Saturday, October 28, 2017

AFROFuturism Needs More Evil Black Villains!



Great Fiction is driven by forces of extreme evil -- individuals and organizations willing to reject existing circumstances and use maleficence for unconventional goals. In popular fiction, these are the bad guys. Sherlock Holmes has his deadly nemesis, Professor Moriarty,  who sought world dominance. But villainy is more than the Batman against the Joker or Superman vs. Lex Luthor and other similar overworked themes.

Villains can have fearsome power; they have the ability to change the narrative and build a future based on their whims. This is a task not for the weak. 

In AFROFuturism, we need literary villains to reek dire havoc on society and make it responsive to the needs of people of color; because on occasion, the faces of Black villains become interchangeable with champions who can alter our day-to-day lives and offer freedom. Thus, they bring awesome weapons to the arena. 


Tell your local Black writers to give us more bad guys of African descent. Only they can save us from the greater evils that we face in our novels and reality. Sometimes, you need evil to fight evil for the good of all us. Villains, at least for a period of time, can be the winners.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

The First Empire to Strike Back!

Take A Look at an AFROFuturism Masterpiece


In the 1930s, George Schuyer, an ultra conservative Black writer, published a satirical attack against Marcus Garvey, the Black church, the Harlem Renaissance and other rising AFROCentric movements during a difficult time in America for  multiculturism. Schuyler considered his writings to be a hilarious joke as "hokum and hack work of the purest vein." 

Yet, for more than two years, Schuyler's serialized exploits of a ruthless Black genius who actively plotted to conquer Western civilization, captured legions of enthusiastic Black readers. They were fascinated by a fictional organization that created futuristic technology to change Black lives.

During the ugly economic collapse of the Great Depression, nearly a decade before World War II,  popular sci-fi media of the time exalted the exploits of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers in movie theaters and radio, but only in the pulp magazines and newspapers which sold for pennies The Black Internationale: Story of Black Genius Against the World and the sequel, Black Empire: An Imaginative Story of a Great New Civilization in Modern Africa appeared and was passed hand-to-hand among Black readers who marveled at the mere speculation of a future when people of color were masters of technology and able to chart their destinies. Originally written under the pseudonym, Samuel I. Brooks, George Schuyler penned for the black weekly newspaper, The Pittsburgh Courier,  the story of Carl Slater, who accidentally witnesses a white woman's murder in Harlem.  Slater is drawn into the machinations of the deadly Dr. Henry Belsidus, leader of the Black Internationale, an elite organization of Black professionals determined to liberate Africa and restore Blacks to their rightful position of dominance on the planet. The calculating Belsidus seems maniacal, but he  reveals to Slater a cunning plan:

"My son, all great schemes appear mad in the beginning.  Christians, Communists, Fascists and Nazis were at first called scary.  Success made them sane.  With brains, courage and wealth even the most  fantastic scheme can become a reality.  I have dedicated my life, Slater, to destroying white world supremacy.  My ideal and objective is very frankly to cast down Caucasians and elevate the colored  people in their places.  I plan to do this by every means within my power.  I intend to stop at nothing, Slater, whether right or wrong.  Right is success.  Wrong is failure.  I will not fail because  I am ruthless.  Those who fail are them men who get sentimental, who weaken, who balk at a little bloodshed.  Such vermin deserve to fail.  Every great movement the world has ever seen has  collapsed because it grew weak.  I shall never become weak, nor shall I ever tolerate weakness around me.  Weakness means failure, Slater, and I do not intend to fail."

Sorry! You were not the first.


Written at the break-neck speed of  a "Perils of Pauline" weekly melodrama, every chapter in Black Empire is booby-trapped with dire dangers and neck-twisting turnabouts.

Star Wars' Luke and Hans faced evil Darth Vader and supernatural forces. In the 1930s, AFROFuturists like George Schuyer were building hope by envisioning Black women and men of power to inspire and enlighten.

The world needs strong black villains and great heroes to confront them. We need AFROFuturism.

Photo Credit: Sorry, I found Afro Hans and Leia on the Internet randomly. I would love to give the rightful creator due credit for borrowing this image. E-mail me. Thanks.



Saturday, July 29, 2017

Southern Ghosts & AFRO Horror

The South is Alive with Dead AFRO Spooks

When Africans against their will were brought to the Americas, their vengeful gods and dire demons came with them in anger and lust for human souls. So be wary of the knocking noises from the locked door in the rear of the house.  Fear the large tree in the backyard that moans in the breeze as branches sway towards you.

Maggie pouted. “I thought you were a top notch reporter. Did you research anything relevant for this story?”

“Of course,” said Quinton refocusing his attention on his job instead of her exposed, smooth thigh. “Your big tree out back is supposed to be haunted just like every other large tree in North Carolina. Evidently, a runaway slave on his way to sanctuary in the Great Dismal Swamp was caught and chained to this particular tree as a bloody lesson for other runaways that came this way. But these slave catchers were a really sadistic bunch of Appalachian inbreeds. They kept the runaway alive, and had a big celebration. Big party. Booze, fiddlers, games, and feast. They expertly carved off pieces of the man and made stew. Fingers, toes, ears, hands, skin were all part of the main dish. Legend tells us that the man survived for nearly 6 days in incredible pain. His wails could be heard for miles around. But the slave catchers just prodded their musicians to play a little louder and they danced a little harder.

