more
― Nnedi Okorafor, Binti
I can't believe this won a Hugo and a Nebula award !! Apparently this is supposed to be a science fiction novella, offering a protagonist from an African background who is a genius at mathematics and who leaves her tribe to go to Oomza university on another planet. Unfortunately i found this book to be tiring and boring, the writing bland ! ...more
Nnedi Okorafor's Binti is a beautifully written and engaging science fiction tale which, despite its length, has the feel of an epic. In the story, Binti leaves her tribe in Namibia to go off-planet to study at the Oomza Uni. Binti's people are obsessed with knowledge; however, they do not travel; they stay on their original homelands on Earth. Binti, bringing her people's culture with her into the galaxy, will prove to be a notable exception. Before they make it to Oomza Uni, though, their ship
...more
Aug 12, 2017
Elle (ellexamines)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
fans of theme-focused scifi
When I first read Binti in 2017, I enjoyed it fine, but I don’t think I understood it as being particularly Good. Reading it again in 2019, after reading far more fantasy and science fiction (and a significant amount of postcolonial literature), I think I got a lot more from these 85 pages.
Binti is a young black woman on her way to the premier institution in the galaxy; her people, unlike their sometime-rivals sometime-allies the Kush, almost never leave. She has broken this tradition (an absol ...more
Binti is a young black woman on her way to the premier institution in the galaxy; her people, unlike their sometime-rivals sometime-allies the Kush, almost never leave. She has broken this tradition (an absol ...more
I don't get the hype. Yes, culturally diverse - I like the main character and her background, but as an actual science fiction work, it's very weak.
...more
3ish stars.
This is a 90-something page novella that tries to pack so much in that it ends up reading like the SparkNotes of a full novel.
The worldbuilding is very cool. I especially like the idea of an organic animal-type spacecraft. And Binti's culture (which, upon reading the afterword, I found to be based on an actual group of people in Namibia) is awesome. It'd be cool to see more of this universe (the Oomzi University especially) and its various inhabitants, but that's not my main issue w ...more
This is a 90-something page novella that tries to pack so much in that it ends up reading like the SparkNotes of a full novel.
The worldbuilding is very cool. I especially like the idea of an organic animal-type spacecraft. And Binti's culture (which, upon reading the afterword, I found to be based on an actual group of people in Namibia) is awesome. It'd be cool to see more of this universe (the Oomzi University especially) and its various inhabitants, but that's not my main issue w ...more
I previously rated this book 4 stars but now that I think of it, its not worth 4 stars so I am removing 1 star.
Binti is a Himba. She lives in a city and crafts astrolabes with her father. She got selected for the Oomza University that is on another planet. She is the first one to be selected from her tribe as well as her city. Her family is against her going to the university so she flee to the town in the dark of night. On her way to the other planet, their spaceship got attacked by the aliens. ...more
Stuck between 2.5 and 3, gave this novella a 3 eventually.
It was an enjoyably good and quick read.
The bravery of a 16 year old girl leaving everything for the sake of her curiosity of knowing further, her survival instinct, the eden and otjize; were the factors that pulled me in but lost me when there was a lack of strong character and story development around all these!
The feelings grew and died immaturely and all jumbled upon each other!
Though the details about the traditions and customs of t ...more
It was an enjoyably good and quick read.
The bravery of a 16 year old girl leaving everything for the sake of her curiosity of knowing further, her survival instinct, the eden and otjize; were the factors that pulled me in but lost me when there was a lack of strong character and story development around all these!
The feelings grew and died immaturely and all jumbled upon each other!
Though the details about the traditions and customs of t ...more
1.) Binti ★★★★★
2.) Binti: Home ★★★★
3.) The Night Masquerade ★★★★.5
--------------------------------------------------
14/01/18 -
Still love this so much!
21/01/17 -
I loved this! What an intriguing first installment!
2.) Binti: Home ★★★★
3.) The Night Masquerade ★★★★.5
--------------------------------------------------
14/01/18 -
Still love this so much!
21/01/17 -
I loved this! What an intriguing first installment!
Starting off on my adventures with Binti, a mathematically brilliant, 16 year old member of the technically advanced but socially isolated Namibian Himba tribe. Binti decides -against massive family pressure - to accept a full-ride scholarship to the Oomza University on another planet. So she sneaks off in the dead of night, without telling her family. On the spaceship ride to Planet Oomza (or whatever its name is), disaster strikes, and Binti is forced to change and grow as a result.
This Hugo a ...more
This Hugo a ...more
Binti is a beautiful Sci-Fi story about a girl who leaves her family and their dreams for her behind, because she has much bigger dreams for herself.
