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This is the February Monthly Group Read discussion for Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. This will satisfy the prompt #2 An Afrofuturist book. February is Black History Month in the US and Canada.

Many thanks to Jessica for volunteering to lead this discussion! YAY!

Every person reads at a different pace, so please use spoiler tags if you are sharing any plot-related surprises. This allows others to decide whether this information might reveal surprising information they have not yet read.

It can also be helpful to other readers if you post the location within the book noting your progress (chapter or page number) with the spoiler. That way, if someone else has read that far they can go ahead and open the spoiler, but if not, they'll know to skip it for now and return later...

TO ADD SPOILER TAGS:
Use this for spoilers, just remove the spaces:
< spoiler > write your spoiler here and close with < / spoiler >

Posts here should only be contributions to discussion about this book.

Hello! I am super excited to get this discussion going, I've always wanted to be in a book Club! Since this is a shorter book and Feb is a shorter Month I am going to try and get the discussion going early and often.

Discussion Questions:
1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
3. What are you expectations of this story?

My library hold came in over the weekend, so I was able to start (and finish :)) this in time to participate in the discussion!

Discussion Questions:
1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another? I used it for the Afrofuturist book prompt.
2. Have you read other books in this genre before? Yes, I've read a few books in this genre previously.
3. What are you expectations of this story? Sci-fi and fantasy aren't my normal reading fare, but I had previously read a collection of short stories by this author and wondered if it would have similar mythological elements.

1. I read Binti for this prompt (I was able to finish it over the weekend).
2. This is my first book in this specific genre.
3. I had no expectations of the story, but I enjoyed it.

1. I plant to use it for the Afrofuturism prompt
2. No, I dont think I've read this genre before
3. I expected a lot more to be honest. I finished the book in one sitting and it just didn't do it for me. Potential spoiler?: (view spoiler)[ There just wasn't enough information given. It had HUGE potential, but fell completely flat. I felt like I read the cliff notes or the summary, not the book itself (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

A quick question, did I use the spoiler tags correctly in my above post? If not, I'll remove the comment...

@Allie you used the spoiler tags correctly no need to worry.

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
I used another book by Okorafor for this prompt because I read the Binti novellas last year, and loved them.
2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
I believe so but I wasn't aware of this label/sub-genre before the popsugar list was put out.
3. What are you expectations of this story?
Going into the series I was hopeful that it would be as awesome as the muderbot diaries considering it is from Tor and this group highly recommended it as well. It didn't disappoint for me.

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
For the Afrofuturism prompt
2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
A few, like Kindred, Parable of the Sower and The Underground Railroad
3. What are you expectations of this story?
I'm going into it blind and have no idea what it is even about, so not really any expectations other than I hope I enjoy it.

1. I read this for the Afrofuturism prompt.

2. I cannot recall reading other books in this genre before.

3. I had no expectations going in. I knew a consensus of people liked it in general.

After reading it, I like some of the ideas in the story. However, the pivotal scene in the mess hall was extremely unpleasant to read about, so I had an overall negative reading experience with this one.

Discussion Questions:
1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
I just finished reading it! But I'm continuing with the rest of the books, I'm loving the whole story. And when I'm done, I'll count it towards the Afrofuturism prompt.
2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
This is my first Afrofuturism novel and I really, really loved it. I'm looking forward to reading more in this genre.
3. What are you expectations of this story?
I'm not sure what my expectations were, but it was definitely unlike anything I'd ever read. The more I think about it, the more I love it.

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another? No, I read it a while ago, because I loved the cover!

2. Have you read other books in this genre before? Yes, although I never thought of them as "afrofuturism" they were just SFF books I was reading.

3. What are you expectations of this story? I expected to enjoy it, and I did enjoy it, but I felt it wasn't enough, I needed more to the story. I have read the entire "trilogy" and instead of feeling like the three form one big complete book, each novella feels like a vignette, just a slice out of a full story.

