Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor

Tor.com, 2017. http://publishing.tor.com/bintihome-nnediokorafor/9780765393104/

I loved this. It was short and satisfying. It’s the sequel to Binti, which won a Nebula and a Hugo Award, and which I read this past summer.

Admittedly, I felt ambivalent about Binti. On one hand, it didn’t resonate all that much with me, which was a shame because it had received a lot of hype. (Perhaps it had gotten too much hype, at least for me anyway.) On the other hand, I noted that Binti was “well-written science fiction that’s imagining a future I’m not seeing elsewhere.”

So somewhat surprisingly, I really dug Binti: Home. I connected more with the cultural/family conflict. The writing seemed sharper. The story developed in delightfully unexpected directions. The stakes rose. And of course, perhaps reading with smaller expectations helped me enjoy it more.

I read Binti: Home because I wanted to give this story another chance, but I will read whatever Binti book comes next because I want the thrilling, insightful, and imaginative conclusion.