Who Fears Death

When I first ordered Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor, I was worried that it would a disappointing–or worse–irritating read. The writing seemed stiff, I didn’t know the author, and the plot threatened to turn into yet another girl-goes-on-a-magical-journey-to-save-her-people epic. However, what I found instead was a lyrical story that is by turns funny, instructive, horrifying, and beautiful. Our hero is a young woman named Onyesonwu, which means “Who Fears Death?” She is a child of rape living in a post-apocalyptic world where ancient magic and present conflicts take on a futuristic cast. With the help of her incredible powers, Onyesonwu attempts to stem the racial conflicts that continue to boil the landscape of what was once Sudan. Her battle for peace turns stereotypes on their heads, not to mention the laws of reality. Okorafor has built an impossible world where hate can be cured, ghost trees are homicidal, people live inside sandstorms, and the act of conception can be weaponized. However, she also teaches us some very real lessons about trauma, sacrifice, and the eternal battle between love and hate. Her characters are carefully built, complicated structures that we grow to believe in and understand. Who Fears Death is a intense, rich story that will take your breath away. I’m going to request more Nnedi Okorafor for Christmas, and I think you shouldld, too.