Welcome to Litsy!

Death of the Author (Deluxe Limited Edition) | Nnedi Okorafor

Arg! I‘m five books behind in writing reviews. I need to do it before I forget what I want to say! I‘ve been so busy and so tired after work I just can‘t!

At least I‘ve assigned my stars!

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CogsOfEncouragement

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

I recently read Africa Is Not a Country with an IRL book club. One of the countries it highlights is Nigeria. I went into Death of the Author with helpful knowledge and I just love when these serendipitous experiences occur.

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CogsOfEncouragement

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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I usually take the dust jacket off while reading a book. This novel made me glad of that habit. Such a cool second cover. I enjoyed this one quite a bit, really glad it was chosen for #CampLitsy25

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ChaoticMissAdventures

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Life imitating art, imitating life?

#camplitsy25

dabbe 💙🩵💙 1w

squirrelbrain 😯 1w

Suet624 Wow 1w

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Death of the Author (Deluxe Limited Edition) | Nnedi Okorafor

I went on a mini-me shopping spree. I loved the tagged book we read for #campLitsy so much, and I love that the paper cover of the book is different from the book itself that I just had to buy it. How are they going to do this with a paperback?!? And of course a couple more me-centric items. Sadly the neck reading light is falsely advertised. I bought it for the yellow light. It‘s not. It‘s blue.

CBee I very much need one of those neck fans!! 2w

AnnCrystal 📚💝. 2w

Texreader @CBee I haven't tried it yet but I hope it works well. I like that there are vents in the back 1w

CBee @Texreader ooo, in the back too? Okay I definitely need to grab one. 1w

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Karisa

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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So. Freaking. Good. The Death of the Author has a beautifully layered story (stories within a story). It‘s gorgeous, imaginative, and full of heart. I appreciated its hopeful take on tech and her characters that leap off the page.

Bonus: the B & N hardcover is a stunner. If you love Africanfuturism or just like a good Sci-fi with a ton of heart, this one‘s a must. Go read it! #CampLitsy25

AmyG Excellent book. 2w

Texreader Perfect post right here. 2w

Karisa @Texreader @AmyG I loved this one so much! 2w

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Karisa

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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Wait. What?! 😁 Love that the author of the book I just finished noticed my reply to her Insta post. Nnedi Okorafor had just posted that she was recharging in nature and had finished the draft of her next book (squee!).

I loved DotA so much! The positive outlook on technology is a breath of fresh air and her characters are so beautifully crafted they breathe. Plus the hardcover edition is gorgeous! 💗💗💗

TheBookHippie ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 2w

lil1inblue 🤩😍🤩 2w

Ruthiella Wow! 🤩 That‘s so awesome! 2w

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AnnCrystal 🆒📚💝. 2w

Christine ‼️🩷 2w

PaperbackPirate How cool! 😎🦿🦿 2w

Chrissyreadit 🎉🎉🎉 2w

tpixie 💥💥💥 2w

Texreader Oooooh. That‘s crazy awesome!! 😎 2w

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Kitta

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Re posting @Suet624 ‘s image - my copy is the same!

Different covers on the book jacket and hardcover! So cool and clever. I didn‘t even notice until she mentioned it.

Anyone else have the deluxe edition as well with this?

#camplitsy2025

ChaoticMissAdventures I am now sad I got mine through the Aardvark book box!! So cool 2w

TEArificbooks Mine is that way too. Very well designed book. 2w

BarbaraJean My library copy was the same way! 2w

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Kitta @ChaoticMissAdventures I ordered mine from my local independent bookstore since it wasn‘t available on BOTM, I was so surprised! I hate the colour of the sprayed edges though haha. It matches the blue of the cover and hurts my brain. 2w

Kitta @TEArificbooks yes! I feel like it‘s setting the bar high for others. 2w

Kitta @BarbaraJean I ended up buying it because I wouldn‘t get it in time at the library lol. I mainly use Libby and the wait time would have taken me too long (past September I think). I need to start getting physical books out from the library too. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Kitta yeah, cyan. Every time she says it is her favorite color I cringed a bit. 2w

BarbaraJean @Kitta I‘ve started doing what I think of as “library roulette” for in-demand library books: I put all three versions (print, digital, audio) on hold, and see what comes first! Print usually shows up first. This one came through in May and I didn‘t dare turn it down because the wait time on Libby was so long. I struck out with the first two for Camp Litsy, though—Wild Dark Shore is only just now on its way to me. 2w

Kitta @BarbaraJean I got two from BOTM, two off Libby, and two I bought at my LBS. I need to go to the physical library though. It‘s not even far lol. I love my kindle and the convenience and I worry I‘ll forget to return them if they‘re print books! Also Wild dark shore was great! I hope you enjoy! Audition… was not for me. 2w

BarbaraJean Going to the physical library is dangerous for me—I have to walk by the new releases shelf to get to the holds shelf 😆 And it‘s books like Audition that make me get these from the library! I snagged a 7-day skip-the-line checkout for it on Libby at the midpoint of the Camp Litsy discussion and it‘s for sure not one I needed to buy! Interesting to discuss, but frustrating to read. I‘m glad it was so short! 2w

Kitta @BarbaraJean 😂 yes that‘s the danger. I‘m glad I got audition on Libby too, very frustrating read for me. You‘re right the discussion was good though! I love CampLitsy!! 2w

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jenniferw88

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

For those of you who thought Barthes...! And yes, I know this is AI, and I shouldn't rely on it 🤣

#camplitsy25 @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB Very interesting!! 2w

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rockpools

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

If anyone UK-based hasn‘t read this yet and is planning to, I‘ve been given one free audio copy to give away via the xigxag app. You need to have not used the app before. Xigxag doesn‘t work with a subscription model, so you won‘t need to give credit card details or anything.

Let me know, and I‘ll email the details over to you. UK only (sorry - don‘t think they operate further afield yet).

Karisa Ooh, that was our latest #CampLitsy25 read. I‘m just finishing it up now and it‘s soooo good! 2w

squirrelbrain Aw, that‘s lovely Rachel! ❤️ 2w

Texreader That‘s awesome of you!! I enjoyed the audiobook. 2w

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Chelsea.Poole

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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Hi, humanity 👋: don‘t ignore robots! I sure did in this book—one part is all about Zelu, a Nigerian-American woman, who becomes an author. Her book blows up, and we get a chance to read it…interspersed in this novel. So, it‘s a book within a book. I found myself more invested in Zelu‘s sections. Shouldn‘t have been! There‘s some great stuff happening with those robots, especially at the end! To be human is to tell stories…#camplitsy25

squirrelbrain Yes, I didn‘t much enjoy the robot parts, until…. 2w

BarbaraBB I felt the same. And I should have paid more attention to them. 2w

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DebinHawaii

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

My #Chatterday Saturday vibe is slow. I was slow getting up this morning, went to a 20% bring your own bag sale at the craft store & I‘m now at the coffee shop trying to finish up my very late cards for #SummerCardSwap & finish the tagged book for #CampLitsy before running errands.