This novella received quite a bit of hype at the end of last year, and I've been meaning to read it since it released, but after winning a Nebula and a Hugo I knew I couldn't let 2016 go by without reading it. Plus, look at that cover. I mean, it's honestly t ...more
“We prefer to explore the universe by traveling inward, as opposed to outward.”
This novella received quite a bit of hype at the end of last year, and I've been meaning to read it since it released, but after winning a Nebula and a Hugo I knew I couldn't let 2016 go by without reading it. Plus, look at that cover. I mean, it's honestly t ...more
The world needs more revolutionary, progressive social Sci-Fi like that.
The evolution of Sci-Fi, that was a long time a predominantly weird
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychol...
genre leads to a much wider and more multicultural approach with settings of people of different cultures, traditions, mythologies, nations, civilizations and ideologies. For instance Buddhism and Asian mentality mixed with immortality, AI, resurrection, hive minds, etc. Or biopunk genre based on indigenous people livi ...more
The evolution of Sci-Fi, that was a long time a predominantly weird
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychol...
genre leads to a much wider and more multicultural approach with settings of people of different cultures, traditions, mythologies, nations, civilizations and ideologies. For instance Buddhism and Asian mentality mixed with immortality, AI, resurrection, hive minds, etc. Or biopunk genre based on indigenous people livi ...more
Ten things to enjoy in Hugo & Nebula Award-winning Binti:
1) A sci-fi tale that begins in the refreshingly unique setting of Namibia and ends at a space university.
2) An endearing, strong, black, female lead.
3) A living, organic spaceship.
4) Violence and combat, but staged in such a way that they never seem like reasonable solutions, only possible ones.
5) Jellyfish-like, Lovecraftian antagonists.
6) An immersive, entertaining story that can be enjoyed over a cup of coffee (or, maybe, two).
7) Som ...more
1) A sci-fi tale that begins in the refreshingly unique setting of Namibia and ends at a space university.
2) An endearing, strong, black, female lead.
3) A living, organic spaceship.
4) Violence and combat, but staged in such a way that they never seem like reasonable solutions, only possible ones.
5) Jellyfish-like, Lovecraftian antagonists.
6) An immersive, entertaining story that can be enjoyed over a cup of coffee (or, maybe, two).
7) Som ...more
“No matter what choice I made, I was never going to have a normal life, really. I looked around and immediately knew what to do next.”
Awards are not to be trusted.
Sometimes they get it right by accident, but for the most part the assessment criteria seem to have little to do with the quality of the work.
Binti tells the story of the girl Binti (surprise!) of the Himba people, primitive isolationists who are desperately reluctant to hinder her, a prodigy among them, to leave their reclusive s ...more
Awards are not to be trusted.
Sometimes they get it right by accident, but for the most part the assessment criteria seem to have little to do with the quality of the work.
Binti tells the story of the girl Binti (surprise!) of the Himba people, primitive isolationists who are desperately reluctant to hinder her, a prodigy among them, to leave their reclusive s ...more
Read as part of the Hugo Voters' Packet.
Enjoyable YA space adventure with an engaging protagonist.
In this future, the Himba tribe of Namibia are an insular minority, looked down upon by the majority Khoush although the Himba have become specialized experts in math and 'harmonizing,' producing "astrolabes" (which seem to be the future's smartphones). Teenage Binti's skills have won her a coveted scholarship to an intergalactic university, but to her family, it is unthinkable that she would be pe ...more
Enjoyable YA space adventure with an engaging protagonist.
In this future, the Himba tribe of Namibia are an insular minority, looked down upon by the majority Khoush although the Himba have become specialized experts in math and 'harmonizing,' producing "astrolabes" (which seem to be the future's smartphones). Teenage Binti's skills have won her a coveted scholarship to an intergalactic university, but to her family, it is unthinkable that she would be pe ...more
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/11/14/r...
When Tor.com first announced their line-up of novellas for 2015, Binti was probably one of the top three I was most excited about. Now I have to wonder if I went overboard and hyped myself up too much, because it turned out that I did not fall in love with this book like I had hoped I would. Now don’t get me wrong, because I enjoyed Binti. It’s a sweet little novella that captivated me and left me wanting more. Still, why ...more
When Tor.com first announced their line-up of novellas for 2015, Binti was probably one of the top three I was most excited about. Now I have to wonder if I went overboard and hyped myself up too much, because it turned out that I did not fall in love with this book like I had hoped I would. Now don’t get me wrong, because I enjoyed Binti. It’s a sweet little novella that captivated me and left me wanting more. Still, why ...more
I expected more from this. There's some important themes about acceptance and colonialism addressed in here, for sure, but the execution is what I found most lacking.