"On the morning of day 7, a decision was made to finish the meal and head back home in the hills. But a thick fog rushed in and the man, or what was left of him vanished in an instant. Only his bloody chains wrapped around the trunk remained as if the tree had swallowed him whole. The white men pondered what to do next. A group picked up their axes and saws and agreed to hack down the tree. As they approached the giant oak, however, leaves began rustling, then the branches of the tree shook violently while its roots angrily rose up out of the ground and began clawing and ripping human flesh. The slave catchers tried to run away but a howling African tree demon strangled all of the men except for one who somehow got away.”

Quinton shuddered. “The story is told in various versions. But the end result is the same.”

Maggie rocked in her chair quietly for a few moments. Then she offered, “Lemonade?”

                 -- Excerpt from "The Lynching" in the AFRO Sci-fi Anthology. Available "free" at Amazon for a limited time.

The Southern states of the USA are rich in history and mysticism. It is a delicious blend of native Americans, African laborers, and European colonialists. Stir in deadly snake and gator infested wetlands, mysterious coastal islands inhabited by plantation escapees, Black Cajuns thriving in the deepest recesses of the Bayou. Picture the infamous "shotgun house" where many stories of horror and heroism were conjured.

Every culture from every inhabited continent on the planet has ghost stories.  Likewise, Africans and the Disapora have a lot to scare us with as well as enlighten.


Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Winning The Great War of Africa

World History is Littered with "Great Wars"

Conflicts are inevitable.

Asian warriors on horseback swept over the northern hemisphere in early history to eventually mold Western Civilization.

Great Britain's mighty sailing fleets later dominated and terrorized nearly every nation on the planet.

Human interactions escalated into World War I and World War II killing more than 100 million men, women and children via ingenious death tech such as deadly gas, automated killing and mechanical behemoths.

Africa suffered and prospered in this caldron of destruction

European colonialism has ripped from Africa, trillions of dollars in mineral wealth, pristine forests, precious wildlife and human labor. 

Diverse communities that peacefully co-existed for hundreds of years became vicious adversaries after greedy industrialists sliced up an entire continent for selfish profits. 

Bloody atrocities and senseless chaos destroyed the homes and livelihoods of entire nations – creating and intensifying the "Great War of Africa".   

This conflict was fought for possession of commodities such as rubber, iron, copper, uranium, rare earths and of course oil.  Now, as natural resources dwindle and humanity is confronted with dire climate challenges, this continuing war could destabilize the entire planet, pushing civilization back into the stone-age for a convenient reset or total extinction. 

However, Africa is on the edge of a Renaissance. The Ancestors begin to smile on us.

Communities find plausible solutions to stop famine on a continent that is abundant with food resources; as well as end illiteracy where writing was created. AFROFuturism can inspire us to cooperate and flourish in the 21st century rejecting antiquated social restrictions.

These are the moral objectives:     

1) Sustainable economic fair trade within Africa and its diaspora scattered around the world.

2) Public healthcare, renewable energy and universal education for everyone regardless of income, age, gender, religion or historical background.

3) Global councils of women and men who ignore language, skin color or political affiliation for the greater good. We are all African who should be willing to share the wealth and bounty of our planet.

Our world relies on fruitful interactions between science and magic bringing security and prosperity. Philosophy and global laws are essential for stability and growth.  Early education and life-long learning offer channels away from fear, violence, despair and dysfunction.

But it takes great leaders to manage the tedious cycle of warfare and prosperity.

We now need to build a Great Peace of Africa by any means necessary -- death is life.

Thus, using hidden sorcery, we must dare to reach back into our history and bring forth a king to become master of our modern world. We will worship him and learn from his flaws. Expect ample human sacrifice.

________________

Note from the author: (AFROFuturism takes us to strange places and hopefully, enlightenment. Read the Book.)

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Cilmate Change: An Insane Conspiracy

In my upcoming book "Insane Messiah," I propose that rich people and multinational corporations were well-aware that climate change was happening and impossible to stop. Therefore, in self-preservation, segments of humanity began to buy mountaintops and build orbiting platforms in space to continue their domination of the planet and making profits. Professor Jeffery Slatery, who is slightly insane believes that there are also other elements in play: Earth itself is fighting back.

In today's reality,  energy companies and global financial entities have exchanged documents that confirm that the environment is heating up, sea levels are rising, storms are more violent as a direct result of human activity over the last hundred years. But in the name of "holy" profits, money is spent to convince non-thinking populations that climate change is a hoax.