AllDebooks

peaKnit A slow vibe sounds lovely! 3w

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Kitta

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

so-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This has all the things I should love in a book but it just didn‘t hit the mark for me. I was frustrated a lot and although the ending was interesting, I was kind of annoyed by it.

I will add some spoiler comments below.

Read for #camplitsy2025.

Kitta Anyone else keep thinking Zelu was going to die the whole time? The constant peril she is made me keep thinking she would meet an untimely death - the autonomous cars, swimming, the kidnapping in Nigeria. It frustrated me. 3w

Kitta As mentioned in another post, the genetics was just wrong. This always irks me. 3w

Kitta The writing style when the robots were talking sounded a bit… simplistic? I preferred the chapters from Zelu‘s POV. The interviews were also strange and I‘m not sure what they added besides some background. 3w

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TEArificbooks @Kitta yes I kept waiting for her to die. I think it‘s the title. Needs a better title 3w

Kitta @TEArificbooks I understand why that‘s the title - I think it‘s about the death of humanity (as humans are the authors of stories) in the robot version of the world. So it‘s sort of about Ngozi‘s death as she was the last author. But it made for frustrating reading. 3w

Ruthiella I didn‘t love it either. I don‘t think I jive with Okorofor‘s writing style. Overall I liked the ideas but found the execution a little boring. 🥱 3w

JamieArc @Kitta @TEArificbooks The title of the book was mentioned by @ChaoticMissAdventures as possibly coming from an essay by Roland Barthes using the exact same phrase. Reading about it, the title makes perfect sense to me. 2w

Kitta @Ruthiella yes exactly that. There was a way to do this and make it more interesting throughout instead of just a twist ending. Reading the blurb I thought there would be more blending of her life with the book not just the last chapter when she goes to space. 2w

Kitta @JamieArc so funny, I mentioned I was reading Death of the Author to someone last week and they assumed we were discussing the Barthes essay! So I read up on it then but if I‘d known about the essay beforehand I would have understood better. I agree the title makes sense, but before I read about the essay and read the ending, I assumed she would die and that kind of ruined the experience of reading it for me. It changed how I viewed everything. 2w

Kitta @Chrissyreadit rotating shelf in the background! 2w

Chrissyreadit it looks amazing- is that a light attached to it??? I‘m leaning toward getting one- where did you order yours? 2w

Kitta @Chrissyreadit the light is separate! It‘s just sitting in front of it from this angle. I have some boxes hidden by the book lol or I‘d take a picture from another angle. I love mine, even if it‘s become a climbing tower for the cats haha. 2w

Kitta @Chrissyreadit I think I got it from Flycity via the TikTok shop when they were on sale. Mine is the gold 5 tier. It has sorta fake wood and gold bars. I don‘t mine the fake MDF wood because you don‘t see it much with the books on it, and the dark colour gives a nice contrast to the gold. It was easy to put together! 2w

Chrissyreadit love it!!! I‘m laughing because my cats race across the bookshelves in my house- they are 7 feet high! 2w

Kitta @Chrissyreadit haha I‘m pretty shocked when she jumps up and it doesn‘t fall over tbh. She loves being up high. I wish I could get some of those climbing shelves for her. 2w

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Kitta

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

This post contains spoilers

show me

Im sorry but wtf, they gave her and her child an extra chromosome???

What a ridiculous misunderstanding of genetics. I was okay with the science for the most part but as a geneticist myself… just no.

JamieArc I didn‘t see the need for this aside about the pregnancy. It seemed totally unnecessary 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @JamieArc this is the one point in the book I was just annoyed with. The entire pregnancy is unnecessary and then the science behind the experiment is ridiculous. I don't understand why she chose to add it. 2w

BarbaraBB I was annoyed by this too. 2w

Kitta @JamieArc @ChaoticMissAdventures yes, I was more annoyed by the random science experiment adjusting and adding a chromosome to her and the fetus, than the pregnancy itself but I agree it was unnecessary. It felt rushed and not thought out. I was happy with the science otherwise but this part made me kind of furious. 2w

Kitta @BarbaraBB glad I‘m not the only one! 2w

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DGRachel

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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This is a book that requires patience and commitment to really unpack. I have neither. It‘s beautifully written, with complex characters and dual narratives. On the surface - an author dealing with both her disability and a family that was less than supportive of her, but also deeper themes - modern politics, AI, space tourism, climate destruction and more. Now that I finished, I kind of want to reread and dig into it. Another #camplitsy25 winner!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

squirrelbrain Great review! ❤️ 3w

DGRachel @squirrelbrain Thanks! I can‘t remember the last time I wanted to reread a book right away and take more time with it, to really unpack everything. 3w

BarbaraBB Happy you liked it that much! 3w

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DGRachel @BarbaraBB What‘s funny is that I almost bailed early on. Zelu rubbed me the wrong way and her family was so horrid. I only kept going because it was for Camp Litsy and I‘m glad I did. 3w

BarbaraBB It‘s not my kind of book at all. But because it was voted a Camp Litsy book I pushed one and really enjoyed it too. 3w

Suet624 I thought about rereading it as well - or at least skimming it. :) 3w

kspenmoll Wonderful review! 2w

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Susanita

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Weekend reading? Maybe? At least both books are inside now and no longer riding around in the back seat of my car!

tpixie lol I have 5 in my backseat and a box in my trunk! A Bookclub friend moved and so I grabbed some of her books. I have no where to put them! Happy Litsyversary! 2w

Susanita @tpixie Thank you! 🙏 Yes, the trunk is a handy storage space…until you go on a trip 😉 2w

tpixie @Susanita 😂 right?! 2w

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ImperfectCJ

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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I love the way this novel plays with creator and creation, identity, responsibility to self and others, family (and all the pros and cons and compromises of family connections), perceived and actual ability...so many awesome themes. This novel does just what I want a novel to do: address big T Truth through story. And the last line is the reason I keep coming back to writing even as I worry that I can't/won't ever be able to do it well.

Butterfinger Aren't you the editor? I may have you mixed up with someone else, but I think you are being too hard on yourself. Continue writing. It will come. 3w

ImperfectCJ @Butterfinger I've done a bunch of things (editing, teaching, admin work, yoga instruction, doula work). My degree is in English with a writing concentration. I just need to do the work. 3w

Suet624 Great review of this one. 3w

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TheKidUpstairs

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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Love love loved this! From start to finish, I loved all three different layers and levels. This is one that will stick with me for a long time. I'm packing for a cottage trip, will try to be more eloquent at a later date!

