Nnedi Okorafor - A halálmegvető

Genocide is taking place in a region of post-apocalyptic Africa, and the blood of tribes soaks the ground. A woman who survived the razing of her village to the ground and who was raped by an enemy general goes to the desert hoping for death. Nine months later, however, she gives birth to an angry baby whose hair and skin color, unlike the local tribes, resemble sand. The woman is convinced that her daughter is different - special - so she names her Onyesonwu. In the ancient language, the name means: death scorner.

As a child, Onyesonwu realizes that the circumstances of his conception left a physical and social mark on him. In the eyes of the others, he is an ewu, meaning born of violence, a half-breed and an outcast, whom people believe is doomed to a life of violence. But Onyesonwu is no ordinary ewu: even as a child, his unique magic begins to show. Over time, his abilities become more and more perfect, and when he accidentally visits the spirit realm, he learns that a powerful sorcerer is trying to take his life.

At first, Onyesonwu desperately tries to hide from his would-be killer, but his nature does not allow him to do so. Thus, he finally sets out on a path that will eventually lead him to become a warrior. To fulfill his destiny, he must contend with nature, tradition and history, true love, and the spiritual mysteries of his culture. At the same time, dangerous challenges await him in a future Africa where apparently nothing has ever changed - and on otherworldly planes, the existence of which many people know about, but only very few are able to walk on.

Nnedi Okorafor's novel, which was published in 2010 and has since become epoch-making, put works with African themes on the map of the SFF genre. The Death Defier received the prestigious World Fantasy Award in 2011, but was also nominated for Nebula and Locus, and HBO is already working on a television series, executive produced by George R.R. Martin.