{Read} {PDF EPUB} ~download Dark Matter A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora by Sheree Thomas Race in . This is the lecture “Race in Science Fiction” by Prof. Dr. Lisa Yaszek (Georgia Institute of Technology): Videofile – MP4. Or download this link via right-click and “save as…”: Lecture. Audiofile – MP3. Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Or download this link via right-click and “save as…”: Lecture. Essay. The introductory essay “Race in Science Fiction: The Case of ” by Prof. Dr. Lisa Yaszek is available for download here: Yaszek, Lisa – “Race in Science Fiction: The Case of Afrofuturism” Recommended Articles for Further Reading. THE ROAD TO SCIENCE FICTION, (ED. JAMES GUNN) and the WESLEYAN ANTHOLOGY OF SCIENCE FICTION (ED. ARTHUR B. EVANS ET AL.) Both of these anthologies do not really consider questions of race and/or astrofuturism and thus this topic cannot be covered with this anthology. Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (2000), Ed. Sheree R. Thomas. Dark Matter: Reading the Bones (2005), Ed. Sheree R. THomas. Should you be interested in using an anthology, these two books are the go-to option for questions on astrofuturism. Examined Worlds. I figured reading this was a good way for a science fiction nerd to celebrate Black History Month. I've been wanting to read this for a long time, and I'm glad I finally did. This anthology features superstars like Samuel Delany and Octavia Butler as well as other established authors such as and Stephen Barnes. There are also a few authors not normally known for science fiction like W.E.B. Du Bois and Amiri Baraka. I was also pleased to see a lot of names I wasn't familiar with before. For more on the specific stories and essays, see my Goodreads review. One of the most interesting stories, Derrick Bell's "The Space Traders," imagines that extraterrestrials offer to give the United States advanced technology if all people of African ancestry in the US can be taken away to the ETs' home planet, which prompts a meditation on the value accorded to black people by white Americans. This is also a major issue in Darryl Smith's "The Pretended," 's "Black No More," and Sherree Thomas's introduction. In light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests, these stories offer powerful ways to think through these issues. The anthology ends with a short, but brilliant essay by Octavia Butler called "The Monophobic Response," in which she explores our science fictional fascination with aliens (I have also dealt with this issue in a far less brilliant way). The Philosophy Report As an anthology, there are a lot of different things going on, so it's harder to pick out big themes. Nonetheless, the very idea of this anthology and the work it contains do bring up the general issue of difference. How have we encountered difference here on Earth? What are some alternatives? Is difference to be erased? Celebrated? Shamed? Subjugated? Can we recognize commonalities without erasing distinctive identities? Of course, these questions are dealt with in this anthology in ways that I, as a white man, can't fully appreciate. I can't speak with any authority about what sorts of things black readers might encounter in this anthology, but I can say from my own experience that encountering these questions has challenged and expanded my understanding of myself and others. And that's just what good science fiction ought to do. My desire to explore diverse perspectives in both philosophy and science fiction doesn't come from a somewhat condescending politically correct push toward diversity for the sake of diversity, which if we white folks are honest is often really just a way to assuage our white guilt. I do love diversity for aesthetic reasons and out of considerations of justice, but another fundamental reason for me is epistemological. As human beings we each come to know the world from a particular perspective. It would be completely insane to claim to have exhaustive knowledge of things from a single perspective, although this doesn't stop many of my fellow straight white cis gender men from claiming to do just that. I don't mean to suggest that all perspectives are equally true (whatever this kind of relativism would even mean and however we could ever know that to be true - an issue I'll take up in another post soon). Rather, whatever pretensions we might have for understanding the truth about the universe and ourselves will require that we take seriously a wide range of perspectives. To put it another way: we have something to learn from everyone. For instance, I have a lot of sympathy for standpoint epistemology, which claims that marginalized people often have to know not only their own perspectives, but that of the dominant group. For instance, as a white man I can navigate the social world of the United States without having to understand the perspectives of women and people of color, but women and people of color need to have some understanding of white male perspectives to function in our society. If this theory is true, I will need to do some work to understand other perspectives (to the extent that I am able) in order to have any hope of understanding social factors like misogyny and racism, but also if I want to learn about lots of really interesting ideas when it comes to philosophical issues in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Of course I lack the social experience to fully understand these perspectives, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't strive for some degree of understanding. In philosophy, this has led to my interest in feminist philosophy and non-Western philosophy. When people ask me why I'm interested in Indian philosophy, I often reply, "Why would you not be interested in such a vast and fascinating tradition of philosophy?" When it comes to science fiction, I am interested in perspectives of women and people of color, not as exotic alienness, but as a way to expand the perspectives on my radar. Philosophy and science fiction are two of the best ways to expand our perspectives on things, and starting with the diversity of perspectives we already have, as this volume does, is an excellent way to expand our intellectual, aesthetic, and social horizons. [PDF] Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora Book by Sheree Thomas Free Download (448 pages) Free download or read online Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora pdf (ePUB) book. The first edition of the novel was published in 2000, and was written by Sheree Thomas. The book was published in multiple languages including , consists of 448 pages and is available in ebook format. The main characters of this short stories, science fiction story are , . The book has been awarded with World Award for Best Anthology (2001), and many others. Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora PDF Details. Author: Sheree Thomas Original Title: Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora Book Format: ebook Number Of Pages: 448 pages First Published in: 2000 Latest Edition: December 2nd 2014 Awards: for Best Anthology (2001) category: short stories, science fiction, fiction, fantasy, anthologies, speculative fiction, science fiction fantasy, race, cultural, african american, cultural, africa Formats: ePUB(Android), audible mp3, audiobook and kindle. The translated version of this book is available in Spanish, English, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Bengali, Arabic, Portuguese, Indonesian / Malaysian, French, Japanese, German and many others for free download. Please note that the tricks or techniques listed in this pdf are either fictional or claimed to work by its creator. We do not guarantee that these techniques will work for you. Some of the techniques listed in Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora may require a sound knowledge of Hypnosis, users are advised to either leave those sections or must have a basic understanding of the subject before practicing them. DMCA and Copyright : The book is not hosted on our servers, to remove the file please contact the source url. If you see a Google Drive link instead of source url, means that the file witch you will get after approval is just a summary of original book or the file has been already removed. Sheree Renée Thomas. A native of Memphis, I write between a river and a pyramid. I wrote Shotgun Lullabies: Stories & Poems (Aqueduct Press) described by Arthur Flowers as “a wondrous book, like Jean Toomer’s Cane” and edited Dark Matter: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora and Dark Matter: Reading the Bones (2001 and 2005 World Fantasy Awards, named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year among other honors). As you can probably guess, I love to read and I love to write. I’m always learning, always seeking new ways to tell stories that reflect the world I see, the worlds I imagine. It’s been quite a journey, and I know it’s not over yet. Anyone who wants to be a writer needs to be pretty comfortable in their traveling shoes. My professional background is in books, in the publishing world and in the magical realm of independent bookstores. I worked in a lovely indie store/art gallery in historic downtown Memphis before I packed up my child and my dreams and moved to . I worked my way up in a big publishing house, while moonlighting at an indie science fiction bookstore. My world then is as it is now—surrounded by books. I found myself completely engaged by smart people who loved everything about books . All that time I was writing and writing. I sought opportunities to learn more, so I attended writers’ workshops and listened to those who could offer insights on how to approach this thing best. Of course I got a ton of contradictory advice, but it was all quite good. I worked to incorporate the things that made the most sense for me and my family. Finally I gained the confidence to send my work out and begin the cycle that is natural to all writers’ lives, rejection and acceptance, sometimes hand-in- hand! My poetry and short stories appear in literary journals and magazines such as Callaloo, Eleven, Eleven, Harpur Palate, Meridians, StorySouth, Strange Horizons, Mythic Delirium, Obsidian, Drumvoices Revue, African Voices, and in numerous excellent anthologies, including The Moment of Change: Feminist Speculative Poetry, So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mojo: Conjure Stories , Mythic 2, Southern Revival, Hurricane Blues, Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, Bronx Biannual II, Temba Tupu! (Walking Naked): Africana Women’s Poetic Self-Portrait , and The Ringing Ear: Poets Lean South . I also am featured in the collection, Language Is a Place of Struggle: Great Quotes by People of Color and in Notable Black Memphians by historian Miriam DeCosta-Willis. Contrary to what some think, writing is not free. It takes more than perseverance and dedication to do it. It takes time and resources to carve out the space and focus to create new work. When I mentioned a writing experience I wanted to pursue, but soon talked myself out of it, a good friend gave me some great advice. He said, “Sheree, why in the world would you close the door in your own face? If they tell you ‘no,’ then so be it, but you owe it to yourself to try! All it’s going to cost you is some postage.” He was so right. I have been honored with fellowships from the Cave Canem Foundation, the New York Foundation of the Arts, and I also received the Lee Hope Fellowship for Diverse Voices and the Ledig House / LEF Foundation Fellowship for Fiction. My work was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, two Rhysling Awards, and received Honorable Mention in The Year’s Best Fantasy & Horror (16 th &17 th annual editions). I also was commissioned by the Studio Museum in Harlem to write original work for the Bill Traylor, William Edmondson, Modernist Impulse exhibit with artist Chris Ofili. I was thrilled to have this opportunity because these fellow Southern artists who labored long ago, continue to inspire me. My various interests have led me to write essays, articles, and critical reviews for publications as diverse as The New York Times, , Essence, Upscale, The Cascadia Subduction Zone, Rap Pages, and Vibe. A teaching artist who has taught creative writing in classrooms, universities, and community arts organizations around the country and in London, I am also an indie publisher. My Wanganegresse Press published Mojo Rising: Confessions of the 21 st Century Conjureman by Arthur Flowers and SCARAB, a limited edition hand-sewn Coptic bound anthology. I also co-founded Anansi: Fiction of the African Diaspora in 1999 . I curated the New York Review of Science Fiction reading series at Dixon Place, named in 2002 as the Best Geek Culture Readings by BEST OF NEW YORK© in The Village Voice. Over the years I have also served as a juror for the Speculative Literature Foundation, the Carl Brandon Society, and the James Tiptree, Jr. Awards. Whenever possible, I try to support artists organizations that are focused on helping talented writers do what they do best—write! Dark Matter I: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora; Dark Matter: Reading the Bones; So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction and Fantasy. Sheree Thomas, ed ., Dark Matter I: A Century of Speculative Fiction from the African Diaspora (New York: Warner Books, 2000). Sheree Thomas, ed ., Dark Matter: Reading the Bones (New York: Warner Books, 2004). Nalo Hopkinson and Uppinder Mehan, eds ., So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction and Fantasy (Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2004). Martin Delany, Sutton Griggs, Charles Chesnutt, Pauline E. Hopkins, W.E.B. Du Bois -- black people have always written speculative fiction. And, within the purist sci-fi world Samuel Delany, our dearly beloved Octavia Butler (1947-2006), and Charles Saunders have made a huge impact. They broke open the doors of sci-fi and introduced black characters who were at home in their “alien” forms in their “alien” lands, subjects rather than objects of a gaze, pondering, negotiating their positions in their “alien” worlds. Their characters have taken on the ills of our society, reconstructed them, and have thrown them right back into our faces. Yes, Delany, Butler, and Saunders have been welcomed into the fold of the sci-fi community, but it is only in the past six to eight years that the sci-fi community, more specifically the publishing industry, has even considered the possibility not only that blacks (and other people of color) write sci-fi but that there is an overwhelmingly huge audience, desirous, chomping at the bit for more, more speculative fiction written by us, about us, for us, for everyone. Why? Speculative fiction opens a space, like no other, where blacks can explore the full range of possibilities available to us in “our world.” Walter Mosley believes that speculative fiction is a genre that “speaks most clearly to those who are dissatisfied with the way things are: adolescents, post- adolescents, escapists, dreamers, and those who have been made to feel powerless” ( Dark Matter I , 405). And, so it goes in the three edited works containing what can only be called a fascinating introduction to the world of speculative fiction. Sheree Thomas’s two volumes of Dark Matter and Nalo Hopkinson Uppinder Mehan’s volume, So Long Been Dreaming perform three objectives. They introduce the uninitiated to an amazing breadth and depth of speculative fiction and multi-talented writers who have been keeping the trail clear behind those who first blazed it before them. These volumes for the uninitiated are an achingly sweet form of foreplay, suggesting what lies ahead if they choose to explore further. For the initiated, these volumes are the syrup, whipped cream, and nuts atop a solid foundation of fandom. Finally, these volumes provide a platform, a safe space, as it were, to protest, to lament, to record the atrocities. to look horror and one’s worse fears (which can be a horror) in the face. Hopkinson puts it best in the introduction to So Long Been Dreaming , stating that these stories “…take the meme of colonizing the natives and, from the experience of the colonizee, critique it, pervert it, fuck with it, with irony, with anger, with humour, and also, with love and respect for the genre of science fiction that makes it possible to think about new ways of doing things” (9). Both volumes of Dark Matter have a fiction and an essay section. In volume I, Walter Mosley implores more African Americans to write science fiction and fantasy and, naturally, implores publishers to publish them. Mosley posits that science fiction can “tear down the walls and windows, the artifice and laws by changing the logic, empowering the disenfranchised, or simply by asking, what if?” (407) But that “what if?” goes deeper than “what if we can explore space?” or “what if there are alien life forms?” or “what if we totally destroy the earth’s environment to our ultimate destruction and death?” Well… yes. Even readers who aren’t fans of speculative fiction can wrap their minds around those kinds of truths and possibilities. The stories in these