Fantasy/SF/Mys Novels featuring People of Color

 I felt that it was important to do this list, especially as I am not a person of color.  I want to always expand my horizons and read fictional stories based in mythologies outside of European & Western culture.  I went looking for books, and indeed, there are more as I can only read so much at a time....and I am only including ones that I love, which also impacts the total possible (as well as reading time).

Here is the link to the original podcast

https://anchor.fm/alchemyofgenres/episodes/SFFantasyMystery-stories-featuring-People-of-Color-as-main-characters-andor-authors-ejd7ls

Nnedi Okorafor is one of my favorite writers, and I am working my way through all of her books.  She is amazingly adept at using simple words to convey complex circumstances.  Her writing cuts to the heart and draws you into the story like a black hole....it's irresistible.  

Lagoon is the story of an alien invasion.  A spaceship lands in the ocean outside of Lagos, Nigeria....it has a profound effect on the sea life and even cleans a mess that has occurred right before it's landing; which is an oil spill.  Three people are drawn into the mess, at first literally (they are dragged into the ocean), and then in every other sense as they attempt to negotiate with the powers that be and explain about the aliens and what they want.  Adaora is a marine biologist, Anthony is a famous rapper and Agu is an unhappy soldier and each of them has a role to play in what happens.  This story is chilling in its telling of how ugly humanity can be; as well as how scary it would be to encounter life so far removed from our norms that we have no defenses.    So amazinig!  Technically written for adults, so there is some language and unsavory situations mentioned, be aware.

Finna was an impulse grab that I am SO glad I made.  It is the story of what happens when a wormhole opens in a knockoff Ikea store and a grandmother disappears into another dimension (which looks like another room in the endless maze of rooms full of furniture).  Two people, formerly a couple and freshly broken up (still raw and hurting from it) are roped into the rescue and dive into the multiverse to find grandma, or an equal replacement if she is dead.

This story has moments of humor, moments of craziness and lots of swift action.  One of the main characters is not only non-binary but also a person of color; and through this very brief story we see them both deal with their breakup, their issues and also struggling to understand and cope with events outside of their understanding.  This was an amazing story and I cannot recommend it enough.  Go read it, it's only about 100 pages, but it was packed full of story.  Technically an adult story, but really, high school and up would enjoy it.

Golden Girl is the sequel to Dust Girl, so you still have Callie, who is half human/half fae but also mixed racial (the fae in this universe all have skin colors equivalent to African Americans).  Callie is in Hollywood in the 1930's and is trying to find a portal to the Fae realm to rescue her family but is also struggling to find work and maintain her sense of self in the La La land of Hollywood.  

This is a teen novel, but fun to read for anyone

Stormdancer is the first in the Lotus Wars trilogy by Jay Kristoff.  Yukiko lives in dystopian/steampunk type world that seems to be an alternate Japan.  Lotus leaves and flowers, and indeed all components of the plant are used for fuel, food, drugs and currency (think of it as if it were opium/poppy plants during the Opium Wars era).  Yukiko is caught up in a revolution between the haves and the have nots; the royalty and the masses; and she is possibly the culmination of a prophecy whether she wants to be or not.

Yukiko is a cool kickass character, smart but not perfect; growing and maturing throughout the book.  This is a teen novel but able to be enjoyed by any age.....and I am always a sucker for a steampunk tale.

Missy Masters is masquerading as her grandfather; using his superhero identity to do good deeds, while pretending to do nothing...and hiding her gender.  Someone has isolated China and all the Chinatowns in the world, so Missy must acknowledge her roots (even if she isn't Chinese due to her lack of pure blood).  She finds a way to China where she will have to face not only her own personal demons but also a supervillian and his evil agenda.

This is a fun adventure, featuring a non-Western view and lots of superhero action.  I quite enjoyed it.  

This book is written for adults, but I don't remember anything terribly raunchy; just a bit more.......

R. Cooper always does a fabulous job of building characters...and this time is no exception.  This is a definite "beyond the stars" alien adventure.  We are on a planet with the Sha Empire who is not happy with the Interplanetary Trade Coalition; but it's a well known secret that if diplomacy fails, the IPTC will just take over and do as it likes.  This tension is adding to rising tensions between internal factions as well as with IPTC diplomats.  Into this comes Taji, a human who is good with languages and is really struggling to update and record all the intricacies of the language of this cat-like race of people where body (ears, eyes, etc) are interwoven with words and unspoken context.  He needs to be on his game as he is the secretary/helper for the only IPTC diplomat left on the planet, but it's lonely being the only human who isn't military and being gay just makes is even harder.  Taji has a crush on Trenne, who is an outcast for some reason and when things escalate and are taken out of context; Taji is declared a Shehzha, which is a sacred role and a mix between lover and precious jewel.  Taji and Trenne play the role but are now caught up in political games and all of them are in danger.   

This was a really interesting mix of a romance, a political adventure and just plain alien exploration & understanding.  This is an adult novel, with adult situations (i.e. sex); but it all rolls up into something deep but fun to read; and I wish I could travel and visit.  This is one of the titles only available on Amazon (in print or on Kindle); but worth it if you have the resources.

