PoC Forum Favorite Fiction Book Recs!

Just a couple more:

Moxyland by Lauren Beukes. Cyberpunk set in South Africa. Cell phones and police dogs can kill you. Sometimes in that order. Fun times.

Misfit by Jon Skovron. YA horror, protag is part-demon, Middle Eastern, struggling to tap into her powers and find out more about her family history. Really good read--definitely exceeded by expectations.

This is a slightly less current example, but Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. The modern-day adventures of the descendents of a Maori trickster god. Possibly my favorite thing Gaiman's written.

Thank y'all for this!

The Vampire Huntress series by LA Banks.

Almost anything by Tananarive Due.

The Gilda Stories By Jewel Gomez

Could you guys specific the ethnicity of the POC protag?

The Carl Brandon Society site has lots of good book recs as well! I could name a ton of them but at the moment my brain feels like it has been replaced by taffy. Soon though. In the meantime I bestow upon you a better thread title.

Unimportant said:

N K Jemisin's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, a fantasy whose MC is a dark-skinned/dark-haired (presumably equivalent to black/African?) woman.

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First protagonist is roughly half Mayan, I think. (I thought I caught kinky hair mentioned, but that might have been just me).

Protag of second book is roughly supposed to be African (Also blind for interest in other kinds of diversity--BTW, look at her blog for notes about that and how she said she messed up.)

Protagonist of third book was kind of a mess up... but I'm not quite sure how to tell her and I haven't read it yet. Third protag is supposed to be male, and CHINESE. But she modeled him after Bi who is clearly NOT Chinese, but Korean... (Which is a screw up...)

Despite that, the stories are really good. (Haven't read the third one.)

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed. South Western Asia? The country isn't very specified. There are Arabic terms used, though. Roughly Islamic South Western Asia. (I refuse to use the term Middle East. Middle East of WHERE?)
I started it, but I'm struggling through it since I'm not too keen on long descriptions of war and battles. I'm more into things like how the markets work, how to make a rug, what does it take to make a meal, social relationships to survive in a society... but I've always been like that. Also I kinda lost track of the story because there were a few flashbacks... I'm powering through it for now.

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
Persia, set from a woman's POV. It's about Persian rug making at the height of it. The story should feel familiar since the structure of it follows Aristotle. (I recognized it was so about halfway through)

Indu Sundaresan--all of the books she writes The Twentieth Wife (And sequels, as well as other books)

Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (India or Indian-American)

Virginia Hamilton--The People Could Fly (One of my favorite books) Features several stories with African Americans or Africans. Great for kids. It started my hard core love of Anansi, the spider-trickster.

Their Eyes were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.
Starts out with a woman burying her husband. It's ultimately about women in Louisiana dealing with men and race, but more on love than it is on race.

Well, personally, all of Zora Neale Hurston.... but that's another story. She also has folktale collections from Creole roots.

And because it'll be mentioned... Beloved by Toni Morrison. Which is about the best treatment to date I've seen on the psychology of slavery and slavery. It's kind of an answer to "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillian Women's fiction.

How Stella got her Groove Back (Which has controversy around it, but I like the book, particularly since it features an older female protagonist and some stylistic choices that I like as well.)

http://chickenspaghetti.typepad.com/chicken_spaghetti/2007/11/i-asked-for-sug.html

Magic's Silken Snare by Elizabeth Gillian (a Romani descendant)--since they originally came from Indo-European India, I believe it counts, especially since the book is set historically. Also has a woman protagonist.

Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon. For the first one, if possible, support the FIRST cover, not the second edition. =P Kinda an F-you to the publisher for whitewashing....

Korea... Linda Sue Park (all books) and Marie G. Lee both write with Korean protagonists. Younha Lee is Korean, but doesn't write with Korean protags so far. Both YA, though... TT I'm the only Korean trying to write adult books based in Korea while living in the US... my fellow Koreans need to help out too. (And get off of the Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong--unless there is a drama done from her POV, then no.)

