To read a Nnedi Okorafor novel is to read a book featuring strong female characters. But calling Onyesonwu, the protagonist of Okorafor’s World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death, “strong” feels like an understatement. In the novel, Okorafor imagines a grim, post-apocalyptic Sudan, one where rape is employed as a weapon of war and violence can seem omnipresent. But in learning to wield magic, Onyesonwu gains the ability to set her world on a new path. Okorafor, a prolific novelist who has written Wakanda-set comics for Marvel, is known for Africanfuturist stories that through their speculative settings hold a critical mirror to our world and offer sparks of hope. Amidst the darkness of Who Fears Death, Onyesonwu is that hope. —Cate Matthews
The 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time
