Remote Control

I fell in love with Okorafor’s writing after reading the Akata series, and this novella did not let me down! We follow Fatima, a young girl living in Ghana. One day, a “seed” fell from the sky during a meteor shower. Fatima took it and began bonding with it. She would talk to it and take it places. That is, until one day when fancy people came looking for it and took it away. That would be a mistake, for many. Tragedy strikes soon after, leaving Fatima nameless in a village of the dead. From the metaphoric ashes rises Sankofa, (adopted) Daughter of Death.

I adored this story. Okorafor’s writing is gorgeous, painting vivid pictures with ease, though I’ll be honest and say that the title confused me. It referred to Sankofa’s unique gift, but “remote control” makes me think of mind control or similar, to somehow take control of another’s mind or body. It made me more interested in the cultural roots it’s buried in, the cultural roots Okorafor grew up in. Such a milieu shapes the writer, their stories, the reader, and their interpretations. Highly recommended!