Over in the category discussion post, it was pointed out that Okorafor rejects the label "afrofuturist." I hadn't heard that before, so I did a bit of googling, and learned that she prefers "Africanfuturism."

Here's what I posted over in the category discussion:

She takes issue with the US-centric and/or white-centric definition of "afrofuturism" (which was coined by a white guy, so it's not like she doesn't have a point here!) and she chooses to use the term "Africanfuturism" to describe her work.

I went googling and found this article from a article written by Hope Wabuke.

And here is Okorafor's blog post






I'm white, so I'm not at all qualified to say if "afrofuturism" is white-centric, or if there is a big difference between saying "afrofuturism" or "Africanfuturism."

I've not made a start on this one yet but I will be reading it in feb. I want to finish 1 or 2 of the 4 books I have in progress right now before I make a start.

Looking forward to participating in the group discussion - I've not managed to participate in a group read before despite this being year 3 for me of the PS challenge!

I am using this for afrofuturist and I think I have read other books of the genre before. I guess I've never really thought about it as a genre - I've mainly out them down as science fiction.

I haven't started reading yet but will next week after I finish my current read.

Discussion Questions:
1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another? I am reading for the Afrofuturism prompt.

2. Have you read other books in this genre before? No I have never read this genre before. I have actually never heard of the genre prior to this year's book challenge.

3. What are you expectations of this story? No expectations. I don't typically choose science fiction so I am excited to read something that I wouldn't normally choose on my own.

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
I read Binti last November, close enough to participate in the discussion, but not for the PS challenge. I did read The Night Masquerade (Binti 3) for the Afrofuturism prompt.

2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
Not really. I tend to read more fantasy then sci-fi.

3. What [were] you expectations of this story?
My sister had raved about the series, so I was expecting to really enjoy the books, and I did love Binti, books 2 & 3 not so much.

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another? Afrofuturism Prompt for me!
2. Have you read other books in this genre before? Nope
3. What are you expectations of this story? Sci-Fi, aliens, weird universe, creativity and strong writing.

I started and finished this in one day- super short and really well done as far as creating a unique world. I was so invested in Binti and I feel like we've barely scratched the surface. I also felt like it ended abruptly, I was wondering if it was my Ebook verison... anyone else?

Discussion Questions:
1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
Here is a listing of the 2021 POPSUGAR prompts: #2, #4 (shared zodiac sign), #18-Diversity, Acceptance, Peace (subject you are passionate about), #21-Fantasy, Science Fiction, Afrofuturism, Young Adult (genre hybrid), #27 (do-overs/fresh starts)
2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
Yes, the first two Tori Adeyemi books in the Legacy of Orisha series. Loved them both!
3. What are you expectations of this story?
I had no idea what to expect and was rather blown away!

Britany wrote: "I started and finished this in one day- super short and really well done as far as creating a unique world. I was so invested in Binti and I feel like we've barely scratched the surface. I also fel..."

I remember feeling as if it was really left up in the air, but I did know there were two more installments, so just assumed the story would be continued throughout Home and The Night Masquerade. I was not disappointed! :)

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
I read it for the Afrofuturism prompt
2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
No ETA: I have read SciFi but not Afrofuturism
3. What are you expectations of this story?
I wasn't sure what to expect but I thought the world building was excellent and I really enjoyed the character of Binti

reply | flag *

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another? Yes, for the Afrofuturism/Africanfuturism prompt
2. Have you read other books in this genre before? Yes, I have.
3. What are you expectations of this story? To be honest, kind of low. I don't have a great track record with SFF novellas. Apparently, I'm the only SFF reader who wasn't impressed by Murderbot.

I recently got a copy of Binti: The Complete Trilogy, which is the copy that I will be reading for the challenge. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this edition of the book anywhere on ŷ������, so I'm currently not sure how I'm going to go about recording this title on my "My Books" list.

Discussion Questions:
1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
I've decided to read the complete trilogy for the Afrofuturism prompt.

2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
Yes. Science fiction is one of my favorite genres.

