It is futuristic, in the sense that there are technologies far more advanced than our own, including star travel and mysterious devices like the ubiquitous astrolabe (which made Binti's people, and in particular her family, famous throughout the galaxy) and an ancient relic whose properties only Binti can unlock. It is afro-centric, in the sense that both Binti herself and the two named human peoples come from Africa and are rooted in African cultures, though only the Himba correspond to a named human people on our Earth. We are thrust into a world where few of our current assumptions hold.

It is a compressed novel, featuring all the plot, character and thematic development you look for in a novel, but hyper-economical in its delivery. (From Goodreads).Īssessment: Binti embodies the promise of the novella as a narrative form. If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself - but first she has to make it there, alive. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. 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. Binti Īccolades: Winner - Hugo Award (2016), Nebula Award (2016) Nominee - Locus Award (2016)Įxecutive Summary: 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.

Binti by nnedi okorafor