Reviews with content warning for Medical content - Death of the Author

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Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

2 reviews

bisexualbookshelf's review

adventurous mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book was released on January 14th, 2025 by William Morrow in the US.

Nnedi Okorafor’s Death of the Author is a breathtaking exploration of identity, autonomy, and the power of storytelling. At its heart is Zelu, a Nigerian American, paraplegic author grappling with the intersections of her disability, creative ambition, and cultural identity. Interwoven with chapters from her bestselling debut Rusted Robots and interviews with her family, Zelu’s journey reflects an intimate yet universal struggle for self-determination amidst societal and familial pressures.

Zelu’s character is richly drawn, capturing her frustrations, vulnerabilities, and triumphs with poignant realism. Her decision to pivot from literary fiction and academia to science fiction after a cascade of personal and professional setbacks feels both inevitable and revolutionary. Rusted Robots—a story of self-aware machines rebuilding a post-human Earth—is a perfect metaphor for Zelu’s life, filled with echoes of her quest to reconstruct and define herself after the life-altering trauma of the childhood accident that left her paralyzed. The narrative deftly explores how Zelu’s paraplegia shapes her sense of independence and identity, particularly through her relationship with her wheelchair, autonomous vehicles, and the exoskeleton study she participates in.

The novel’s nuanced approach to disability is deeply resonant. Okorafor parallels the empowering and dehumanizing aspects of assistive technology, crafting a story that acknowledges the layered complexity of navigating the world as a disabled person. Zelu’s swimming scenes, where she feels free and untethered, are especially striking, offering a reprieve from her struggles and underscoring her profound resilience.

While Zelu’s personal arc is captivating, the chapters from Rusted Robots add a rich meta-textual layer. Ankara’s journey from isolation to leadership as a Hume robot mirrors Zelu’s quest for recognition and autonomy, emphasizing the transformative potential of community and storytelling. The novel’s exploration of identity—be it racial, cultural, or technological—is seamlessly integrated into a larger conversation about belonging and self-expression.

That said, the novel’s ambition occasionally works against it. The sprawling scope, particularly in the final third, leaves some plot threads unresolved and could have benefited from tighter editing. Still, these minor issues do little to detract from the book’s emotional and intellectual impact.

Okorafor’s prose is as introspective and emotive as ever, blending sharp social critique with poetic reflections on identity, family, and resilience. Death of the Author is an extraordinary achievement—a layered, deeply human story that cements Okorafor as a master storyteller and a beacon of contemporary speculative fiction. This is a book to savor, ponder, and revisit.

📖 Recommended For: Fans of introspective speculative fiction, disability justice narratives, and multi-layered storytelling; readers interested in the intersections of technology and identity; N.K. Jemisin, Octavia Butler, and Rivers Solomons readers.

🔑 Key Themes: Identity and Autonomy, Cultural Heritage and Family, The Power of Storytelling, Humanity and Technology.

Content Warnings

libraryoflanelle's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Death of the Author is a novel in two parts. For the majority of the book, we follow Zelu, a Nigerian-American paraplegic author navigating her way through a series of chaotic life events. Interspersed throughout Zelu’s story are chapters from Ankara’s perspective in Rusted Robot, a post-human extinction novel where androids and AI have full autonomy.

This was my first Nnedi Okorafor novel, and I’m so excited to read more of her work. I often struggle with books that switch between two different stories, but my goodness, Okorafor truly pulled it off here. The back-and-forth structure of the novel perfectly enhanced the suspense, creating a sense of building toward an unknown but significant culmination.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Zelu, Ankara, and the rest of the cast of characters, both human and robot. Whilst the overarching story arc and the unique path to the ending were engaging, I found the pacing in the final quarter of the book slightly uneven, leaving me with a hint of dissatisfaction. However, I really appreciated having a fellow reader to discuss the events leading up to the conclusion. This book makes for a perfect buddy read or book club pick!

The novel’s greatest strength lies in the range and depth of the themes it explores. Through following Zelu and Ankara, we are invited to reflect on identity and ‘humanity’, particularly through the lens of Zelu’s disability and her newfound public recognition. The chapters from Rusted Robot and Zelu’s commentary on her writing process prompt thinking about the power and risks of AI in a rapidly evolving world. Additionally, the portrayal of Zelu’s family relationships encourages us as readers to consider family dynamics and individual identity within those connections.

Death of the Author offers a beautiful illustration of, and commentary on, the power of art, technology, and the human condition in an increasingly scary and uncertain world. I’m excited for more people to read it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Gollancz for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

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