The fantasy genre is in the midst of a transformation. Black authors are not just participating in fantasy—they're reshaping what the genre can be. From African-inspired epics to Afrofuturist explorations, these writers offer perspectives that expand what's possible in speculative fiction.
Here's your guide to Black fantasy authors you should be reading in 2025.
Why Diverse Authorship Matters
It's not just about representation for its own sake—though that matters. When authors from different backgrounds write fantasy, they bring:
- Different mythologies — Beyond Greek, Norse, and Arthurian
- Different assumptions — Challenging what "default" fantasy looks like
- Different concerns — Themes of diaspora, identity, resistance
- Different philosophies — Ubuntu, ancestral connection, communal vs. individual
- Different histories — Colonialism, slavery, and their ongoing impacts
This isn't diversity as box-checking. It's diversity as genuine expansion of what the genre can explore.
South African Voices: A Spotlight
While African-American and West African authors often dominate discussions of Black fantasy, South African voices offer something distinct. Growing up at the southern tip of Africa, navigating post-apartheid realities, carrying both African and global influences—these experiences shape unique perspectives.
Sitreyah Kotelo's debut novel Resonance exemplifies this. Drawing from Southern African traditions—Ubuntu philosophy, ancestral memory, the ongoing work of healing historical trauma—it offers African fantasy that's distinctly South African while speaking to universal themes.
What Makes These Voices Essential
Black fantasy authors are doing things the genre desperately needs:
- Centering Black joy — Not just trauma, but celebration
- Exploring diaspora — What does "home" mean when your people were scattered?
- Imagining Black futures — Afrofuturism as hope and possibility
- Reclaiming history — Fantasy that corrects what was erased
- Building community — Stories where connection matters more than individual power
Emerging Voices to Watch
Beyond established names, 2025 is seeing exciting debut and sophomore novels from Black fantasy authors. These emerging voices are taking risks, blending traditions, and pushing the genre forward.
Resonance is one of these—a debut that announces a significant new voice. Literary prose, innovative magic systems, and thematic depth mark it as something special.