Death of the Author

The most powerful parts of this novel are from the perspective of a Nigerian-American author who has an improbably big hit with her sf book about post-humanity robots; the least powerful for me were excerpts of the novel itself, which did not persuade as to its hit potential. (There are also “interviews” with other characters, which didn’t work particularly well for me because they didn’t do much to complicate the author’s story.) But the author’s story kept me going—she lost the use of her legs in a childhood accident, which put her in a particular place in her controlling family; she spends most of the novel fighting their attempts to keep her there, often in understandable ways that get predictably bad reactions. More show more plausibly, her novel brings her in contact with tech bros—white guys who share her interest in eliminating dependence on accidents of the body (which also reads as an interest in eliminating dependence on other humans and even on the planet)—whose offers entice her. It was messy and interesting to have a character well aware of how race and gender shaped what the world was willing to allow her make common cause with tech bros because they offered her otherwise unavailable opportunities. I didn’t like her and she’d despise me, but I liked the challenges she presented as a character. show less

Zelu hit rock bottom when she was fired from her job as an adjunct professor, her literary novel was rejected yet again, and eventually she had to move back in with her parents, who have been extremely protective ever since the accident when she was twelve that made Zelu a paraplegic. But then, just for fun she starts writing a science fiction story, unlike anything she's ever tried, and it becomes a runaway best seller. Interspersed with Zelu's story is interviews with friends and family, and the robot story itself.

This was such a great read. Throughout the story, I thought I knew where certain things were going to go, what the title might mean...and then Okorafor upended my expectations time after time. The characters grapple with AI show more and the promise and fear of technology and definition of "humanity" in both storylines. Zelu is a great protagonist - she's prickly, makes mistakes, and I didn't always agree with her choices, but ultimately she does what she believes in despite the fears of her overprotective family. The AI story of the Humes and the NoBodies (or Ghosts) was compelling as well, and I enjoyed seeing how everything came together. show less

At a low point in her life, Zelu writes a sci-fi novel that captures the world’s attention and imagination and makes her famous. As a black woman with a disability, though, she finds fame and fortune don’t change how her family and others treat her. With the book's title, Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor infers that her main character, Zelu, dies, but she manages to hold the details close so the death hovers mysteriously above the novel. Okorafor weaves together three distinct pieces — Zelu’s story, excerpts from the popular book she wrote, and interviews with Zelu’s friends and family — all building to a somewhat anti-climatic ending. I didn’t love the book within a book, but I appreciate how Okorafor ties it all together.

I'm in one of those places where I want to shout about what a miracle this book is, how people should read it, what we can experience and learn from it. But I also just want to quietly hand it over so each reader can have their own experience with it. I know my experience, but I don't know theirs. And I want their experience to be truly and completely their own.

This book is like the work of a remarkable tapestry-maker, bringing together fibres that seem so distinct from one another that the tapestry should be all clash and unease, but instead, under that tapestry-maker's hands it becomes a work in which each strand is essential.

Sorry if this is too metaphysical a review for you, but that's where Death of the Author took me. I encourage show more you to make your own journey through it. I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own. show less

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor is the story of Zelu, her Nigerian family, and the bestselling book that she writes. And so much more.
Since Zulu is a paraplegic, her family has always both protected her and made her feel an outsider. She wants to be completely individual and independent, but she also needs help sometimes and is a product of her family, cultures, circumstances, history and dreams. When she writes a best-selling novel about the lives and motivations of robots—which we also get to read within the larger story—she has the opportunity to make a difference in her roles as child, sister, partner, author, woman, writer, celebrity but struggles with what she wants those roles to be and to mean.
I really loved this show more book! I empathized with Zelu trying to find her space and grow. She is not always a loveable character, but she is very real in all of her contradictions and combativeness. The family dynamics are depicted so clearly, and I enjoyed the insight into various tribal cultures and Nigerian diaspora. Even though this is largely a character-driven novel, the plot is well paced, exciting, with several unexpected situations. I even fell in love with a robot story, which I never thought that I could do. The social reflection from an individual and family level to more broadly involving communities and the world was very clever and well-integrated. There is something about this that makes me think of N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy despite the very different approaches.
Highly recommended. Thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for the digital ARC. show less

I loved this book. I was completely hooked by the time Hugo sends Zelu an email --that's when I started telling everyone I know about it. It's an exploration of...everything? Of storytelling, of identify, of disability, of technology, of artificial intelligence, of social media, of relationships, of family, of fame, of cancel culture and how it’s all smushed together in the life of this author and the book that brings her fame.

There’s so much to unpack, there's so much that I didn't expect. I can't wait to read it again. I was reminded of what I enjoyed about Yellowface (what is an author, how does publishing even work?). The first chapter with Zelu's sister describing her call to pick Zelu up reminded me of My Sister, the Serial show more Killer which takes place in Lagos and explores sisterhood (I've read it twice and it's on my list of books to revisit in audio). The robots, they reminded me of one of my favorite robot books: The Wild Robot (those wily independent robots). Then I was reminded of Mrs. March which is a weird little book about the wife of an author who finds herself (possibly) as a "disgusting" character in her husband's book.

I read Remote Control as an advance copy years ago and enjoyed it, but felt like I was missing something. Now that I've looked into it, I kind of was, because it's a prequel! I plan on reading more by Nnedi Okorafor sooner than later. show less

Read this book! What an EXPERIENCE it is! Get the hardcover, enjoy the glorious jacket design (and look under the jacket), mark every page that confuses you to return to when you finish because it is worth every second.
I'm not sure summary is helpful as nothing can do it justice, but I'll say I'm not a big sci-fi/fantasy reader, nor is the main character. So if you are - like me - more a lover of realistic fiction that tells deeply human stories, you will love this story of a complicated and brilliant woman who is at once intimidating, irritating and relatable. If you are a long lover of sci fi and afrofuturism, I also think you'll love this genre-bending book that in some ways seems to out-sci-fi all other sci fi. If you like boring show more books that don't make you question anything or stretch yourself, stay away from this one! show less