Lab 034: Presently Futuristic
Are you spinning trying to keep up with all the authors, actors, shows, and movies we discussed this week? Don’t worry we have you covered!
This episode uses the wild success of Misha Green’s Lovecraft Country to explore afro-futurism, black horror, and science fiction. We recommend watching the show and listening to episode analysis on Black Girl Watching by Brooke Obie and Britni Danielle. You also can’t miss the amazing syllabi created by The Langston League for each episode of Lovecraft Country. The show is so rich and these resources will help you catch any small notes or cues you may miss!
We started the episode by acknowledging how common it is to clump Afrofuturism with science fiction and horror. We really wanted to understand the history and considered the start of science fiction and how Afrofuturism grew alongside it.
Dr. Brooks helped us recognize futurism and the conflation of past, present, and future are not new; these themes appear far back in time and in various cultures. - Indigenous Futurism
Stream On!
More to Explore
Zora Neale Hurston’s Every Tongue Got to Confess
Mark Dery’s Black to the Future
What the Heck is Afrofuturism? by Jamie Broadnax (HuffPost)
Afrofuturism Has Always Looked Forward by Taylor Crumpton (Architectural Digest)
Expanded Course in the History of Black Science Fiction: W.E.B. DuBois’ “The Comet” by Nisi Shawl
Afrofuturism, science fiction, and the history of the future by Lisa Yaszek
Guest Expert
Our guest expert this week is Dr. Kinitra Brooks, Audrey & John Leslie Endowed Chair in Literary Studies at Michigan State University. She specializes in the study of black women, genre fiction, and popular culture. Her current research focuses on portrayals of the Conjure Woman in popular culture.
Extra Credit Readings by Dr. Brooks
“Finding the Humanity in Horror: Black Women’s Sexual Identity in Fighting the Supernatural”
“Speculative Sankofarration: Haunting Black Women in Contemporary Horror Fiction”