Out of the Easy is a teen novel, but definitely upper level teen, almost adult.  It is a mystery set in 1950's New Orleans.  Josie is the daughter of a prostitute and is determined to make a better life for herself somewhere that won't judge her based on her background.  She finds herself caught in the middle of a murder and needs to help solve it as she is caught in a tangle of allegiances between her mother, her conscience and Willie Woodley, the madam.  All Josie wants is to go away to college, but she may go down with this ship if she can't solve the mystery.  

Josie is a flawed but admirable character and Sepetys does a great job of making everything feel so real.  All the secondary characters are important and nothing is cardboard.  I felt for Josie and her tenacity and dreams of a better life, while still not wishing to belittle all that her mother has done for her in a world that doesn't value any of them due to their color, economic status and their gender.  Such a good book.

The Girl With All the Gifts is an amazing zombie novel from the point of view of the zombie.  Melanie doesn't know anything about her is different and doesn't understand why she is chained up and locked away, or what happens to the people taken to the secret room from which they never return (she hopes it means they get to go outside).  She is a very young girl (10?) but very smart and carting.  She loves her teacher, and when something goes very wrong and the compound is attacked, Melanie protects her teacher.  All the survivors and Melanie go off on a mission to find out what is happening in the world as everyone is still struggling to find a cure.

I really love this book.  It was written for adults but have a copy in the teen room because it works for them too.  Carey's book reminds me a bit of I Am Legend, in it's exploration of what makes a monster and Carey does a fantastic job of doing an original zombie novel.  (The movie was supposed to be terrible, but I haven't watched it so I don't know)

American Gods is getting a brief mention as it is amazing, as is the tv show on Starz based on the book.  Gaiman explores what makes a god through the eyes of Shadow, a man who is just lost in this world and is devastated at the lost of his wife.   It is a novel written for adults, so just be aware.

Anansi boys is another book in the same universe as American Gods but isn't really a sequel.  It is an exploration of Mr. Nancy (Anansi), and his son/sons (Fat Charlie & Spider).  Fat Charlie doesn't believe in fantastical things like magic, but when his father dies, all sorts of crazy things start to happen; and when his brother Spider comes to town, everything gets worse.  I can't say too much or it will ruin this intricately plotted story; but like everything Gaiman, it is amaze-balls.  (Also written for adults, btw)

Tallowwood is my first book by N.R. Walker and I must say, I am impressed.  While it IS an adult book, it doesn't contain a lot of sex (some yet, but it's not the main focus); because the main focus is on solving murders and finding a serial killer and building a relationship between August and Jacob.  August is a detective in Sydney who is out of favor and focused on cold cases.  One of the cases he is obsessed with is one that he knows is a serial killer targeting gay men; but that his superiors refuse to believe is anything more than tragic suicides.  Then Jacob, a senior constable in Tallowwood, out in the boondocks near New South Wales, stumbles upon a body in the ancient forest and asks August for help.  As the two work together, they begin to uncover more and just maybe a conspiracy that will get them killed.  I know the cover of this book has a good looking white guy, but Jacob is actually Aboriginal, and it is central to his character that he is proud of his heritage and equally unafraid of being an out gay male.  August is so withdrawn and so focused; and Jacob is so comfortable in his skin but still in awe of August.  I loved the interactions and the storytelling....ok, so some parts of the suspense/mystery you could see coming....but some....not so much; and I don't mind because I loved this book, cover to cover.  I hope to read some more titles with these characters in them!   FYI, this is another Amazon Original, available through Kindle Unlimited, Kindle or via Amazon for paperbacks; but isn't found elsewhere.

Clark's book isn't aimed at teens, but feels like teens (older teens) and adults would equally enjoy the story.  There aren't really any adult situations, but definitely a frankness of the facts of life.  Creeper is the main character, called that because she can creep up & steal anything, without anyone realizing she was there.  She overhears a secret about a kidnapped Haitian scientist and a weapon, the Black God's Drums.  Creeper decides to use this knowledge to try and blackmail her way onto a smuggler's airship, in order to finally be free of New Orleans; but ends up instead in a battle to save the city.  She will need to tap into the power of Oya, the African Orisha of wind and storms who lives inside her and work with other instruments of the gods in order to succeed.  

This book is a sort of alternate history meets steampunk adventure and it was an awesome read.  I have not read any of Clark's previous books, but I will be looking for them now.  This is another Amazon exclusive book, so you need a Kindle or to purchase it from Amazon to read it (and boy do I wish I could buy it for the library!).

Enforcer Enigma is the 3rd book in the San Andreas Shifters series; under the pseudonym of G.L. Carriger; for the very well known writer Gail Carriger.  Carriger is known for her steampunk, but in these books she has moved forward into modern times; but with mages and shifters and other nonhuman creatures.  This series is definitely written for adults (very sexy scenes of M/M love).

Judd is an enforcer and has been a werewolf for a very long time; in fact he only joined the San Andreas shifters recently.  Colin is young (just started college), rather nerdy and very unsure of himself.  The werewolf clan finds itself up against the Selkie mob, and Colin's mother who abandoned him as a child, but is now a famous singer; is also mixed up in the mess.  Can the San Andreas shifters help their friend and expose the mob connections without losing their lives?  Will Colin ever trust Judd can be gentle in spite of his huge size and enforcer position?  I love Carriger's exploration of learning to love oneself and not judging by appearances in this book.  Another winning title from an author I adore.