Binti (novella)
![]() Paperback edition | |
Author | Nnedi Okorafor |
---|---|
Language | English |
Genre | Science fiction |
Published | 2015 |
Publisher | Tor Books |
Publication place | United States |
Pages | 96 |
ISBN | 978-0-7653-8525-3 |
Followed by | Binti: Home |
Binti is a science fiction novella written by Nnedi Okorafor.[1] The novella was published in 2015 by Tor.com. Binti is the first novella in Okorafor's Binti novella series.[2]
Binti won multiple prominent literary awards, including the 2016 Hugo Award for Best Novella and the 2016 Nebula Award for the same category.[1][3]
Plot
A young woman named Binti is the first member of the Himba ethnic group on Earth (closely modeled on the Himba people)[4] to be accepted into the prestigious intergalactic university, Oomza Uni. Upon being notified of her acceptance, Binti runs away from home and boards a transport ship to Oomza Uni. While in transit, the ship is hijacked by the Meduse, a jellyfish-like alien species that have previously been at war with the Khoush, another human ethnic group. After the Meduse murder all other inhabitants of the ship, Binti retreats into her private living quarters. She subsequently discovers that a piece of ancient technology she had brought with her from Earth, referred to as her edan, enables direct communication with the Meduse, and that her otjize, a type of mixed clay made from the soil of her homeland, has healing properties when applied to the tentacles of the Meduse. She makes a friend in one of the younger, more hot-headed Meduse, named Okwu, and subsequently brokers a tentative truce between herself and the hijackers, a truce that entails Binti's profound physical transformation. Upon arrival at the University, she is able to negotiate a short lasting peace between the Meduse and the human race, after which she begins her studies at Oomza Uni in earnest.[5]
Awards and nominations
- 2016 Hugo Award winner for Best Novella[6]
- 2015 Nebula Award winner for Best Novella[3]
- 2016 BookTube SFF Award winner for Best Novella (popular vote)[7]
- 2015 BSFA Award finalist for Best Short Story[8]
- 2016 British Fantasy Award finalist for Best Novella[9]
- 2016 Locus Award finalist for Best Novella[10]
Sequels
The novella has two sequels.[2] The first, Binti: Home, was released on January 31, 2017.[11] The third and final installment, Binti: The Night Masquerade, was released in January 2018, and was nominated for the 2019 Hugo Award for Best Novella.[12][13]
References
- ^ a b Barnett, David (21 August 2016). "Hugo awards see off rightwing protests to celebrate diverse authors". The Guardian.
- ^ a b Harris, Lee (27 April 2016). "Nnedi Okorafor Pens Two More Binti Tales". Tor.com. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
- ^ a b "Nebula Award Winners Announced". Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. 2016.
- ^ "On that Rabid Puppies thing and my Hugo Award-winning novella Binti". Retrieved 2017-03-14.
- ^ Okorafor, Nnedi (2015). Binti. Tor.com. ISBN 978-0765385253. Excerpt available at Tor.com.
- ^ "2016 Hugo Awards Announced". The Hugo Awards. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "BooktubeSFF Awards". booktubesffawards.tumblr.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "BSFA Awards 2015 Shortlist announced". BSFA - The official website of the British Science Fiction Association. 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "Announcing the 2016 British Fantasy Award Winners". Tor.com. 2016-09-26. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ Publications, Locus. "Locus Online News » 2016 Locus Awards Finalists". www.locusmag.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "Binti: Home". Tor.com. 2017-01-24. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
- ^ "Binti: The Night Masquerade | Nnedi Okorafor | Macmillan". US Macmillan. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
- ^ "Hugo Finalists for 2019". Retrieved 2 April 2019.