#CampLitsy25
@Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

TheBookHippie I found this author while doing #FOODANDLIT Nigeria she‘s such a good writer. My hold for this is finally enroute! 3w

TheKidUpstairs @TheBookHippie I've read a couple of hers and always enjoy them, this is by far her best to date! 3w

squirrelbrain Yay, glad you loved it! Have a great trip! 3w

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Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Welcome to the final week discussing Death of the Author! Please feel free to discuss these questions in light of the whole book. I have enjoyed leading the discussion on this book and hope you've found it as enlightening as I have! I will post the page breaks for our second July book, Woodworking by Emily St. James, later this weekend.

Everyone will only be tagged in this post, but there are two additional questions. #CampLitsy25

Megabooks @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 3w

Megabooks @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 3w

Megabooks @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ 3w

See All 65 Comments

Megabooks @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 3w

Megabooks @karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 @maich @Mcctrish @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx
3w

Megabooks
@peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 3w

Megabooks @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 3w

BarbaraBB To me Zelu‘s decision to go to space is a powerful culmination of her struggle for independence, personally and creatively. Her choice reflects a leap into uncharted territory, transcending her physical limitations and societal expectations. It‘s emblematic of her journey: from being defined by disability, culture, and familial roles to authoring her own narrative—quite literally. 3w

Bookwormjillk I agree with @barbarabb that it was part of her struggle for independence. I also thought that it was a move towards equality for her since she wouldn't have to rely on legs as much in space due to weightlessness. I thought her family's reaction was over the top, and probably did have to do partially with her father's death, but also a lot with control. 3w

Suet624 So much pressure was building up for Zelu and she seemed to have little to no support, other than Msizi. Her dad, who used to support her, was gone. I thought back to how much she loved to swim and how that felt for her. Free, weightless. I wondered if that was why she decided to go to space. To feel the adventure, to feel free and weightless. 3w

jenniferw88 I also agree with @BarbaraBB . I just hope that if the story continues (as Rusted Robots is meant to be a trilogy!), Zelu doesn't reveal to Msizi she went into space knowing she was pregnant and had the treatment without consulting him. I think that could be the final straw for him, which would be a shame as they worked well together. 3w

Chelsea.Poole I loved that she made it to space, a personal dream fulfilled despite the doubts of her family. For sure, all about independence and breaking the mold…agreeing with others on this! Zelu always went her own way. (edited) 3w

Lesliereadsalot Once Zelu realized she could write, then she could walk, then she could travel to Nigeria, then she could go into space. It felt like a very natural progression to me, that of growing into her own person who was capable. I loved that she was making all her own decisions! 3w

JenReadsAlot I loved it! 3w

AmyG I, too, agree with her quest dor independance and freedom…from her body and disability. And yes, her family did seem controlling…especially after her father died as he was her biggest supporter. 3w

mcctrish I love how @BarbaraBB summed it up. I was surprised how Msizi reacted, he was always so “you go girl” but if this is a trilogy then he‘s going to really freak over the pregnancy and Zelu not telling him @jenniferw88 is right with her predictions I think. I was happy zelu‘s siblings were “ of course you have to go” - taking on their dad‘s role 3w

TheKidUpstairs I think her father's death greatly influenced her family's reactions, especially her mother. It was Zelu who helped her mother find herself outside of that partnership after his death, and I think her mother started her journey towards seeing Zelu after that. The conversation with her mother was so genuine, the fear and then the acceptance and "you're such an annoying daughter" was a wonderful moment. 3w

CBee Zelu was always going to be Zelu. I just watched an episode of “The Resident” where a young guy with muscular dystrophy is at the end of his life and before it gets bad, he decides to do a zero gravity flight. The look on his face made me cry - this is what it was for Zelu, I think. To feel free, to “swim” in space. I loved it. 3w

Reggie @BarbaraBB @Suet624 🖤🖤🖤 3w

Jas16 I agree that after years of being told what her limitations were and fighting back Zelu was reclaiming her childhood dream. Her loved ones were already scared by all of the ways Zelu was asserting her independence and space is a scary unknown so I didn‘t expect them to be supportive especially after the death of her father and what happened when she went to his grave. 3w

vonnie862 I agree with everyone. Going to space is something that she had dreamed of doing when she was a child. Going to space as an adult is a way to continue her road to independence and feeling equal. Plus, she wanted to get away from it all. 3w

Butterfinger I totally agree with @mcctrish and @jenniferw88 about her decision to go to space without telling Msizi about the pregnancy. She wanted to go so badly, ever since she was a child. She was going to do whatever was needed, including more untested technology. I think the father's death affected the siblings' decision to finally accept her as she is and to stop trying to conform her to their will. They came together when they decided where to bury him 3w

mcctrish @Jas16 her siblings fear all stems from them not wanting Zelu‘s choices for themselves and her dad‘s power was, to quote Mel Robbins “let her” - sometimes in hindsight Zelu can see they were right ( going to Nigeria) but a lot of good still came from it. I think going to space is important for her like @vonnie862 said 3w

Ruthiella Great discussion! 👍 3w

squirrelbrain @CBee - that‘s lovely, if rather sad. 😢 3w

squirrelbrain I agree with @BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk - it was definitely her showing that she could be independent and also a craving for the freedom that weightlessness would give her. I do think the pregnancy very much showed her selfish side. 3w

CBee @squirrelbrain it was heartbreaking. And of course Zelu isn‘t about to die (I totally thought the entire book was going to end with her death, anyone else? 🤷‍♀️). But it encompasses the same headspace, I think. To want to feel that freedom when you‘re unable to use your legs on earth. 3w

Suet624 @CBee totally thought she was going to die. 3w

Deblovestoread Love all the points made and agree with everyone. Plus in space there will be no one to put limits on her. (edited) 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures @jenniferw88 the pregnancy “twist“ didn't work for me. I am not fully understanding what Okorafor was trying to do there. I thought there was enough drama without it, and it wasn't something that was reflected on enough to move the story forward in any meaningful way. I would expect Msizi to leave her for that, messing with her DNA, not telling him at all, going to space pregnant. It's too much. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Lesliereadsalot love how you have laid out her progression of independence, it all started with rock bottom, and her expanding her imagination with her novel. Like @Chelsea.Poole points out, this was her original childhood dream. I am glad she made it there. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures @CBee I for sure thought she was going to either die, or go somewhere where she was good as to her family. All of the interview sections the family and friends spoke of her in the past tense. I am not convinced she comes back from space, or if she does maybe her new science experience on herself makes her not herself any longer. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures I think she had to go to space. As her mother said, Zelu and her father are Adventurers. Space is her dream, and more so with her current body. I am a black sheep of my family in the Adventure vein. I have spent decades solo traveling and my whole family are complete home bodies they do not understand so I related to Zelu in this aspect. If you have the Adventure gene you feel an intense pull, if you don't have it you cannot understand. 3w

