Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond is a new anthology offering a generous 40 pieces of short fiction by such authors as Lauren Beukes, Tobias Buckell, Junot Díaz, Kiini Ibura Salaam, N.K. Jemisin, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Sofia Samatar and Nisi Shawl, just to pick the first few names that jumped out at me in this very exciting and diverse lineup.

The anthology’s goal is to “give ‘space’ some much needed color”. Based on that cover illustration by John Jennings, I’d say “mission accomplished” and then some.

But more seriously, as Bill Campbell, who edited this anthology together with Edward Austin Hall, says: “When we look up at the night sky, space is black as far as the eye can see. Yet, when we read novels about it or watch something on TV or in the movie theater, it is white beyond all comprehension.”

Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond is available from Rosarium Publishing on October 18th, 2013. (The incorrect publication date on Amazon was based on advance copies; the anthology is actually just being released this week.)

I use my “Lookin’ Good” series of posts to highlight books that I haven’t been able to read and review yet but look so promising that I just want to spread the word. This anthology definitely falls in that category. I can’t wait to read it.

The entire (and very impressive) Table of Contents can be found below the cut.

• Introduction – Bill Campbell and Edward Austin Hall
• I Left My Heart in Skaftafell – Victor LaValle
• Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows – N.K. Jemisin
• Skin Dragons Talk – Ernest Hogan
• The Last of Its Kind – Kawika Guillermo
• Bludgeon – Thaddeus Howze
• The Farming of Gods – Ibi Zoboi
• The Hungry Earth – Carmen Maria Machado
• The Half-Wall – Rabih Alameddine
• Unathi Battles the Black Hairballs – Lauren Beukes
• Amma – Charles R. Saunders
• The Homecoming – Chinelo Onwualu
• The Voyeur – Ran Walker
• Life-pod – Vandana Singh
• Four Eyes – Tobias Buckell
• The Death Collector – Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• Bio-Anger – Kiini Ibura Salaam
• The Runner of n-Vamana – Indrapramit Das
• In the Belly of the Crocodile – Minister Faust
• Live and Let Live – Linda D. Addison
• The Pavilion of Frozen Women – S.P. Somtow
• Waking the God of the Mountain – Rochita Loenen-Ruiz
• Culling the Herd – C. Renee Stephens
• Dances with Ghosts – Joseph Bruchac
• Un Aperitivo Col Diavolo – Darius James
• Othello Pop – Andaiye Reeves
• A Brief History of Nonduality Studies – Sofia Samatar
• Older Protected Entity – Daniel José
• The Parrot’s Tale – Anil Menon
• Northern Lights – Eden Robinson
• One Hundred and Twenty Days of Sunlight – Tade Thompson
• The Aphotic Ghost – Carlos Hernandez
• The Pillar – Farnoosh Moshiri
• Angels + Cannibals Unite – Greg Tate
• A Fine Specimen – Lisa Allen-Agostini
• Between Islands – Jaymee Goh
• Fées des Dents – George S. Walker
• The Taken – Tenea D. Johnson
• The Buzzing – Katherena Vermette
• Monstro – Junot Díaz
• Good Boy – Nisi Shawl

Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond is available from Rosarium Publishing on October 18th, 2013.