Nnedi Okorafor (born Nnedimma Nkemdili Okorafor, previously known as Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, April 8, 1974) is a Nigerian-American writer of fantasy prose fiction and comic books.
Okorafor was born in the United States to two Igbo Nigerian immigrant parents. She has a doctorate in English and is a professor at Chicago State University. She is inspired by Octavia Butler, Stephen King, Philip Pullman, Tove Jansson, Hayao Miyazaki and Ngugi wa Thiong'o.
Her first novel, Zahrah the Windseeker, was published in 2005. She mainly writes Urban Fantasy books that are based on Nigerian myths and culture. She also averts most Medieval European Fantasy tropes in her novels, her novels being examples of Africanfuturism.
Okorafor also writes comics. Her first Marvel work, Black Panther: Long Live the King, was published in 2017. She followed that series with other Black Panther-adjacent titles, namely the Dora Milaje storyline Wakanda Forever, and Shuri, featuring the titular younger sister of T'Challa.
Selected Bibliography:
Prose Fiction
- Zahrah the Windseeker (2005) (as Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu)
- The Shadow Speaker (2007) (as Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu)
- Long Juju Man (2009)
- Who Fears Death (2010)
- Akata Witch (2011)
- Iridessa and the Fire-Bellied Dragon Frog (2011)
- Iridessa and the Secret of the Never Mine (2012)
- Kabu-Kabu (2013)
- Lagoon (2014)
- The Book of Phoenix (2015)
- Binti (2015)
- Binti: Home (2017)
- Akata Warrior (2017)
- Ikenga (2020)
- Remote Control (2021)
- Noor (2021)
- Akata Woman (2022)
Marvel Comics
- Black Panther: Long Live the King (2017 — 2018)
- Venomverse War Stories — "Blessing in Disguise" (2018)
- Wakanda Forever (2018)
- Shuri (2018)
Other comics
- LaGuardia (2018) (According to Word of God, set in the same continuity as the prose novel Lagoon)