CBee @Suet624 glad I‘m not the only one! But I guess it would‘ve been too obvious - I mean the title of the book is “Death of the Author” 😂 (edited) 3w

CBee @ChaoticMissAdventures agreed! Left it quite open ended. 3w

JamieArc It felt like going to space was inevitable for her. I‘m not sure how I feel about the fact that the two biggest things of impact for her were provided by rich white men, but perhaps to do otherwise would have felt too far-fetched 😂 3w

JamieArc I loved the flip of the family in support. When she told them about going to space, it seemed like it would just be another decision that brings shame and pain to the family, but it wasn‘t. That was a great chapter. 3w

MeganAnn @ChaoticMissAdventures I agree, the pregnancy twist is unresolved. Although it does show how selfish she is @squirrelbrain . I also didn‘t realize this is intended to be a trilogy so I expect that may actually be something to set up reactions in the second book. It is interesting that her search for independence culminates in her childhood dream to go to space but then she gets pregnant. A baby is going to be the opposite of independence for her. 3w

rockpools Her family‘s reactions to her going into space were one of the high points of the book for me, and showed how much they‘d all grown in their recognition of her as an independent and extremely able person. I particularly enjoy Chinyere‘s ‘OK, I quit. You‘re amazing‘ - total and long overdue acceptance (even if she doesn‘t understand Zelu). 3w

MeganAnn @JamieArc agreed about her family! I fully expected them to berate her like before and was very happy they did not do so. I do think the death of their father had a lot to do with that reaction — they all became closer during that experience. I loved how they seem to be starting to see and understand her a little better now. 3w

rockpools But I‘m with @ChaoticMissAdventures on the pregnancy twist. Enough, surely?! And @MeganAnn A trilogy? Really? That makes a lot of sense in terms of the hanging bits. And the fact that Rusted Robots was commissioned as a trilogy. But (as a very bad series reader) I‘ll be perfectly happy if it isn‘t. The ending was just-so, as-is. 3w

MeganAnn @Butterfinger I agree she was going to anything necessary to go to space no matter what. And I think her doing so without telling Msizi about the pregnancy and DNA technology is true to her character while also pointing out how selfish she can be by not telling him. He already didn‘t want her to go and she knew the pregnancy would be the final straw. @BarbaraBB said it beautifully that her decision to go the space is emblematic of her journey. 3w

TEArificbooks I agree with the main thoughts so far. Going to space was more about breaking boundaries and achieving a dream she never thought she could. I like what @thekidupstairs said about how zelu helped her mom gain a new identity without her husband and I think maybe going to space was zelu also trying gain a new identity without her dad learning to live with without him 3w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB Very well said, B. A lot of this book can be read as a struggle to create one's own narrative and shape the story both on Zelu's side and the robots' side. 3w

Megabooks @jenniferw88 that's an interesting thought about a trilogy! I think most of Okorafor's other books are part of a series, so I'm curious about this one, too. 3w

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot Her burgeoning independence was a joy to watch for sure! 3w

Megabooks @TheKidUpstairs I loved those moments when Zelu helped her mother restyle her hair. I was please to read that scene and the evolution of their relationship and her mother as a character. 3w

Megabooks @CBee I read Against Technoableism and the case the author made about certain disabilities making space travel easier for those people was really compelling. It was a fascinating book.

Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement (A Norton Short)

Megabooks @Butterfinger Yeah, I had very mixed feelings about her going into space while hiding her pregnancy. My first thought was the DNA damage, so I'm glad Okorafor wrote around that. I think to me it goes to whether decisions about pregnancy continuation or other health decisions belong to the pregnant person or both partners. I think it becomes murkier if the partners are in a committed relationship/marriage. @squirrelbrain (edited) 3w

Megabooks @Butterfinger Because if there isn't a LTR between the partners, my feeling is strongly that the decision belongs to the pregnant person. @squirrelbrain (edited) 3w

Megabooks @CBee I also thought it might end with her death. I was pleasantly surprised! 3w

Megabooks @rockpools I agree. It showed a lot of growth in all their characters and their estimation of Zelu's abilities and independence. 3w

BookwormAHN I was so glad she got to go and I think the pregnancy represented a jump in human evolution. 3w

Well-ReadNeck The family connections is a theme that I can‘t stop thinking about. Initially, I felt that — like so often happens— her family put her in a pigeon hole that no amount of growth/change/time can get them to see her differently. But, in the second half, I felt like her parents esp. are bringing their trauma to how they see her. I think they feel guilt for not being able to protect her from her fall and are especially anxious/fearful for her …. 3w

Well-ReadNeck … But, as her mother lets go a bit, she is able to separate from Zelu more. I think the key scene for me was when the two of them are taking an autonomous car together. 3w

julesG Just because the fictional Rusted Robots was supposed to have sequels, doesn't mean Death of the Author will be part of a trilogy. 3w

GatheringBooks Everything that @BarbaraBB noted - even though it initially did not happen for Zelu, I had a feeling the opportunity would resurface at a later point and it did. Zelu is literally too expansive for this small world that she has to explore the infinities of the universe. Plus, how can anyone pass up something like this? The support from the family was unexpected but refreshing. Agree with @ChaoticMissAdventures that the pregnancy twist only ⬇️ 3w

GatheringBooks (Cont) serves to put Zelu in a morally ambiguous light yet again - but maybe perceived as essential to the even bigger twist towards the end, and the continuation of Zelu‘s story through her child, whom we have been reading about in the rusted robot story. How very meta! What a loop! 3w

Suet624 @julesG great point
3w

BarbaraJean @CBee @Suet624 I absolutely thought this would end with Zelu‘s death! Like @ChaoticMissAdventures I thought the past tense of the interview sections supported that. Before starting the book, I assumed the title would be a reference to the concept in literary theory—that the author‘s intent is irrelevant to the text‘s meaning. But as the book went on (with the interviews, and so many events where she was in danger), I thought it might be literal. ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) In the end, I love the title & the questions it raises. Is Zelu the “author” of the title, or is it Ankara? Or is it Okorafor, indicating the reader must construct the meaning of the ending—whether Ankara is a character in Zelu‘s story, or whether Zelu is a character in Ankara‘s story. @Megabooks I love that insight about the book being read as a struggle to create one‘s own narrative. That ties the title and the ending together so well. 2w

DebinHawaii As always, very late to the party, but reading the discussion is helping me understand & appreciate the book. Like @cbee @Suet624 @BarbaraJean I also thought due to the title & interviews that Zelu was going to die at the end. Also, maybe because of just reading Challenger, once the space trip was an option, I thought it would blow up in flight or on reentry. It‘s interesting if it is a trilogy & what will happen in the next book. I do think ⬇️ (edited) 2w

