20 legendary Black science-fiction authors you need to know

Minister Faust

So far, we’ve only been speaking about American authors, but it’s not as if black science fiction is confined within the borders of a single country. Malcolm Azania, more often known by his ultra cool pen name Minister Faust, is a Kenyan-Canadian author who is so busy that you’ll feel like taking a nap after reading about all of his various projects.

It’s hard to pick just one of Faust’s works to feature here. You might go with his first published novel, The Coyote Kings of the Space-Age Bachelor Pad. That’s a comedic satire using a staggering 11 points of view. Generally, however, it follows two main characters: Hamza and Yehat. Hamza is a Sudanese-Canadian who’s a lapsed student and current dishwasher. Yehat is a Trinidadian-Canadian video store clerk and budding inventor. They get involved in an adventure that includes secret societies, magical Ancient Egyptian artifacts, and absurd magic.

Or maybe you’d prefer the War and Mir series, which includes a character caught up in an interstellar war. You could also get into The Alchemists of Kush, which follows two Sudanese “Lost Boys” who transcend war, time, and space in an attempt to change their world.

If you’re more of a comic book nerd, then chances are good that you’ll enjoy Faust’s 2007 novel, From the Notebooks of Dr. Brain. This takes the form of a fictional self-help book for superheroes, or “hyper hominids.” It combines comic book drama with the interpersonal strain of being part of the Fantastic Order of Justice.

Still not doing it for you? Faust has also written for various video games, from Mass Effect offshoots, to the galactic drama of Darkspore. He’s also a founder of Africentric Radio, which ran from 1991 to 2012, a playwright, and a tv personality on a couple different Canadian shows.