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A review by purplemuskogee
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Nnedi Okorafor's Death of the Author is a bold and clever exploration of identity, creativity, and the intersection of humanity and technology. It's not what I normally read - I have read very few sci fi books, but I liked this one a lot.
The novel weaves together two stories: Zelu, a Nigerian American woman, and a sci-fi tale about robots, ghosts, and AI in a post-collapse Nigeria.
Zelu is paralyzed after a childhood accident, she has been underestimated and constrained by those around her, dismissed as impulsive and incapable. Her family criticizes her every move and her siblings treat her almost like a child. She's fired from her job as a creative writing professor, and starts writing a novel—a move that transforms her into an overnight sensation when her robot story is published and turned into a film. Now incredibly wealthy and famous, Zelu also gains the ability to walk again, thanks to robotic legs—another sign of the evolving relationship between humans and technology.
The second story —Zelu’s novel—introduces us to Ijele and Ankara, a robot and an AI entity, trying to survive and helped by the last human on Earth. These chapters are vividly written and immersive, so much so that I found myself wishing this story could stand alone as its own book, at least for the first two thirds of the book.
The final part feels slightly overpacked. The pacing accelerates, and some plot elements stretch believability, seeming disconnected from the rest of the novel, a bit too far-fetched even for the genre. There's a clever twist at the end that explains it all but I still found these chapters dragged a bit.
Okorafor’s writing shines throughout though and I loved the themes, I am glad I picked up something different.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
The novel weaves together two stories: Zelu, a Nigerian American woman, and a sci-fi tale about robots, ghosts, and AI in a post-collapse Nigeria.
Zelu is paralyzed after a childhood accident, she has been underestimated and constrained by those around her, dismissed as impulsive and incapable. Her family criticizes her every move and her siblings treat her almost like a child. She's fired from her job as a creative writing professor, and starts writing a novel—a move that transforms her into an overnight sensation when her robot story is published and turned into a film. Now incredibly wealthy and famous, Zelu also gains the ability to walk again, thanks to robotic legs—another sign of the evolving relationship between humans and technology.
The second story —Zelu’s novel—introduces us to Ijele and Ankara, a robot and an AI entity, trying to survive and helped by the last human on Earth. These chapters are vividly written and immersive, so much so that I found myself wishing this story could stand alone as its own book, at least for the first two thirds of the book.
The final part feels slightly overpacked. The pacing accelerates, and some plot elements stretch believability, seeming disconnected from the rest of the novel, a bit too far-fetched even for the genre. There's a clever twist at the end that explains it all but I still found these chapters dragged a bit.
Okorafor’s writing shines throughout though and I loved the themes, I am glad I picked up something different.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent