Afrofuturism 2.0 - by Reynaldo Anderson & Charles E Jones (Paperback)

About the Book

This collection examines the applicability of contemporary expressions of Afrofuturism to the fields of Africana studies, cultural studies, and other areas of academic inquiry. The essays within this book identify the twenty-first-century expressions of Afrofuturism emerging i...

Book Synopsis

This collection examines the applicability of contemporary expressions of Afrofuturism to the fields of Africana studies, cultural studies, and other areas of academic inquiry. The essays within this book identify the twenty-first-century expressions of Afrofuturism emerging in several areas of metaphysics.

Review Quotes

Afrofuturism 2.0 proves to be not only an educational experience, but a necessary provocation of questions on Pan-Arab culture, which may be read through various Palestinian states of being - whether present, absent, or imagined.... Taken from a wider perspective, Afrofuturism, as the book seeks to assert, can be moulded into a vibrant, analytical framework for exploring notions and practices of temporality in African cultural production. Indeed, the numerous studies and examples that unfold across the different parts of the book point to the rising instrumentalization of futurist and sci-fi aesthetics as important politically charged practices within contemporary Afrodiasporic culture.

Do your interest lie in the connections between music, art, science and futurity as performed and lived through Black people of the African diaspora? Or, through your engagement with popular culture, have you heard the terms AstroBlackness, Black Speculative Fiction, Afrofuturism, or Black Futurism and have wondered what they mean or what they are? If you have asked yourself these questions and want a deeper understanding than what a good Google search can provide, Reynaldo Anderson and Charles E. Jones edited volume Afrofuturism 2.0: The Rise of Astro-Blackness is the intellectually and culturally grounded place to begin your study.... Afrofuturism 2.0 should be looked upon as central read for anyone interested in the discourses of Africana diaspora and the future. For communication scholars focused on digital media, fandom, Black Geek/Nerd discourse, speculative fiction, science fiction or other discourses grounded in the Black imaginative-- essays in this volume are foundational locations for depth in analysis. It is hard to imagine discussion on the rhetoric of Black Panther, Luke Cage or DC Legends without a functional reading of Afrofuturism 2.0.

Reynaldo Anderson and Charles E. Jones assemble a remarkable collection in Afrofuturism 2.0....Anderson and Jones have taken Afrofuturism in fascinating directions, encouraging scholars to consider how the concept is expressed across media. I strongly recommend this volume to scholars and research libraries, as well as for the college classroom.

About the Author

Reynaldo Anderson is associate professor of communications at Harris-Stowe State University.

Charles E. Jones is professor and head of the Department of Africana Studies at University of Cincinnati.