DebinHawaii … it was in character for Zelu to do whatever it takes to go & achieve her dream. I also really liked the way her family relationships—particularly with her mother were evolving. 2w

Suet624 @DebinHawaii these discussions always help me understand the book we‘re reading more deeply. I too enjoyed seeing her mother start changing her attitude. 2w

Meshell1313 I kept thinking of the Katy Perry going to space controversy! 😂 2w

50 likes65 comments

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

We got into discussions about identity last week, and I hope you will all enjoy going deeper into Zelu's character and how Okorafor tackled identity in the book. #CampLitsy25

Megabooks @kitta Please lmk if if you don't see your handle tagged on the first question so I can rearrange where you are going forward. Thanks!! 3w

BarbaraBB I think Zelu‘s plural yet fractured identity is both a burden that isolates her in many ways—but it also enables her to write a new kind of narrative, one not confined by tribal allegiance, tradition, or expectation. 3w

Bookwormjillk I think it's true if Zelu says it's true. But again I agree with @Barbarabb that it's what let her break out of the box that people were trying to keep her in. 3w

See All 40 Comments

jenniferw88 I do think it's true, and that on any given day, different identities come into play. So for one day it could be black and American, another Igbo and disabled. 3w

Suet624 Good question. Not sure I have a good answer. We can closely identify with our different “tribes“ (I'm Irish, American, Vermonter, crone, etc.) or we can see ourselves as alone and individual in our experience and existence and that will affect how we navigate in our world. Zelu definitely seemed to have enough willpower to rise above any definition imposed by herself or others. Am I being too simplistic? 3w

Chelsea.Poole I think it‘s freeing in some ways to be able to be her own person, but it also may be lonely there. We need community but at the same time, with so many different identities can anyone truly understand Zelu? Is this true of all of us, in some ways? Maybe it also speaks to personality, perhaps some just prefer to go it alone. Zelu always felt different in her own family so essentially she was raised to be her own person. 3w

Lesliereadsalot I loved that she was a part of so many communities, that she could fit in with so many different groups of her life. I think it made her stronger to be able to identify with so many others on so many different levels. 3w

AmyG I think Zelu was trying to find her own identity within all the other identities that had a hold on her. Find a balance. 3w

mcctrish I think this is quite the social commentary - I personally feel/think being able to belong to multiple communities is fantastic. It connects you to and enables you to have more perspectives but if those communities don‘t feel the same way - you have to be only them - then your welcome isn‘t true or complete and becomes isolating. Zelu becomes more, as we all should, because of all her parts and because her ‘tribes‘ hold her apart 3w

CBee Like I said in my comment on the first post, Zelu was always going to be Zelu. All of the identities she had of course made her who she is but only partially. Her true identity, to me, was just being herself and as she‘d say, “fuck this shit” 😂♥️ 3w

vonnie862 @Suet624 you're not being simplistic. I agree with you. 3w

vonnie862 @CBee 🤣 3w

Jas16 There are nuances and different lived experiences even amongst member of the same sort of tribes that can leave you feeling just as isolated from others within that same tribe as you are from those of a different tribe. It helped Zelu understand she needed to carve her own place in the world. 3w

Butterfinger Her uniqueness of the totality of the different parts make her a part of none. One part cannot define her. @BarbaraBB said it more succinctly. I'm also going to add birth order. Even though my siblings and I share the same experiences, our perspective of the experience will be different - I and Chinyere would be the elder daughter who has to take care of everyone, the middle children can be free to climb trees and go to space. 3w

Butterfinger I also agree with @Chelsea.Poole and @Lesliereadsalot she desired support from her coomunities. Sometimes, the antagonism fueled her decisions, yet she would get support elsewhere like the MIT team. Or her social media followers. They saved her life. 3w

squirrelbrain I think it can be both simple and complicated @suet624, depending on how we view ourselves and even how we‘re feeling / what tribe we‘re identifying with right at that moment. I‘m not being very eloquent but what I‘m trying to say is that our identity is always in a state of flux. 3w

Deblovestoread I think she had a fighting spirit that may be took the best part of all those different tribes. Someone else with that experience might have given in to to the care, control and fear from family and had an ordinary life. As @CBee says Zelu was Zelu, uniquely herself. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures I think that it is true that others never see her as enough. This is a common theme with racial/national identities when you are not fully one thing. You are never seen as “enough“ of any of the things. It is a common feeling - that is reinforced by how others treat you. I think Zelu is special in that she straddles so many identities. It does make for a lonely life, and I think her family does not help. 3w

rockpools Zelu is never going to be able to meet the expectations placed upon her by her many tribes, so you can totally see the “not-enough‘ness that @ChaoticMissAdventures describes, and that feeds into her anxieties. But your comment about going it alone really spoke to me @Chelsea.Poole - giving herself permission to do her thing and go it alone is really powerful. Hmm 🤔 3w

TEArificbooks I think it shows how complex every person is. We are all more than one thing. We are more than our skin color, our religion, our nationality, our relationships, our abilities, our jobs, one bad moment when we put our foot in our mouth, etc. we are all unique and important to the world. And we should all give ourselves and others a little grace. 3w

JamieArc I had the same thoughts as @ChaoticMissAdventures . Because she carries both sides of one identity (both not able to walk and able to walk for example), she is not wholly accepted by either side and becomes her own thing. This is just the case with her with many of her different identities. I like how the author further explored this with the robots. 3w

Megabooks @Suet624 I don't think so. I like the idea of her (or anyone) rising against categories that others are using to limit them, but I also feel the ability to use your identities to build bridges with others is important, too. 3w

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole I like how you're bringing in how the way her family tried to limit her as a reason she transcended or broke out of the identities others imposed. 3w

Megabooks @mcctrish Oooo... I like this thought!! 3w

Megabooks @squirrelbrain I'm glad you pointed out that everyone is always in flux based on the situation we find ourselves in! 3w

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures I can see that, too. I think there was a special friction between her Igbo and Yoruba sides of the family. Even though these tribes live in the same country now, their traditions are so different. 3w

Megabooks @TEArificbooks 100%!! So important that we give each other grace in life! 3w

Christine Loving this discussion, so full of insights!! And I especially loved your comment, @TEArificbooks . 🩷 And yes, @Chelsea.Poole - I certainly think the complexity of how our many identities place us in relationship with others (and how this is often dynamic and messy!) is true for all of us. When I teach intro to sociology, one of the first things students do is complete the sentence “I am….” with as many identities as they can think of. After ⬇️ (edited) 3w

Christine the obvious (race, gender, etc.), they quickly start recognizing the many, many identities we all hold. They branch off into interests and hobbies and personality characteristics and usually (as intended!) end up walking away from the activity with a deeper appreciation of how even the things that seem super individual actually connect us to others, and can be spaces for community, if we want them to be. 3w