3. What are your expectations of this story?
I don't know that I have any specific expectations going into the book, but I am very excited to be reading it.

K.L. wrote: "I recently got a copy of Binti: The Complete Trilogy, which is the copy that I will be reading for the challenge. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this edition of the book anywhere on Go..."

Slight correction to my previous post. I was able to find the complete edition listed on the author's biography page! Yay!

Lynn wrote: "
I remember feeling as if it was really left up in the air, but I did know there were two more installments, so just assumed the story would be continued throughout Home and The Night Masquerade. I was not disappointed! :)

I literally thought my copy was missing pages, it jumped from like 93 to 96- guessing those were just blank pages in the book version? 😂

Britany wrote: "I started and finished this in one day- super short and really well done as far as creating a unique world. I was so invested in Binti and I feel like we've barely scratched the surface. I also fel..."

It ended abruptly for me too, and that's why it didn't get 5 stars from me even though the next two books did.

K.L. wrote: "K.L. wrote: "I recently got a copy of Binti: The Complete Trilogy, which is the copy that I will be reading for the challenge. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this edition of the book a..."

There's a glitch in the add books/search feature right now so maybe that's why you couldn't find it easily.

Erica wrote: "K.L. wrote: "K.L. wrote: "I recently got a copy of Binti: The Complete Trilogy, which is the copy that I will be reading for the challenge. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find this edition ..."

That would definitely explain it. ^_^

I just finished Binti, and enjoyed it so much, I placed the complete trilogy on hold with my library. I am reading the book for the afrofuturism prompt. I had no expectations going in, and I really liked how well the author was able to build this world in such a short story. I am not a huge sci-fi reader, and I’ll definitely be exploring more of this sub-genre.

I've finished the book this evening. I'm still digesting it - really not sure what I think at all. The plot was just nothing like what I was expecting - possibly this will be explored in the later books in the series. My instinct is that I might give it 2 stars honestly, but I might try the next book. I'll let it settle for a while and decide. Interested to hear how others have found it.

I loved it so much that I bought the complete trilogy on Kindle. And as it has a bonus story ("Sacred Fire") between Binti and Home, I'm really glad I did. It added a lot to my understanding of Binti in her first weeks at the Uni.

Lynn wrote: "This is the February Monthly Group Read discussion for Binti by Nnedi Okorafor. This will satisfy the prompt #2 An Afrofuturist book. February is Black History Month..."

1. I read Binti for this prompt.
2. This is my first book in this specific genre.
3. I had no expectations of the story. It was special, different.

I have finished the entire trilogy and I liked it a lot. I loved the characters and Binti's storyline. I have also had to make choices that disappointed people in my life, but following my own heart was the right move. So I really enjoyed seeing Binti's journey as she discovered herself.

1. Yes. I read “Binti�� for the Afrofuturism prompt.

2. No, I had not read anything in this genre.

3. My expectations were low as I was not thrilled with the sci-if topic. I chose this book to be able to participate more in this group. And, if I’m honest, because it was a short read! Lol

I was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The conflict was relatable to anyone trying to break free from expectations of others and of one’s self. The learning and acceptance of other cultures seemed fitting too. I may read the next two for another challenge requiring the read of a sequel.

I really enjoyed reading Binti: The Complete Trilogy! I will definitely be reading it again in the future, because I feel like it will turn out to be one of those books where you notice something new every time you read it.

Hi Friends!

I am sorry the discussion has lacked. I have covid and it's been a slow and hard recovery. Hopefully we can keep the discussion going for the time we have left!

Would you say Binti is a Hero? Why or why not?
Would you say there is an antagonist? Who and why?
What does being a hero or an antagonist look like in the context of this story?

I agree with your point three. There's definitely a LOT of potential, but the world building left a lot unsaid. It wasn't clear what the Khoush were. It sounds like they might be an alien race that conquered Earth, but I really couldn't tell. There could have been much more description of the technology and where it came from (living ships sound awesome!)

