Binti

By: Nnedi Okorafor

Narrated by: Robin Miles

Length: 2 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's Summary

Winner of the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novella!

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself — but first she has to make it there, alive.

Praise for Binti
"With her rich, lyrical voice, narrator Robin Miles effortlessly moves among such emotions as anticipation, fear, resignation, and fortitude with just the slightest adjustments in breath. Her prodigious range elevates this short novella into a resonating performance that will linger long beyond its mere two-plus hours." – School Library Journal

"Binti is a supreme read about a sexy, edgy Afropolitan in space! It's a wondrous combination of extra-terrestrial adventure and age-old African diplomacy. Unforgettable!" — Wanuri Kahiu, award-winning Kenyan film director of Punzi and From a Whisper

©2015 Nnedi Okorafor (P)2015 Macmillan Audio

Messages

Firstly, it's always great to read stories about people of color in scifi and fantasy. We do exist in the future.
Binti was unsurprisingly inventive and well written, as this is written by Nnedi O. My favorite bit tho is that this simple tale is so chock full of potential lessons and messages. For this alone it is worth every minute it takes to complete.

74 of 81 people found this review helpful

Meh 2.75 stars

It started out with an interesting premise but it quickly went nowhere. I was disappointed it didn't pan out. I lost interest and couldn't wait for it to end.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Wonderful Piece of African Futurism

A great novella, well-deserving of the Nebula Award it won. Binti is a neat glimpse into a sci-fi future where individual culture is still present. I look forward to reading what comes next.

30 of 35 people found this review helpful

Interesting read

I tried. I couldnt really get into this book. I listened in and out. I will read book two

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

It was ok...not her best work!

What did you like best about Binti? What did you like least?

I liked the story, it was interesting; however, it felt unfinished. Like there was more to say and discuss with regards to plot and story line.

What could Nnedi Okorafor have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

She could have finished the story! By telling the background stories of the characters. This story seems too much like Octavia Butler books without the depth of story. I have listen and read Nnedi Okorafor books before and loved them. This was just a miss for me.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Robin Miles?

YES! I like her voice and read.

Was Binti worth the listening time?

It was until the end...too many questions left unanswered.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Decent Story

it moved a little slow. The species names and stuff was a little confusing. I liked the underlying messages of appreciating diversity.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Pretty Meh

I was very excited about listening to this book as I have enjoyed listening to Robin Miles's voice and this was a super hyped science fiction book. In truth, this book wasn't bad but didn't live up to the hype. Some parts seem to be slightly rushed and not as well explained as I would have liked. One example of such instances, is why and how Binti developed a close relationship with Okwu. It seemed to be because her gift for healing but it could also be that he took her food and water everyday. I'm still not fully sure, so I'll go for a mix of both.

Also, I didn't care for the thick accent that Ms. Miles did for this book. As someone who is hearing impaired it was very difficult to understand her at times. Even a friend who I buddy listened to this book with couldn't understand it and they have great hearing. It is possible to understand her but beware that it might not be as easy as it is for other books.

11 of 13 people found this review helpful

Decent

A decent story, different, though not terribly engaging. Very short, so definitively not worth picking up unless on sale.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Predictable and uninspiring.

A few interesting ideas are spread throughout an uninspiring story about an unrelatable character. Events are generally either extremely predictable, or difficult to understand and with unfittingly small consequences on the way characters behave.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

What was this?!!

I'm not sure which one was the worst: the performance with the forced accent or the story. My only relief is it was short enough... (or probably I've just missed something)

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great

A Great listen. Very well narrated, I liked that it was shirt and sweet it made me want to keep listening until the end.

Imaginative but the story/ plot was boring

The narrator did a great job and I really liked the imagined worlds. However, the story itself was incredibly boring.

Uplifting and magical

The narrators soft pronounciation seems perfect for such an uplifting and positive story. My only complaint might be that it is quite short, but that can be a positive as well. I'm glad I picked it up.

Never read anything like this

Even though the start was quite unusual for me, bringing very traditional cultural elements together with sci-fi, I kept wanting to know what would happen. Could have given a bit more description with certain items and situations as I often found having to go back to make sure I understood what was happening. Good ending, will listen to the next book for sure.

Excellent Science Fiction

Thue is excellent Science Fiction from a new perspective. It is impossible not to love Binti. Both characters and world seems real.

Great work by the narrator!

Hugo and Nebula award-winning Afrofuturism.

What a joy it was to read this book which blended African culture and science fiction. The story is rich and well defined. The characters, especially Binti, believeable. I particularly liked the unusual tech in this future vision, including biological spaceships. The narrator, Robin Miles, is superb. Her performance covers so many emotions. I cannot wait to dig deeper into the rest of the series.

fantastic read

Where does Binti rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

fantastic book, full of emotion. shout out to the narrator as well because she really brought the story to life. one of the best I've heard on audible

I hope there's more!

I enjoyed every minute but desperately want more, both of Binti's future experiences and background detail of the universe.

Looking forward for the next chapter!

This was a truly enjoyable experience! The narrator's voice was lovely and very suited to the story of Binti, our brave little Himba adventurer and ambassador to a previouly dredded alien race.

The world building for this story is sublime & the prose is vivid with details of a future in which we travel the universe in living ships(!!) and there were such beautiful turns of phrases throughout!

This is definitely recommended listening and reading!

Make longer !!

I expected more but it was still very entertaining what I will say is the plot switches from peaceful to frantic very quickly and you need to be fully consumed in the story to feel the full effect of the mood change.