Earlier in the month, my debut novel Birth of Orisha had its first cover reveal on Open Country Magazine. The follow up to that is here; the rest of the cover, and an interview that delves into Afrocosmology, what’s an ArtæFACT, which the book is, and more.
But before we jump into that. First, a recap. The front cover, done by John Jennings…
It has a back cover, done by Ozobiani Ezeogu
Together, they come together to make a wraparound, one cohesive image, the book’s dust jacket. It’s something I wanted done by two masters. Well three, considering the spine, designed by Wilson Oghenemudiakevwe Ofiavwe.
You can see my interview on all this, how the covers and spine work together, what they are supposed to do, and what Afrocosmology and an ArtæFACT are. It’s on Brittlepaper here.
Some more info on the artists and people who work on the book.
John Jennings is a New York Times bestselling Hugo, Eisner and NAACP Image award winning artist, writer and scholar. John Jennings is a Professor of Media and Cultural Studies at the University of California at Riverside (UCR). He is the co-founder/organizer of The Schomburg Center’s Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem. He is co-founder and organizer of the MLK NorCal’s Black Comix Arts Festival in San Francisco and also SOL-CON: The Brown and Black Comix Expo at the Ohio State University. He, (alongside Damian Duffy) adapted the graphic novels of Octavia Butler’s novels Kindred, and Parable of the Sower. He is also the publisher and founder of Megascope, a graphic novel imprint at Abrams ComicArts.
Ozobiani Ezeogu is a Nigerian painter, illustrator and concept artist. His works have been featured in The Guardian, BBC and others.
Wilson Oghenemudiakevwe Ofiavwe “Mudi” is a multidisciplinary designer and founder of madebymudi, a creative studio working across brand identity, editorial, and digital design. He has collaborated with international brands and independent creators alike, bringing a detail-driven approach to every project.
Interior artists:
Carlos Ramos Leon – an artist who has worked on Marvel’s I Am Groot and Ironheart
Rita Odum
Sample art from the Interior
More info on the book itself
Birth of Orisha is the first book in The Orisha Cycle trilogy, with the other books titled War of Orisha and Death of Orisha. It is due for publication on the 16th of February, Black History Month, 2027.
The story is set in the near-far future where nuclear war has wiped out nearly all life in Africa. The people of Ife-Iyoku, formerly Ile-Ife, the birthplace of all life, are protected and transformed by the power of the place, evolving and gaining powers to survive. The place is protected and ringed by the forest of fears, which holds the radiation from reaching them, but also keeps them trapped in and separated from the rest of the world which has abandoned and forgotten them, as they begin to die out.
It’s an expansion of Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki’s Nebula, BSFA & Sturgeon award nominated, Otherwise and Nommo award winning novella Ife-Iyoku, The Tale of Imadeyunuagbon.
The book in its literal Introduction, introduces the sub genre and framework Afrocosmology, which I created and coined. The book also explores the prior framework and subgenre Afropantheology, which I created alongside Joshua Uchenna Omenga, in our Publishers Weekly Starred debut collection, Between Dystopias: The Road To Afropantheology.
Birth of Orisha is what I call an ArtæFACT, a new literary form, whose creation was necessary for the telling of this story, and which I say more about, in the Brittlepaper interview.
Birth of Orisha has, before its publication, made the shortlist of the Santa Fe Writers Prize, out of thousands of submissions, the only work by an African Writer to do so.
Blurbs
“A wondrous melting pot of African mythos, post-apocalyptic science fiction, and epic fantasy. Birth of Orisha is a tale with texture, culture, and fine storytelling.”
Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Dune: House Atreides.
“Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki takes us exploring the rich borderlands that range between science fiction and the parent genres, those of myth, legend and religion. Enriched by African traditions, Ekpeki’s Afropantheology & Afrocosmology quest is like no other.”
David Brin, Hugo, Nebula & Locus award winner, author of The Postman, Foundation’s Triumph (The Second Foundation Trilogy #2)
“From one of the most honored voices in 21st-century speculative fiction comes this compelling and totally original tale. Exciting, moving, and suffused on every page with a deep concern for the moral issues not just of his native Africa but for our whole wide world, Birth of Orisha is the brilliant debut novel from Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki we’ve all been so eagerly awaiting, and it’s been worth the wait.”
Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Downloaded
“Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is a force of nature. The world of fantastic fiction is not the same now that his voice has risen to share his unforgettable stories.”
Tananarive Due (THE REFORMATORY), American Book Award winner.
“Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is one of the freshest and brilliant voices in SFF right now. Whether creating stories of near future dystopias or the abstract horror of the slush pile, Ekpeki writes with a witty insight into the human condition that is at once wry and visceral. As if all the awards and nominations aren’t clear enough, this is one name to look out for.”
P. Djéli Clark, award winning author of Ring Shout
“Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki is producing some of the most important new work in our field and I can’t wait to see what he’s going to do next.”
Pat Cadigan. Hugo, Arthur C Clarke award winning author of Fools, & Synners
“One of the most fascinating voices to grace the genre in recent years, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki’s wild and electric imagination spins out sharp, wicked and funny ideas with effortless ease.”
Adrian Tchaikovsky, Hugo and Arthur C Clarke award winning author of Children of Time
Birth of Orisha is currently on pre-order in the following places
Amazon
Walmart
Bank Square Books
BooksAmillion
Bookshop.org
Kings’s Books
Kobo
Libro.fm