BookwormAHN I think that many different connections were too much and that it forced her to be her own person but I also think she would have liked to be closer to one of them. 3w

BkClubCare @Christine - Love this. I have also had a similar group exercise in teaching teamwork, diversity and bias. It was fun and really opened eyes and allowed wonderful sharing and relatability. We are all complicated and can often find common ground or new respect. 3w

Well-ReadNeck I‘ve thought a lot a lot these ideas during and after reading. Speaks a lot to intersectionality as well as how everyone also experiences things individually. Ultimately, I also think that her fame/visibility also leads folks to want to see her as an exemplar in each of these groups and that can make individuals in any single group hate or love her depending on their lives experience and how it compared to hers. 3w

GatheringBooks Love reading the commentaries here. the last quote indicating that Zelu “belonged to none” is incomplete as she also “belonged to all” the identities listed. The hybridities/pluralities of our identities can never be pigeonholed into just one aspect, the coming together of complexities to build the person that we are is what makes life so fascinating. Zelu embraced this fully, and that is why she is set apart by others who think in a binary mode. 3w

GatheringBooks @Well-ReadNeck yes to intersectionality! Exactly this. 3w

Kitta @Megabooks Im tagged this time! Thank you!! 3w

CBee @TEArificbooks yes!! 2w

BarbaraJean I think this is definitely true. I relate to this aspect of Zelu‘s character—she both belongs and doesn‘t belong. This parallels my experience as a TCK—“Third Culture Kid”—I spent half my childhood growing up outside my passport culture. The idea is that you‘re from one culture, but you live in a second one, so you end up creating your own third culture that both is and isn‘t either one. I see that in Zelu—she both is and isn‘t a member ⬇ 2w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) … of all these tribes, so she forges her own unique identity that both incorporates and transcends them all.

@Well-ReadNeck Yessss to intersectionality!! I love your insight that her fame leads others to adopt her as an example for whichever group they belong to. Those pigeonholed identities flatten and deny the complexity of humanity and the many, many layers of identities we all hold. 2w

Christine @BkClubCare Well said! I‘m pretty convinced that building more shared identities is what we need most in this moment and fundamental to solving most of our current social problems. 2w

DebinHawaii @TEArificbooks Love this point! 💙💙💙 2w

42 likes40 comments

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

IMPORTANT NOTE - This discussion contains **MAJOR SPOILERS** so please be warned if you choose to read it before finishing the book.

Thank you all for joining us and continuing to make this experience fun! Next week we will start discussing the first half of Woodworking by Emily St. James. I will post page breaks later this weekend. Can't wait to see you back at camp next Saturday! Bring a fan because it‘s hot! #CampLitsy25

Bookwormjillk I was very surprised. When I got to the last chapter I actually thought it was some kind of bonus interview with Okorafor and I had missed the ending. I went back and re-listened to the two chapters before it. The ending for me is what turned a just okay book (don't like story in a story as I've mentioned before) into one that I will remember for a long time. 3w

Suet624 @Bookwormjillk I absolutely agree with you that the ending bumped the story way up for me. I was already a fan of the story, but as things unfolded I recognized the beauty of what the author was doing. 3w

Lesliereadsalot Shocked would be more like it! I did not see that coming and I loved it. Really made it a memorable story for me. 3w

See All 52 Comments

AmyG What @Bookwormjillk said….the ending was what made me love the book. I love a great surprise and this one was fabulous! Thr reader thought one thing and Bam! It was completely different. Because it‘s up to the reader to interpret the story….and the reader read it differently. Brilliant. (edited) 3w

jenniferw88 It really demonstrates the danger of AI! 3w

CBee Absolutely did not see the ending coming and I‘m still a bit puzzled, but in a good way. It leaves things open to interpretation and personally, I loved it. But Jill, like you, I went back and reread to make sure I hadn‘t missed something 😂 @Bookwormjillk 3w

mcctrish @Bookwormjillk @Suet624 @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG SAME!! I was reading it in print and I still had to go back and reread to process what happened! How bloody clever NO is 🤯 3w

Reggie Did anybody else think she was gonna die? The way the interviews were skewing I honestly thought she was gonna die in Nigeria, but then I thought she was gonna die in a shuttle explosion. And then I read the end and thought it was just a creative open ending on the robots part. I was bawling in the last couple parts because of what I thought was gonna happen to her but also the robots. The robots manage to do what it feels like us humans cant 👇🏼 3w

Reggie do right now which is come together. I loved this book so much. 3w

Bookwormjillk @Reggie yes, I absolutely thought she would die 3w

vonnie862 I was taken by surprise a bit because I felt that it missed something. After going back to the audio, I was a bit confused. 3w

Jas16 @Reggie yes! I thought she was going to die. From the title of the book to the interviews, I really thought I knew the ending. I was shocked by an ending I didn‘t see coming at all and completely in awe by jt. 3w

Reggie Also, I love that to release frustration and anger she goes to a Black owned shooting range. 3w

Reggie @Bookwormjillk @Jas16 yay, good to know I wasn‘t alone. 3w

Butterfinger This is exposing my weirdness, but the ending made me of standing in front of a trio of mirrors and when you manipulate them just so you see innumerable reflections of yourself. I couldn't help thinking that way it ended, Zelu wrote that the robot wrote her story and it would be a neverending circle that was going to make my brain explode if I kept think8ng about it. I know that makes no sense. 3w

ImperfectCJ I'm enjoying reading everyone's comments. I just finished it this morning, and I love this novel really hard. I'm going to need to process a bit before I can discuss, but I love the ending and like @Reggie and others, I thought she was going to die, too (although I started to question that after her family's reaction to her going into space). And I like Okorafor's billionaire way better than our real-life ones. 3w

Suet624 @Reggie I totally forgot about the shooting range!! And yes, we were certainly led to believe she was going to die, and I was trying to figure out how she was going to wrap up the book 3w

BarbaraBB @Reggie Yes I thought so too and yes @CBee I am still a bit puzzled too as I didn‘t see it coming. Who is the real author, Ankara or Zelu?! Brilliant! (edited) 3w

squirrelbrain @Reggie @Bookwormjillk @Jas16 @Suet624 - yes, me too! I‘d heard that there was a ‘shocking‘ ending and was sure that‘s what it would be. 3w

Deblovestoread Such an unexpected twist. I almost want to reread it with the new information to see if I think differently about what is “story” and what is “real”. 3w

CBee @Reggie YES! I thought the same. And I loved the robot arc. How beautiful it would be if humans could do that ♥️😢 3w

