Dark matter Book

There is so much to appreciate about this mind-expanding second Dark Matter anthology of short, speculative fiction by Black writers. Sheree Thomas has pulled together a collection of diverse pieces that is consistently strong and features some real highlights, such as Nnedi Okorafor's hilarious and biting satire "The Magical Negro"; the poetic mythological story "Desire" by Kiini Ibura Salaam; the horror-laden "Old Flesh Song" by Ibi Zoboi; and the unexpected, beautiful short story "Jesus Christ in Texas" by W.E.B. Du Bois. The collection includes both reprints of existing material and several brand new stories, though a few of these felt like they could've used a tiny bit more editing/polishing. The hefty collection closes out with some interesting essays such as a tribute to the groundbreaking writer Virginia Hamilton.

The stories in this book don't hold anything back: many portray slavery, addiction, incarceration and other forms of violence - with a purpose of helping the reader understand the horrors of racial injustice and to invite them to fight for racial and social justice in our world today. Reading Dark Matter is a powerful, revelatory experience for readers who, without realizing it, had been reading mostly speculative fiction by white authors writing about white characters.