Black Speculative Fiction Goddesses on Process

In this episode, the Hugo and Eisner Award-winning artist, publisher, and cultural studies professor John Jennings moderates a fascinating discussion with three ‘goddesses’ of Black speculative fiction, award-winning, best selling writers Nalo Hopkinson, Nnedi Okorafor, and Jewelle Gomez. The conversation focuses on the inspiration and creative process behind their work, exploring the "truths" they seek to express through writing, which often involves themes of identity and sociopolitical concerns. The authors discuss how their personal experiences, cultural backgrounds, and desire for representation influence their narratives, with Gomez relating how a street harassment incident inspired her vampire novel, and Okorafor describing how her Nigerian-American heritage manifests through figures like masquerades and a giant spider monster. Finally, the discussion considers the relationship between speculative fiction and social justice movements, particularly the rise of Afrofuturism, emphasizing the genre's power to imagine better worlds and provide a political voice.