But look at Miami, New York City or San Francisco that are major conclaves of the super rich who gradually shift their power centers to higher, dryer environments while sternly proclaiming there is nothing to fear. Super tornadoes ripping though our cities is a fluke. Flooding is normal. Droughts can be expected. This is a reminiscence of 1960s tobacco companies that assured us, "smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, won't hurt you, honest."  Or, today's food companies that proclaim, "a little fructose sugar in everything you eat makes you live longer." There is nothing to worry about, just keep doing what you do everyday.

My fictional Professor J Slatery preaches that we should work with the planet to heal it or at least allow it to remain semi-habitable for human beings even if some creatures  prefer a hotter, wetter climate with fewer dry lands and fewer humans. That is what Slatery believes.  Of course, he is "nutz;" he talks to plants and he doesn't listen to Fox News.

The real insanity revolves around deniers and enablers; people who would sacrifice human existence because of ignorance or greed.  Unfortunately, we have a United States presidency that suffers from both ailments.





Thursday, March 9, 2017

The New Presidency


Don't dare call him president Trump.  He is simply "45" (the 45th person to legally occupy the White House as leader of the USA).  The truth is, 45 is a bad person. 45 doesn't know the American Dream.   He conned people to vote for him. People who desperately needed jobs and medicine yet felt abandoned by the political system. The Democrats did their best to lose the election by not talking to the people who were hurting the most. 

We must do everything in our power to understand why voters supported this Trump lunatic.  Neither political party gave us a real choice (Bernie was an option).  Therefore, we must consider the following:

a) The gap between the rich and poor has become obscene. The greed of the 1% is horrific. A small tax increase on  Richie Rich and the defense complex could benefit us all. Roads and bridges could be fixed. Every American could get free college education and health insurance. The economy would grow.

b) Elements of the modern media (Fox, Brietbart, etc) are overwhelming us with false representation of the facts of life to brainwash, confuse and enslave just to make the ruling elite richer. Rabid Islamic raiders are NOT rushing our borders.

c) Basic Human rights -- shelter, healthcare, education -- are being crushed. Ruling political families  believe that people of lesser means want to stay poor and live on the cold streets of America. Every human being deserves a chance to prosper, regardless of their status in life.

d) 45 could stumble into an atomic World War III via midnight tweets. He is controlled by foreign powers that want America weakened and democracy destabilized. Only the radioactive cockroaches will survive. So Trump may still be crawling around in the ashes of what he is creating.

We must spread the word. We can stop this.


Wednesday, March 1, 2017

A Different Review of "Get Out"

A lot has been said and written about Jordan Peele's AFROCentric horror flick "Get Out". The production has captured great reviews and audiences around the country seem to like it--laughing and applauding at the appropriate moments. However, take a different approach that may seem contradictory.

First of all, "Get Out" is not just a "black" film; however, knowing Hollywood, we can expect to see hundreds of knock-off movies based on the "black" horror theme now it has been proven that money can be made from the African American movie clientele.

You could easily switch out the characters and still have a decent movie. The African color adds a special layer of introspection and fun.

The movie employs all the popular tropes of a horror film: boyfriend meets strange family, a party with weird guests,  freaky parents, and a basement were the blood and gore reside. But we so seldom see this genre with black faces that is like feeding raw meat to alligators. There is a frenzy of excitement. The producers exploited all of our "race porn" stereotypes -- i.e.,  Guess Who is coming to Dinner , Blacula and OJ.

This is good movie to see. Be prepare for the tsunami of black horror flicks to come.

Sunday, February 5, 2017


There are many methods to prevent a Trump Dystopia as long as we are willing to RESIST.

1.  Download the Indivisible GuideA practical guide for resisting the Trump agenda. Former congressional staffers reveal best practices for making Congress listen.

2. VOTE: We have to vote in local and national elections. We must know who we are voting for.  Therefore, check your local government websites and follow your local politicians.


Thursday, November 17, 2016

American Dystopia 2017 

Election night November 8, 2016, dealt a serious setback to America. This sad state of affairs was first predicted more than 100 years ago.

The Iron Heel
by
Jack London


The all-powerful super rich rulers of America are challenged by a bold political movement to bring true economic freedom and equal justice to all people regardless of community status, race or gender. 

However, a profit-driven Oligarchy quickly retaliates by crushing a first and second social revolution. 

In his prophetic novel published in 1908, Jack London, one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity status, conjured up a horrific tale that we may be experiencing today in reality.

See my upcoming book review and commentary on the speculative fiction novel: The Iron Heel.You can download the book at Amazon or Project Gutenberg.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Diverse Writers and Artists of Speculative Fiction

Presents:



Creators of
AFROFuturism
Workshop

A Free forum on why and how we should develop stories in science fiction, fantasy and horror.

Featuring speculative fiction authors Cerece Rennie Murphy, William Jones, Stafford Battle, B. Sharise Moore, Diane Williams, and K. Ceres Wright.


11 AM  to 3 PM
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Long Branch Library
8800 Garland Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910


"This workshop will help people to create high-quality fiction that accurately portrays people of color." -- K. Ceres Wright, President and founder of DWASF


We must Vote this November

Don't vote for this dummy!