I read a comment saying that this book teaches you how to read it as you go along, and that is definitely true. However on the second readthrough, it was like a light switched on and I was hooked.

It is densely plotted, written in a confusing stories-within-stories-within-stories style, and if you are not familiar with African myths and legend, many of the terms used may have you reaching for Wikipedia (shades of an unapologetic Gene Wolfe, there). I must admit I struggled with this book the first time through. With the upcoming release of the second book of the Dark Star Trilogy, I thought I would re-read the first book again. Jessica Hagedorn's Dogeaters.įrom interview (Science vs Fiction): Wolf Hall, Beloved, Jessica Hagerdorn Dog eaters,' The Epic of Son-Jara (or Sundiata), Charles Saunders' Imaro Trilogy.Īnother recommendation or two: Hilary Mantel's A Place Of Greater Safety, Maria McCann's As Meat Loves Salt. Stephen Graham Jones' Mapping the Territory MJ: Kai Ashanti Wilson and Sofia Samatar are both telling really exciting stuff. Faguna, Amos Tutuola**, African folk tales**, photo essays of ceremonies and rituals, All those amazing Epics, including the wild story of Sundiata, (the REAL Lion King). From Henry Louis Gate's series on Ancient Africa, From D.O. MJ: From everything I could get my hands on. MJ: Along with Mordew, Poppy War and A Hero Born, Detransition Baby, by Torrey Peters, The Secret Live of Church Ladies, Animal Man Omnibus, Wild Seed, by Octavia Buler I have a copy of The Golden Rhinoceros on my shelf too, for whenever I find the time. Similarly, and not long after, Black Leopard, Red Wolf did a similar thing, getting me interested in African folklore and mythology, and starting to read people like Nnedi Okorafor and Suyi Okungbowa.

Recent Faves: Mordew, by Alex Pheby, The Poppy War, by R.F. MJ: I need to stop Re-reading Gormenghast. Also essential: Angela Carter, the Brother's Grimm, And The Arabian Nights. Sofia Samatar's work convinced me I could do this.Horror is it's own thing, but I'm greatly influenced by horror, or horror tinged fiction, which means Coraline, Sandman and it's spin-off, like Death. Ursuala K LeGuin's Earthsea series, especially the first three books. Charles Saunder's Imaro Trilogy, which I'm shocked is out of print. It's the novel I always recommend when somebody wants to go deeper in the genre.

The problem is, we don't know where to start in terms of research.īelow are some of the authors and books he says he read before writing BLRW (I got these from Reddit and some interviews of his on YouTube). I know a lot of us writers felt very inspired by BLRW and MWSK and want to create our own worlds, characters, and have writing styles very similar to Marlon James'.

Marlon james dark star trilogy book 3