As a novella, it works in that there's a clear beginning, middle and end. There's certainly plot movement as Binti leaves her homeland for an entirely new world and the prospect of education - an opportunity never given to the children of her people. The strongest part of the novel is certainly the beginning, as Binti's cultural he ...more
As a novella, it works in that there's a clear beginning, middle and end. There's certainly plot movement as Binti leaves her homeland for an entirely new world and the prospect of education - an opportunity never given to the children of her people. The strongest part of the novel is certainly the beginning, as Binti's cultural he ...more
"a human tribal female from a distant blue planet..."
This is the story of Binti. She is the first of Himba people to travel outside her homeworld, to accept a place at the prestigious institution of higher learning, Oomza University.
This is a well-written, creative and intriguing novella about Binti and the fascinating galaxy she lives in. The new world and it's inhabitants created by Nnedi Okorafor are interesting, imaginative and very original!
...more
This is the story of Binti. She is the first of Himba people to travel outside her homeworld, to accept a place at the prestigious institution of higher learning, Oomza University.
This is a well-written, creative and intriguing novella about Binti and the fascinating galaxy she lives in. The new world and it's inhabitants created by Nnedi Okorafor are interesting, imaginative and very original!
...more
Review originally published on my blog: https://morejeansthoughts.wordpress.c...
This book blew me away with the emotional impact it was able to have in less than one hundred pages. A novella as opposed to a full-length novel this book is the first in a series, of which two more are already available (and I’m half way through number two). It follows our protagonist Binti, a member of the Himba people who are one of multiple cultures that live on Earth. The Himba tend to remain in their own commun ...more
This book blew me away with the emotional impact it was able to have in less than one hundred pages. A novella as opposed to a full-length novel this book is the first in a series, of which two more are already available (and I’m half way through number two). It follows our protagonist Binti, a member of the Himba people who are one of multiple cultures that live on Earth. The Himba tend to remain in their own commun ...more
Great novela by the author of Who Fears Death, Binti tells the story of a brilliant, brave young girl who risks everything to go to college, including her family, home and even her life.
I didn't really enjoy this. It seemed a bit all over the place and the amount of times the word otjize was said in every section really bothered me by making it repetitive. There was a part of the story where the main character talks about having equations going through her mind to be able to make a complex and satisfying choice like something no one has ever done before... and then the author puts a^+b^=c^. Pythagoras. Something you learn in year6 when you're 11. She's meant to be a genius math
...more
Those of you who know me know how ridiculously hard it is to get a 5-star rating out of me. But this is master-class SF storytelling. Some novellas you read and think, "I wish this had been a novel." Some you read and think, "It's a bloated short story." Binti is quite possibly as close to perfect as it could have been, at its exact length. Full-length review coming.
...more
I quite enjoyed this one! I really appreciated Binti as the main character - seeing her academic ambition combined with the wavering questioning about going against the norm was something I wholeheartedly got behind pretty much immediately. I was rooting for her through the story as she tried navigating spaces completely new to her, and yet used her intuition to make the best of it. Add in the plot line of a possible war over stolen heritage, and you have yourself a fab scifi novella here!
This was amazing! I need more.
The way that Nnedi constructed this world so beautifully in so few pages. I was hooked right away and can't wait to see what the next part brings ...more
The way that Nnedi constructed this world so beautifully in so few pages. I was hooked right away and can't wait to see what the next part brings ...more
It’s me, not Okorafor. Imagined worlds hold no magic for me.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rated YA-MA: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor ~ Quantity is not Quality - February 2021 BOTM | 27 | 35 | 18 minutes ago | |
| Rated YA-MA: Binti by Nnedi Okorafor **full discussion/ mark spoilers** (February 2021) | 7 | 9 | 11 hours, 40 min ago | |
| Ultimate Popsugar...: February Group Read Discussion: Binti (Binti #1) by Nnedi Okorafor | 47 | 318 | 11 hours, 53 min ago | |
| Rated YA-MA: **roll call/ spoiler-free** Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (February 2021) | 10 | 11 | Feb 27, 2021 04:51AM | |
| Reading Women: 18) A Book Under 100 Pages | 82 | 1220 | Dec 23, 2020 05:23PM | |
| IGGPPC : Iggle Bo...: 2020-09 Binti by Nnedi Okorafor | 12 | 19 | Sep 25, 2020 06:30AM |
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Nnedi Okorafor is a Nigerian-American author of African-based science fiction and fantasy (Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism). Okorafor has won a Hugo, a Nebula, a World Fantasy Award, and a Locus Award, and her many fans include Neil Gaiman, Rick Riordan, John Green, and Ursula Le Guin. She is writing a series for Marvel about Shuri, Black Panther’s sister, and has a number of book-based project
...more
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“We prefer to explore the universe by traveling inward, as opposed to outward.”
—
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“However, just because something isn’t surprising doesn’t mean it’s easy to deal with.”
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