Japan? Kokoro (meaning roughly heart/mind) by Natsume Soseki. I like it for the almost every day nature of the stories. It looks at relationships and connections.

Unfortunately, contemporary, non-sci-fi/fantasy isn't being translated as much, so you'll have to hunt down for translations.

Nnedi Okorafor of Nigerian descent. A range of African protagonists.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

Amy Tan--Chinese protagonists.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden Meh. Kinda feels like a white man's fantasy... I rather read the biographies of actual Geisha.

Huntress (On my to-read list) by Malinda Lo has a Native American and Japanese protagonist with a thankfully PoC cover. Also Lesbian protags without going into the usual stereotypes.

I can't remember the one set in China with paper folding... Didn't like that one so probably better not to list it.

Ahh~ I have holes in Polynesia, Native American, First Nation and South America. Aboriginal Australia I only know light folktales about that. (I'm not a huge fan of Magic Realism... but that's what's being imported. Blech.)

Probably missing a few that I've read over time... they are in my Parent's house on my childhood room's bookshelf.

If you want nonfiction included, I have a host of other books too. Just ask.

I love and admire the writing of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Her books are:

Black Narcissus -- a harrowing story of child abuse in rural Nigeria, but not only.

Half of a Yellow Sun -- set against the background of the Biafra crisis -- younger people won't remember this, but I do, and it was great to read a book about a disaster I was too young to understand at the time.

The Noose Around Her Neck -- a book of beautiful short stories -- and I don't usually reas short stories.

All with black African protagonists.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan -- Lisa See. Chinese MCs

May I add my own books? They are mostly out of print but still available second hand.

Of Marriageable Age - set in Guyana, England and India. Main protags are Indian, but also black MCs.

Peacocks Dancing -- set in Guyana and India. African-Indian-Amerindian mixed race MC.

The Speech of Angels -- set in India, Indian MC

The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns both protags are Afghan and take place in Afghanistan. IQ84 by Murakami. The first two books got the same author, I'll be back to post his name later.

Oh gosh. I ache for that but probably couldn't finish it either. I wrote a novel about it, but fairly mild; Peacocks Dancing. I researched girls sold into sex slavery in Indian in Bombay for that book. My interview with the doctor helping those girls is here.

^ No joke.

Alma Alexander's The Secrets of Jin-Shei is fantasy with almost exclusively Asian (female) protags, and Lisa See's Peony in Love is fantasy based on Chinese culture and folklore. Naguib Mahfouz's Arabian Nights and Days is a fantasy retelling of Arabic myths.

aruna said:

I love and admire the writing of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

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+1

Does anyone have any suggestions for Urban Fantasy and/or some Suspense/Thriller with a black character as the protagonist? I've heard Octavia Butler and L.A. Banks mentioned before. Are there any others I've missed?

Silver-Midnight said:

Does anyone have any suggestions for Urban Fantasy and/or some Suspense/Thriller with a black character as the protagonist? I've heard Octavia Butler and L.A. Banks mentioned before. Are there any others I've missed?

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Blade is the only UF I can think of with a black protagonist, but that's comic books. There are other comic books, but for a story novel-sized long, can't think of any.

If you want PoCs in a subgenre of speculative fiction where they haven't really shown up, there is Steampunk...

Silver-Midnight said:

Does anyone have any suggestions for Urban Fantasy and/or some Suspense/Thriller with a black character as the protagonist? I've heard Octavia Butler and L.A. Banks mentioned before. Are there any others I've missed?

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I don't really like Orson Scott Card for a variety of reasons, but he wrote Magic Street which features a black MC in LA in an Urban Fantasy-esque environment.

Everyone else pretty much listed my other picks.

Silver-Midnight said:

Does anyone have any suggestions for Urban Fantasy and/or some Suspense/Thriller with a black character as the protagonist? I've heard Octavia Butler and L.A. Banks mentioned before. Are there any others I've missed?