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another? Afrofuturism Prompt for me!
2. Have you read other books in this genre before? No I have not
3. What are you expectations of this story? Didn't have high expectations as this is not a genre I enjoy much. It was more engaging than I expected.

Jessica wrote: "Hi Friends!

I am sorry the discussion has lacked. I have covid and it's been a slow and hard recovery. Hopefully we can keep the discussion going for the time we have left!

Would you say Binti is..."

Wow I'm sorry you're unwell don't feel bad about not posting.

K.L. wrote: "I really enjoyed reading Binti: The Complete Trilogy! I will definitely be reading it again in the future, because I feel like it will turn out to be one of those books where you no..."

I also felt this way. I really enjoyed the entire trilogy and think I will revisit it occasionally as a comfort read!

Jessica wrote: "Hi Friends!

I am sorry the discussion has lacked. I have covid and it's been a slow and hard recovery. Hopefully we can keep the discussion going for the time we have left!

Would you say Binti is..."

I hope you feel better soon!!!!!

Would you say Binti is a Hero? Why or why not?
Yeah, I' say she was a hero. She isn't afraid to try new things, pushes forward and manages to survive, never giving in to fear or despair completely and actually manages to find a peaceful solution.
Would you say there is an antagonist? Who and why?
There's not really a single antagonist, more that the forces of racism. cultural misunderstanding and the inability to forgive that cause all the problems.
What does being a hero or an antagonist look like in the context of this story?
A hero needs to show empathy and find a way to forgive unforgivable atrocities.

And I read that the Khoush were basically white people.

Teri wrote: "I have finished the entire trilogy and I liked it a lot. I loved the characters and Binti's storyline. I have also had to make choices that disappointed people in my life, but following my own hear..."

Something I really appreciated about this story is that the conflicts felt scaled to real life. I appreciate that we came into it with her mind already made up that she would go; and that the choices she had to choose from were relatable. Even if we aren't leaving the planet we have all had to make a choice between what is expected of us and what we expect of ourselves.

1. I read Binti for the Afrofuturist prompt.
2. This is my first book in this genre.
3. I had no expectations of the story, but I enjoyed it.

Heather wrote: "1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another? Yes, for the Afrofuturism/Africanfuturism prompt
2. Have you read other books in this genre before? Yes, I have.
3. What are you..."

Heather wrote: "1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another? Yes, for the Afrofuturism/Africanfuturism prompt
2. Have you read other books in this genre before? Yes, I have.
3. What are you..."

This is silly, but I don't like to know a book is considered SFF when I am choosing. Can't it just be fiction? Maybe the future or another universe is the backdrop, but the story themes are usually the same. I think it's one of those things where the label can be off putting. Or maybe that's just me.

Jessica wrote: "This is silly, but I don't like to know a book is considered SFF when I am choosing. Can't it just be fiction?"

For me personally, I like to know what I'm about to start reading. I'll read almost any genre, but I need to know what I'm headed into to make sure I'm in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. Does that make me a mood reader?

I think I'm done with SFF novellas after reading Binti. I like SFF novels and short stories, but something about SFF novellas just doesn't work for me.

1. I read this last year.
2. No, I have not.
3. I had no idea what to expect. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it very much. I found it too hard to keep track of what was going on. I gave it 2 stars for being such a creative idea.

Discussion Questions:
1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
Yes
2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
Only 1 or 2.
3. What are you expectations of this story?
I had no idea what to expect but I did enjoy the story and look forward to reading the other 2 books in the series.

1. Are you reading Binti for the Afrofuturism prompt or for another?
I read this for the Afrofuturism prompt.
2. Have you read other books in this genre before?
I didn't think I had, but when I looked at the list of suggestions, I realized I had read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler . I really liked that book.
3. What are you expectations of this story?
I hoped I would like it as much as I liked Kindred. I finished Binti, but I thought it was okay. (view spoiler)[ I apparently have a dirty mind so the talk about his "stinger" had me giggling! (hide spoiler)]