Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

Death of the Author is the newest from Nnedi Okorafor, who wrote Binti, which has an absolutely amazing first novella.  

Zelu is a disabled Nigerian-American who has hit rock bottom. She lost her job, her book has been rejected for the tenth time, and her family includes a bunch of ableist jerks. Into this, she moves back to her parents' house and starts writing a book called Rusted Robots, a science fiction story about robots after the destruction of humanity, which become an immediate hit with a blockbuster movie made of it. 

The book alternates with chapters from Zelu's story and from chapters of Rusted Robots. I was invested in Zelu's story. She's sort of the unlikeable lady who I really like. She's had a hard time with her disability and her shitty family and she's struggling to find her place in the world, career-wise and in terms of her American and Nigerian backgrounds. She's got a chip on her shoulder, but who wouldn't in her shoes? But Rusted Robots? Ugh. I did not care.  

Here's the thing. I will read science fiction if it's about space aliens or humans in space because those are really just stories about humans. But science fiction about robots? Who cares? They're not people. Or dogs. Or cats. Or horses. Or really alive. 

And I don't want to spoil the ending, but I still have questions about the ending. It felt like a mean trick where we didn't get the answers I really wanted. If I have done the code correctly, I have put spoilers behind the following button. If I have not done the code correctly, oh, well. You shouldn't have the spoilers anyway! (Edited to add: It works! I'm a professional coder. /s)

Basically, was Ngozi really the last human on earth? Did Ankara really meet her? As in, was Zelu based on a true story in the robot lore? And the whole thing about how Rusted Robots was real, but not Zelu's story really felt like a cheap trick. That's all.

 

Read Binti instead of this one. 3.5/5 stars

Lines of note:

It was mid-July, and it was ninety-five degrees Fahrenheit and what felt like 100 percent humidity. As uncomfortable as she was, Zelu was used to it. She was a Chicagoan, which meant she was used to every weather extreme except hurricanes. (page 54)

I feel this is my very soul after we had a day near 80 followed by a day with snow last week. 

They later had a lawyer write the prenup that would keep their assets forever separate, went to the courthouse, had it done legally, and that was it. They both vowed to never call each other "husband" or "wife." They were partners. It felt good. (page 357)

Big discussion with my husband about this. I think it's romantic when he calls me "his wife." I think partners makes it seem like a business deal. But I can also see how some people might think the stereotypical roles of husband and wife come with a lot of baggage. Interesting thing to think about. 

Things I looked up:

ikenga (page 40) - carved wooden figures that have a human face with animal attributes - of note, Nnedi Okorafor has a novel called Ikenga

agama lizard (page 90) - a genus of small-to-moderate-sized, long-tailed, insectivorous Old World lizards. The genus Agama includes at least 37 species in Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, where most regions are home to at least one species.

iroke tree (page 90) - a large hardwood tree from the west coast of tropical Africa that can live up to 500 years

kabu kabu (page 178) - non-registered illegal cab that operates in some part of Nigeria - of note, Nnedia Okorafor has a short story collection called Kabu Kabu.

Hat mentions: 

None