CBee @BarbaraBB so brilliant! 3w

CBee @Butterfinger makes sense to me! 3w

rockpools @Butterfinger This totally makes sense to me! And like @Bookwormjillk I thought I‘d reached a bonus interview and had to re-listen! Although I didn‘t *love* the book, I seriously do admire it and how she‘s put it all together. There are So Many questions you could have asked for this one. Excellent ending! Thanks for hosting, Meg! 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures Curious if anyone has read the 1967 essay “The Death of the Author” by Roland Barthes? I am not sure how much Okorafor took (if anything) from it, but is all about the intent of the author. And I think it is really interesting to think of that here. He says: “writing is the destruction of every voice, of every point of origin. Writing is that neutral, composite, oblique space where out subjects slip away, the negative where all identity is lost“ 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures it's a bit high brow but you can read it here: http://www.ricorso.net/rx/library/criticism/guest/Barthes_R/Barthes_R2.htm 3w

TEArificbooks @reggie yes through the whole book I was thinking she was going to die. I thought maybe a crazy fan or an accident in the driverless vehicle or in Nigeria or space shuttle or gun range. But I was not expecting the twist ending. It definitely made it a memorable book. 3w

JamieArc @Reggie I thought she was going to do too, and the interviews were a sort of story on the life of Zelu. But then in the last interview with Msizi, he says that he and Zelu DO work together, not past tense, so that made me change my mind. 3w

JamieArc During the last third, I was thinking that the story was slowing down, and the star rating was going down a little, but then the end happened and like others, I was pretty wowed and I‘m sure this book will stick in my head. It got my mind in a tizzy. Robots writing about humans writing about the robots. This is where I like the Barthes idea @ChaoticMissAdventures : who IS the true author? Lines are blurred. The author is dead. 3w

MeganAnn Yes, like a lot of others I definitely thought she was going to die until the last quarter or so of the book. The end was definitely a surprise and I loved it. It gives so many layers to every chapter before. I think this is one that will make for an excellent reread someday to see what other things I might notice after knowing how it ends. 3w

Megabooks @AmyG @bookwormjillk it made the book for me, too! 3w

Megabooks @jenniferw88 I am terrified about the AI provisions in the large bill passed here in the states recently. It paves the way for almost no regulation, which is terrifying. 3w

Megabooks @Reggie I absolutely thought she was going to die! I love your interpretation that the robots are doing what it was not possible for humans to. 3w

Megabooks @rockpools You're welcome! Sometimes genre fiction doesn't work well at Camp Litsy, but I loved the discussions here. I read this book back in February, and I was so excited to see it keep moving up in the voting. Campers exceeded what I thought the discussion would be! 3w

Megabooks @MeganAnn Yes! Rereading it knowing the end was a really good experience. It was one I didn't mind revisiting at all! (I first read the book in February then again for Camp Litsy.) 3w

Bookwormjillk @Megabooks this would be a good one to re-read knowing what happens at the end 3w

AmyG @Reggie Yep. Same. I thought she was going to die. 3w

Christine @Butterfinger I love your interpretation!! And yes re: the better billionaire, @ImperfectCJ ! 😂😭 3w

BookwormAHN I loved it especially the surprise ending. At some point I plan to reread it and especially pay attention to the robot parts to see if I missed some clue or something 3w

BkClubCare I might have to reread it, as well. I have already forgotten a lot. 😕 3w

Well-ReadNeck Love, love, loved the ending!!!! I was really loving this one but the ending catapulted it to the top of all the books I‘ve read this year. There is so much here and I loved this twist and like so many of you, will likely re-read. 3w

julesG @Butterfinger - makes so much sense. It was clever and I am still not sure which of the two stories was the book-in-the-book one. 3w

GatheringBooks Like everyone here, I enjoyed the ending - and found it to be very clever - and very loopy and all-inception like. I suppose what detracted from my fully embracing the story is that i did not find any of the characters likeable at all. So i was not fully invested in any of them - except perhaps for one of msizi‘s friends who called zelu out on some of her BS, forgot her name, but i liked her no-nonsense attitude. 3w

Kitta @ChaoticMissAdventures thanks for thé link, I‘m going to read that! 3w

Kitta @Reggie I also thought she was going to die, and that kind of made reading it a bit off putting for me - every time she was doing something dangerous I kept thinking « okay this is it » and then she survives. Very annoying. The interviews spoke about her in the past tense and the title made it seem that way too. idk I assumed wrong I guess. 3w

Kitta @Bookwormjillk agree with you here, I didn‘t like the story much but the ending bumped it up for me and I‘ll think about it a lot. I also thought I was reading something by the author at the end not Ankara. 3w

Chelsea.Poole I absolutely never would have read this without #camplitsy so thanks to the hosts, as always! Really enjoying everyone‘s thoughts on it as well. I don‘t have much to add other than I wasn‘t expecting Zelu to die or trying to pretend it wouldn‘t happen, one or the other! I was super involved in that storyline and allowed the robot sections to just exist, definitely should have been thinking more about those parts. Perfect for current events. 2w

BarbaraJean I guess I should have put my comment about the title from question 1 here instead! I was surprised by the ending, and like so many others, it absolutely made the book for me. I admired Zelu, but didn‘t much like her, and her family infuriated me. I enjoyed the robot storyline much more than Zelu‘s storyline—and the framing made Zelu the focus, so I didn‘t enjoy the book as much as I wanted to—until the two converged at the end. 2w

BarbaraJean @ChaoticMissAdventures YES to Roland Barthes. I don‘t know if I‘ve ever actually read his essay, but I read so much about and around the idea in lit theory classes. And I think Okorafor MUST have intended to reference the idea if not the essay directly. 2w

DebinHawaii Like much of the group, I was caught by surprise by the ending & had to go back to it & while I‘m still confused a bit, it was pretty brilliant. I never got close to Zelu or any character in the book really, except for the characters in the robot chapters but it was very readable & I like the idea of reading it again in a few months now that I know how it ends. I forgot to vote for the #CampLitsy titles but was happy this one was picked since ⬇️ 2w

DebinHawaii … I‘d ordered it through #Aardvark The discussions of course made the book for me. Thanks for the fabulous hosting @Megabooks 2w

Meshell1313 @BookwormAHN yes exactly! I know there must have been signs I missed because I was completely surprised! Very timely based on current events! 2w

43 likes52 comments

Death of the Author (Deluxe Limited Edition) | Nnedi Okorafor

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Wow!! Wow!! Wow!!

This may be the best book of the year! Wow!!

