Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science and history that explores the intersection of African diaspora culture with science and technology. It addresses themes and concerns of the African diaspora through technoculture and speculative fiction, encompassing a range of media and artists who share an interest in envisioning Black futures grounded in Afro-diasporic experience, and while most commonly associated with science fiction, it can also encompass other speculative genres such as Afro-fantasy, fantasy, alternate history and magic realism, as well as music.
Facts
Place of OriginUnited States; the term was coined by American cultural critic Mark Dery in 1993. 1 Notable ExampleThe novels of Samuel R. Delany and Octavia Butler are named as seminal Afrofuturist works. 1 Defining TraitA cultural aesthetic, philosophy of science and history exploring the intersection of African diaspora culture with science and technology, addressing African diaspora themes through technoculture and speculative fiction. 1 Defining Trait FAQs
Which works count as seminal Afrofuturism?
Novels by Delany and Butler, but also painting, photography, jazz and funk.
The sources name a range that goes well beyond books. Seminal Afrofuturist works include the novels of Samuel R. Delany and Octavia Butler, the canvases of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Angelbert Metoyer, the photography of Renée Cox, the cosmic avant-garde jazz of Sun Ra and his Arkestra, and the explicitly extraterrestrial mythos of Parliament-Funkadelic.
Connections
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Afrofuturism (Wikipedia)tier 2
Sources
1. Afrofuturism (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead paragraph
The term was coined by American cultural critic Mark Dery in 1993
Lead paragraph, defining sentence
Afrofuturism is a cultural aesthetic that explores the intersection of the African diaspora culture with science and technology.
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