three volumes do consider these kinds of questions and they readily embrace advancements in science, technology, and medicine. But, these stories put a slight twist on the readers’ considerations of “what if?” The authors look back as well as ahead and this results in tales forged together to teach us not to trust, just in case the future holds something so unthought of, so unheard of -- these tales are warnings. Volume I of Dark Matter shares with the reader the old guard. Thomas includes W.E.B. Du Bois’s 1920 tale, “The Comet,” which speculates upon the terror and the position of a black man who survives the deadly gases that are emitted when earth passes through the tail of an unusual comet as he searches for other survivors. Thomas also includes an excerpt from George S. Schuyler’s hilarious satire Black No More (1931), which explores race relations and race politics once a “mad” scientist reveals that he can make black people white. These truly are “what if?” tales, and readers will gasp and chuckle with delight. Yet, the eerie aspect of all three volumes is the tales that they have in common, what I call the slave trade-cultural genocide tale, for lack of a better phrase. Volume I of Dark Matter , which is an extremely intense, almost heavy, weight-bearing experience, includes Derrick Bell’s “Space Traders” (1992), a tale of political intrigue in the face of America’s depleted resources, faltering economy, and ruined environment. When the aliens come to earth to bring gold, fuel, and chemicals to repair the environment, Americans will have to make a “fair” trade -- all of their citizens of African descent. Bell uses this tale to critique both the liberal and conservative political fronts as well as past political maneuvers such as the World War II Japanese internment camps. Yet, his critique does not lead to the ending that we hope for in our future, but points to that fear that unadmittedly, perhaps subconsciously, lingers, shut away in a tight place, in the minds of so many African Americans today. Despite all of our contributions, all of our sacrifices to our country, is it possible that we aren’t citizens, don’t belong, are objects of barter and negotiation? In other words, are we still classified as non-human? In a similar vein, Devorah Major explores the futuristic status of those of the darker hue in her story “Trade Winds” in Hopkinson and Mehan’s volume of postcolonial science fiction and fantasy writing. Jonah is an accomplished translator and has traveled all over the galaxy learning the languages of other galaxy forms. No other translator has his abilities and talents. This is why Jonah has been selected to speak with another life form, the voyagers who have no home planet but simply travel throughout the galaxy learning new cultures, languages, and stories. Jonah has to negotiate a trade for water as the supply on the research/explorer ship he inhabits is dangerously low. After weeks of negotiations, the voyagers offer another “fair” trade -- a ton of water in exchange for the brown-skinned Jonah. Although Jonah refuses, he learns that his fate might not be in his own hands. Unlike Bell, who is quite blunt with his social critique, Major is more subtle and critiques first and third world slavery as well as the capitalization of the world’s natural resources. It is in the small tight sentences spoken between Jonah and the voyager’s negotiator that the reader is gripped suddenly by the collar. Jonah wakes up to find that “he was sold for water” and asks the voyager translator, “How could you make me an object of trade?” The voyager replies, “You are truly free.” Jonah’s response? “I was already free” (198f). And throughout the story, seemingly small, quiet images like this one cry out to be thoroughly explored and discussed with others. Although the stories in Volume II of Dark Matter seem slightly less heavy than those in volume I, they are still rather intense. It appears as if volume II encompasses a group of characters who, rather than face hopelessness, take on a cloak of survival by which they will negotiate and maneuver as necessary to ensure their existence. It is a refreshing volume despite the intensity of stories like Wanda Coleman’s “Buying Primo Time” (1988). A Population Control Amendment has been passed in the 22nd Century, and the poor and the working class can insure their time on earth by purchasing a breathing permit, cost of which is determined by their importance to society. Della Niobe an African American artist and single mother is so savvy, so flippant, so cunning in her quest to demonstrate the importance of an artist that the reader is not horrified by her methods but applauds Della and her resourcefulness and eagerly cheers her on. Every one of the stories in these three volumes has something to offer the fan of and the newcomer to speculative fiction. But, these stories cannot be merely for our entertainment. Although they are quite entertaining, they are also thought-provoking. I have to, the reader will have to, seriously contemplate our positions in our society, in our universe. In 1974 Ray Bradbury defined science fiction as “sociological studies of the future, things that the writer believes are going to happen by putting two and two together.”* I have to ponder, is this the future we see for people of color on earth? Sold into slavery? Traded for favors? Beaten into oblivion? I hope not. Not if we take this wealth of material and accept it as the warning that it is. If we taste of it and roll it on our tongues, mull it over carefully, we might can prevent a future like the ones depicted in some of these stories. Note. *In Science Fiction: The Academic Awakening. Ed. Willis E. McNelly (Shreveport, LA: College English Association, 1974), p.17.