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African science fantasy novel Who Fears Death getting HBO adaptation, GRRM producing
- Thread starter More_Badass
- Start date
Guerrillas in the Mist
Member
This sounds incredibly interesting - it sounds like it mirrors some of the racial/religious tension that exists in Sudan/South Sudan (from what I remember from an African Politics class at Uni).
Fantastic to see a channel like HBO looking at material originating from Africa. Definately keen to check the novel as well.
Fantastic to see a channel like HBO looking at material originating from Africa. Definately keen to check the novel as well.
KeyBladerXIII
Member
He's probably more interested in this than whatever chapter he's stuck on.
Elegant Weapon
Member
Neat
Bay Maximus
Banned
Never heard of this, but I am now looking forward to it.
I wouldn't be suprised if Black Panther causes at least one of the big six movie studios to consider it.
It's kinda funny how the king of fantasy based in medieval totally-not-in-the-UK-but-pretty-much-the-UK is producing this.
The setting definitely sounds like an interesting combination of elements. I should read this.
lightskintwin
Banned
Funny, because I just started reading Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor this past weekend with Who Fears Death being next.
Man, I hope that ends up being the case
More_Badass
Member
HBO is also doing Lovecraft Country with Jordan Peele
NipplesAndToes23
Member
I really don't want a white man telling this story. It already sounds like it's going to be some bull. Now I read this last year. I couldn't finish it because I was getting bored of it, but the third or fifth chapter (I forget which) has some real shit going on in it. The story is also very specifically black. The two main characters are mixed and are ostracized in their communities because of it.
It's also a very female story as well. The main character, Onyesonwu, has a strong bond with her mother and goes through a uhhh, I forgot what you call it. I don't know why I'm blanking on that word right now. If any of y'all are interested in reading it maybe I shouldn't mention it anyway. The story is also fantasy, not science-fiction at all. I don't know where they got that bullshit. It's magic all up in there. At one point she enters a living house, she seeks the local shaman to teach her juju and she's haunted by her white wizard father who raped her mother.
A black woman should very much take the helm of this. I would take a black man, but preferably a black woman.
It's also a very female story as well. The main character, Onyesonwu, has a strong bond with her mother and goes through a uhhh, I forgot what you call it. I don't know why I'm blanking on that word right now. If any of y'all are interested in reading it maybe I shouldn't mention it anyway. The story is also fantasy, not science-fiction at all. I don't know where they got that bullshit. It's magic all up in there. At one point she enters a living house, she seeks the local shaman to teach her juju and she's haunted by her white wizard father who raped her mother.
A black woman should very much take the helm of this. I would take a black man, but preferably a black woman.
lastplayed
Member
Like The Witcher?
More_Badass
Member
Given the post apocalyptic nature, I was assuming it's the far future "ancient technology that's basically magic now" style. But I havent read the book yet
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Even though I got bored with this book a TV show could make it better with great visuals, more flowing dialogue and better pacing. For a while much shit wasn't happening. I don't necessarily care if the plot isn't moving forward if the character filler is interesting.
I didn't finish the book, I think I got halfway through it, but I don't ever recall the year ever been mentioned and nah there's not really technology that could be called magic. They're doing shit with knives, books, and I think a goat. Hell, main transportation is by camel. I thought this was in modern day. I just remembered that they don't have tvs and stuff, but they have modern tools for surgery. I recall Onye asking why she couldn't be operated with the laser.
EdibleKnife
Member
Same. But I've expressed this opinion before that I hope this doesn't become a situation where the fact that a black African speculative fiction writer was the brainchild for this is erased in favor of "From The Creator of Game of Thones" BS. Nnedi shouldn't be forgotten.
lightskintwin
Banned
Unfortunately a tag line like that would get a lot of White eyeballs to give it a chance and watch it that may've normally passed on it because they couldn't "relate". Ultimately you want the show to be a success and seen by most people, especially if it's good.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
Fuck those people!
melonrabbit
Member
One of my favorite authors. Thrilled that her work is getting more exposure. Hope they do the book and her writing justice.
lightskintwin
Banned
No, because they could end up becoming super fans of this series.
Poor GRIMES
Banned
This sounds awesome tbh.
ElectricThunder
Member
Neat...but talk about out of nowhere.
I always figured HBO's next random surprise would take a page from their old Spawn misadventures and try for something like Artesia.
I always figured HBO's next random surprise would take a page from their old Spawn misadventures and try for something like Artesia.
Sounds awesome !
Can't wait for them to cast every role with white people =P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5vw9RTVky4
Can't wait for them to cast every role with white people =P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5vw9RTVky4
Razgriz-Specter
Member
We got space fantasy and European fantasy,
Asian countries have a decent amount of Asian fantasy though we really don't get enough of that elsewhere.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
So? We don't need them in the first place if a lot of black people turns them off. DWP didn't need to cater to them either and Black Panther doesn't either.
smokeandmirrors
Banned
yo i really want this now
lightskintwin
Banned
Nobody is saying you need to cater them. But letting people know that George R.R. Martin is involved in the project is good marketing to interest MORE people to give the series a chance. It doesn't mean the series has to be watered down or diluted or pandered to that audience or anything.
Patterbits
Member
She's a professor in my English department, I need to make sure to congratulate her. Always excited when big things happen in the black community and even moreso if they're local.
EdibleKnife
Member
As long as it's not whitewashed, I'll consider it a huge success for Nnedi at least. Still don't buy into the "can't relate" argument from people who say it earnestly. People across the world including myself have believed, bought into the strife of and been emotionally moved by living toys, dogs and other animals, aliens, robots and demons because the key is to give them a "human" struggle to make them relatable and empathetic. People who say "I can't relate" when a person of color is the star are basically saying they don't believe a PoC could have human concerns, foibles and attributes like themselves IMO.
lightskintwin
Banned
EvilRedEye
Member
Is this the same author/books where there was some controversy because the publisher whitewashed the covers or something?
lightskintwin
Banned
That may've been NK Jemisin.
EvilRedEye
Member
I managed to find the article I was thinking of, it was one of the author's earlier books. Terrifying that cover whitewashing is common enough that it takes moderate effort to sift out the specific instance you're looking for!
I think it would be amazing and it'd definitely be something different than most of what gets made now.
Someday
That's exactly what I was thinking about when I posted, haha. I backed that dude's Kickstarter when it happened. The aesthetics are so good
lightskintwin
Banned
Wow! Talk about no shame in the whitewashing. SMH
Have you read it yet? If so, how is it so far?
EdibleKnife
Member
Christ. I remember this frustrating nonsense. I wouldn't be surprised if multiple minority writers had at least one experience like this either for the cover, marketing or the contents of their book itself
A lot of Asian fantasy stuff uses the classic Tolkien/DnD inspired pseudo-Western Europe type setting anyway.
You might already know them, but I can recommend the Poseidon's Children trilogy by Alastair Reynolds.
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