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Ben Aaronovich writes a really great series. Midnight Riot/Rivers of London is amazing, and the sequel is Moon Over Soho. You notice that the cover character is shown in silhouette so nobody could ever know he's black. The protagonist is an English dude of African descent I Believe.

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson is a great atypical YA UF about a biracial Canadian girl who identifies as black. She is the kid of a white Jamaican dad and a black Canadian mom.

Oh, and Anansi Boys! Yeah!

The trouble with UF as a whole is that it sucks at portraying PoC, queer people, ppl with disabilities, etc, because it is so big on "monster as superficial metaphor for various sorts of otherness". Which tends to have the unfortunate side effect of erasing actual minorities in most cases. (not all UF, but an enormous majority of it)

Don't forget the Ladies' Detektive Club series -- which I haven't read, so this is not necessarily a rec. But black female MC.

Rachel Udin said:

If you want PoCs in a subgenre of speculative fiction where they haven't really shown up, there is Steampunk...

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I haven't really read that much of Steampunk. I know a lot of people who like it though. I heard it was good. Any authors/books I should start with?

thebloodfiend said:

I don't really like Orson Scott Card for a variety of reasons, but he wrote Magic Street which features a black MC in LA in an Urban Fantasy-esque environment.

Everyone else pretty much listed my other picks.

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Interesting. I can look at him.

Kitty Pryde said:

Ben Aaronovich writes a really great series. Midnight Riot/Rivers of London is amazing, and the sequel is Moon Over Soho. You notice that the cover character is shown in silhouette so nobody could ever know he's black. The protagonist is an English dude of African descent I Believe.

The Chaos by Nalo Hopkinson is a great atypical YA UF about a biracial Canadian girl who identifies as black. She is the kid of a white Jamaican dad and a black Canadian mom.

Oh, and Anansi Boys! Yeah!

The trouble with UF as a whole is that it sucks at portraying PoC, queer people, ppl with disabilities, etc, because it is so big on "monster as superficial metaphor for various sorts of otherness". Which tends to have the unfortunate side effect of erasing actual minorities in most cases. (not all UF, but an enormous majority of it)

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Oh. Cool. Thanks. I might look into the YA recc., but I don't know. I'm not that big of a fan of YA honestly, and I mean that in the least non-offensive way.

I don't know if it sucks at portraying PoC. Mostly because I don't see that much of them. Right now, the only two prominent UF MCs I can name that are PoCs are Jane Yellowrock and Mercy Thompson. Granted, I'm not extremely well versed in the UF genre yet. However, I seriously don't see that many PoCs as main characters, which honestly kind of makes me just a bit sad.

aruna said:

Don't forget the Ladies' Detektive Club series -- which I haven't read, so this is not necessarily a rec. But black female MC.

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I read a small little section that. It didn't grab as I thought it would but I guess I could always give it a second chance.

I really liked The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by MT Anderson (YA). It's historical fiction and there are two books. A quick summary of the first (thanks wikipedia)

The greater part of the story is told by a boy named Octavian, who grew up with his mother Cassiopeia, an African princess, in a house full of philosophers and scientists in colonial Boston. Under the watchful eyes of Mr. Gitney, also known as 03-01, Octavian has received a classical education as well as a musical education which has made him into an extremely skilled violinist. Octavian eventually comes to understand the price of his powdered wigs and education: he is not only the "property" of Mr. Gitney, but he is also being used as an experiment to test whether the African race is inferior to the European race.

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Also in YA Dia Reeves writes black female protagonists and her work is all dark speculative fiction, horror fantasy, even: Bleeding Violet and Slice of Cherry

Tales of a Korean Grandmother by Frances Carpenter (collector)
I loved these as a kid, though it is a bit depressing to have to have someone who is white to get it to be published... Does that mean my overly white Jewish name can sell books.

Anyway, it covers most of the major Korean folktales. Currently using what I remember of it to build the magic system...