Synopses & Reviews
When enslaved people were brought from the western part of Africa to the Americas, they were forbidden to speak their native languages or practice their religions in the New World.
Review
"Magic is an ultimate act of presumption. It is tricky, powerful, and often dangerous."
The author of Skin Folk and Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson is renowned for combining urban literary sensibilities with the rich lore of African-Caribbean cultures. Now, in a powerful anthology of nineteen original stories that explore the perils of personal magic, she brings together some of the most honored voices in modern fantasy and brilliant new talents of African Diaspora fiction. Exploding the myths of zombies and voodoo curses, these narratives range from the ancient rites of the Ibo to the bellies of slave ships, from '20s Jim Crow to '60s Black Power, from unmarked graves at midnight to quiet suburbs at dawn and prove that where heartache and faith meet, you will find the crossroads for conjuring magic.
Stories included in this collection are:
"Daddy Mention and the Monday Skull," by Andy Duncan
"Rosamojo," by Kiini Ibura Salaam
23 "Lark till Dawn, Princess," by Barth Anderson
"Heartspace," by Steven Barnes
"The Prowl," by Gregory Frost
"Fate," by Jenise Aminoff
"Trial Day," by Tananarive Due
"The Skinned," by Jarla Tangh
"Death's Dreadlocks," by Tobias S. Buckell
"Asuquo, or The Winds of Harmattan," by Nnedima Okorafor
"The Horsemen and the Morning Star," by Barbara Hambly
"She'd Make a Dead Man Crawl," by Gerard Houarner
"Cooking Creole," by A. M. Dellamonica
"White Mans Trick," by Eliot Fintushel
"The Tawny Bitch," by Nisi Shawl
"Bitter Grounds," by Neil Gaiman
"Shining through 24/7," by devorah major
"Notes from a Writers Book of Cures and Spells," by Marcia Douglas
"How Sukie Cross de Big Wata," by Sheree Renee Thomas
With an introduction by Luisah Teish, spiritualist and author of Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals.
Review
"The 19 stories in this all-original anthology...skillfully blend West African magic, fantasy and horror, along with plain old-fashioned readability....Since some authors develop their themes or handle dialect better than others, the mojo level varies from story to story." Publishers Weekly
Review
"[A] balanced and satisfying collection....[A] bountiful, diverse and impressive array of story tellers....What keeps these stories connected, aside from the...mojo, is the overall quality sustained from story to story. Each voice is unique and tells a story that may awe the reader, that may resonate with the reader or that will make reader look at things in a different light than before." Rob H. Bedford, sffworld.com
Synopsis
An extraordinary collection of original stories that draws on African magic and lore is written by the finest science fiction and fantasy writers and edited by the award-winning author of "Brown Girl in the Ring."
Synopsis
An extraordinary collection of original stories that draws on African magic and lore, written by the finest SF and fantasy writers and edited by the award-winning author of Brown Girl in the Ring. When enslaved people were brought from the western part of Africa to the Americas, they were forbidden to speak their native languages or practice their religions in the New World. But their folkways survived as underground beliefs, and, in the crucible of slavery, created systems of magic and herbal lore with a particularly West African flavor. Mojo draws on the talents of writers who have a reputation for the sensitive, imaginative use of folklore and folkways in their work.
About the Author
Nalo Hopkinson lives in Toronto, Canada.
Table of Contents
Daddy mention and the Monday skull / Andy Duncan -- Rosamojo / Kiini Ibura Salaam -- Lark till dawn, Princess / Barth Anderson -- Heartspace / Steven Barnes -- The prowl / Gregory Frost -- Fate / Jenise Aminoff -- Trial day / Tananarive Due -- The skinned / Jarla Tangh -- Death's dreadlocks / Tobias S. Buckell -- Asuquo, or The winds of Hartmattan / Nnedima Okorafor -- The horsemen and the morning star / Barbara Hambly -- She'd make a dead man crawl / Gerard Houarner -- Cooking Creole / A.M. Dellamonica -- White man's trick / Eliot Fintushel -- The tawny bitch / Nisi Shawl -- Bitter Grounds / Neil Gaiman -- Shining through 24/7 / Devorah Major -- Notes from a Writer's book of cures and spells / Marcia Douglas -- How Sukie cross de big wata / Sheree Renee Thomas.