Black/Latino SF&F Authors

Kjbartolotta

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Had a woman come into the bookstore with a 14yo son, way into epic escapism (Name of the Wind a proclaimed favorite), also wants some books with black/Latino authors or characters.

I named a few worth mentioning, but would like to know what you fine folks would suggest!
 

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N. K. Jemison. Nnedi Okorafor. Karen Lord. Ernesto Hogan. Rosaura Sanchez. The other Latino/a writers work I'm familiar with mostly write in Spanish. Lemme think a bit.
 

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Some I've read and enjoyed that come to mind are NK Jemisin, Samuel Delaney, Octavia Butler, Karen Lord, Nisi Shawl, Nnedi Okorafor. Also, Daniel Jose Older is quite well known for his SF. Some I've heard of and want to try soon are Nalo Hopkinson, david Anthony Durham, and William Alexander.

I'm afraid my reading list leans heavily towards female writers, though that might not be a bad thing for a 14-year-old boy to see more of either. I don't think most of these writers create sprawling epic fantasies like NoTW. Jemisin and David Anothony Durham might come closest here. Nnedi Okorafor's Akata Witch is geared towards YAs, and is a contemporary fantasy set in Nigeria (with a great MC).
 
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Kjbartolotta

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OMG Akata Witch! You know there's a galley of the sequel out, right? Perks. Thought about Delaney and Butler, mentioned NK & Nnedi. The rest of these folks I have not heard of, gonna write them down!
 

jjdebenedictis

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Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is about Mexican vampires. However, it's not epic fantasy -- it's urban fantasy.

I don't think Stephen Blackmoore is Latino (based on the name, anyway), but his Eric Carter (urban fantasy) books have had a huge Mexican influence thus far.
 

2gregory

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Dare one suggest Borges?
 

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Butler's the first one I thought of, too.

Isn't Isabel Allende a Latina? She wrote a YA fantasy trilogy a while back, the Alexander Cold books. Not epic, though - more about hidden corners of magic and mysticism in the modern world.

For white authors with black characters, Lee Killough wrote a good (if a little hard to find these days) fantasy in prehistoric Africa: The Leopard's Daughter. I don't think there were many, if any, white characters.

Tad Williams had black MCs in his near-future VR-based sci-fi Otherland quartet; one of them is among the last of the African Bushmen to have any recollection of his culture.

James S. A. Corey's Expanse series is fairly multicultural/multiracial, and it's painted on a big enough scale I'd call it epic, though both authors behind the pen name appear to be white.

Middle grade's probably too young for the kid, but Rick Riordan's The Kane Chronicles stars biracial siblings, one of whom openly talks about how he has to act differently than his lighter-skinned sister because of how he's treated. Also in MG, the star of Wade Albert White's The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes is a black girl.
 

Kjbartolotta

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Thank you to everyone, this is a great list to start with (and any more, I would love). You folks are the ​best.
 

Roxxsmom

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Butler's the first one I thought of, too.

Isn't Isabel Allende a Latina? She wrote a YA fantasy trilogy a while back, the Alexander Cold books. Not epic, though - more about hidden corners of magic and mysticism in the modern world.

I thought of her, and she's a good writer. She's Chilean-American, I believe--a cousin of Salvador Allende. She writes magical realism more than traditional fantasy, though. I don't know how much cross appeal there is for fans of epic fantasy (unless the reader has pretty eclectic tastes).

A white fantasy and SF writer of note who often has PoC as lead characters would be Ursula K Le Guin.
 
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Dave Williams

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There are Larry Correia and Sarah Hoyt in the Latino category...