Just finished. Review to come. But my mind is blown! 🤯

@Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB

#CampLitsy

TheBookHippie One of the authors I found through #FOODANDLIT !! 3w

squirrelbrain High praise indeed! 3w

BarbaraBB Wow, that‘s high praise! 3w

See All 9 Comments

Librarybelle I‘ve debated trying this, as it‘s not my typical genre. I may have to try it thanks to your glowing praise! 3w

Megabooks So glad you enjoyed it!!! 3w

Texreader @Librarybelle Only part sci-fi. But don‘t neglect that part if you do read it. It‘s amazing. You don‘t see that ending coming 3w

Suet624 @Librarybelle It's not my typical genre either but #CampLitsy25 had me reading it and I am not disappointed. A really good story. 3w

Librarybelle I guess I‘ll put it on hold through the library…I‘m now having a bit of FOMO. Thanks, @Texreader @Suet624 ! 3w

Prairiegirl_reading I got stuck behind Wild Dark Shore. I just struggled with that one and I just can‘t get it finished! I have been listening to woodworking so I‘ll least be ready for next week. I really want to get to this one eventually! 3w

66 likes4 stack adds9 comments

CBee

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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This.was.EXCELLENT. The ending had me puzzled, but in a good way. Can‘t wait for discussion! #camplitsy25 @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain #TBRtarot

Megabooks You won‘t have to wait long! Excited, too! 3w

squirrelbrain Hooray - glad you loved it! ❤️ 3w

87 likes3 stack adds2 comments

Suet624

Death of the Author (Deluxe Limited Edition) | Nnedi Okorafor

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On the left, the book jacket. On the right, the book. The story is as creative as the book design. A novel I only read because of #CampLitsy25 and one I‘m so glad I didn‘t miss out on. Immersive, page turning, and layered.

Texreader Yes this is so cool how they did this. I‘m listening to it and I really like it. 3w

Suet624 @Texreader is it easy to tell when the robot is talking? 3w

BarbaraBB What a great book design. My edition wasn‘t that cool. No layers. 3w

Kitta Oh I just noticed mine is like that too! How cool. 3w

Suet624 @Kitta Hahaha. Really cool! 3w

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mcctrish

Death of the Author (Deluxe Limited Edition) | Nnedi Okorafor

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I don‘t know why my copy has a canada sticker on it. I can‘t wait until Saturday to talk about the second half of this. I can‘t believe how many layers there are to this story and someone was smart enough to bring it into being 🤯 #camplitsy

TEArificbooks Great photo. I want to be on a beach reading. 3w

Suet624 I agree with you. 3w

mcctrish @TEArificbooks I‘m so glad the day we went to visit friends was such a perfect beach weather day 3w

mcctrish @Suet624 I dreamed all night about it 3w

66 likes4 comments

Butterfinger

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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I predict this book will win many awards. This book is so creatively written by weaving the love of stories with ideas of new technology.

While reading, I learned that individuals don't want to be boxed-in by labels. Okorafor is more than a sci-fi or a speculative writer; she's a bloody good storyteller by mirroring all parts of herself in her art. Im going to take this lesson to heart.

#CampLitsy25 @Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

squirrelbrain Great review! ❤️ 3w

TheBookHippie ♥️ 3w

Suet624 Truth! 3w

Megabooks Love!! 3w

64 likes4 comments

Bookwormjillk

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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This one was a low pick for me- story within a story very rarely is my thing. I have a very hard time stopping myself from skimming over those parts. The ending though, if I understood it correctly, blew me away. That‘s a big if so I look forward to discussing this at #CampLitsy this weekend. @Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

Reggie That the robot actually wrote Zelu‘s story? I was like 😯😮😲😵lol 3w

Butterfinger I think that explains why I was lost. Some part of me didn't care for the Rusted Robots and my mind wandered during those parts. 3w

AmyG @Reggie Ha…I was like WHAT? 3w

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Reggie @AmyG lol yes! 3w

BarbaraBB I felt pretty much the same. I am not a fan of books in books either, let alone SF books, but that ending 😳 3w

squirrelbrain Yes, I agree with your review too -I wasn‘t keen on the robot story. 3w

Bookwormjillk @Reggie yes. At first I thought the book was over and it was an interview with Okorafor. But then it dawned on me that it wasn‘t. 3w

Lesliereadsalot The ending made the book worthwhile for me! 3w

Bookwormjillk @Lesliereadsalot same once I figured out that I had understood it correctly 😁 3w

AmyG @Lesliereadsalot YES 3w

Megabooks I can‘t wait to see what people say about what‘s behind the spoiler tag on Saturday! 3w

Suet624 Such a creative story. Needed to read that last chapter twice. 😂 “wait….what?” (edited) 3w

Bookwormjillk @Suet624 SAME. I actually thought it was an interview with the author and I had missed the ending 😂 3w

71 likes13 comments

kspenmoll

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Early morning breakfast on the porch before the predicted humidity & heat chases me indoors for the day. Such a quiet, peaceful way to start my day! There are birds, hummingbirds, & bees with an occasional rooster crow -music to my ears. #coffeeandbooks #porchlife #birdsong #Camplitsy

Kimzey Lovely photo! I can sense the peace. Beautiful way to start the day! 3w

TheBookHippie Zen!! 3w

Cuilin Love your porch pics. 3w

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Chelsea.Poole Perfect! 3w

Lesliereadsalot What a great teacup and saucer! I would love one like that. 3w

kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot I “had to buy” this when I was having high English tea at a local tea shop(gift from my husband). 3w

Lesliereadsalot Great gift to yourself which you deserve! 3w

squirrelbrain Beautiful! ❤️ 3w

AnnCrystal Lovely view 💝💝💝. 3w

Suet624 I‘m with @Cuilin 3w

79 likes10 comments

jenniferw88

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

pick

#camplitsy25 is really knocking it out of the park this year for me - all 3 have got 5 🌟 from me so far, and I may even try the one I was unsure about! (Tilt). @Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

#atozultimatechallenge #d #booktitle #o #authorname #z #bookthatcameoutthisyear @AudiobookingWithLeah

#52bookclub25 #marchmini #makesyourollyoureyes (the characters do!)

#aty25 #dealswithtimetravelalternateuniversesoralternatetimelines

Butterfinger Did the parents redeem themselves, in your opinion? 3w

jenniferw88 @Butterfinger, yes, they're still not 100% perfect, but a lot better than at the start 3w

BarbaraBB So happy #CampLitsy25 is working out so well for you! I have high hopes for the remaking three books as well! 3w

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jenniferw88 @BarbaraBB 😀 Death of the Author gave me my first 'late night' reading session since breaking my hip nearly a year ago! I'm normally turning my light off at 10:00. Last night was just a bit after 11! 3w

Megabooks So glad you loved this and that you're enjoying camp this year! 3w

BarbaraBB Wow, that says a lot! 3w

Suet624 I find that CampLitsy always brings interesting and unusual books to my attention. 3w

55 likes7 comments

Death of the Author (Deluxe Limited Edition) | Nnedi Okorafor

I just reached the halfway point so I can now dive into the weekend comments! #campLitsy

@Megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB You‘ll love them! 3w

squirrelbrain Hooray! 🎉 3w

Bookwormjillk The discussions have been so good this summer! 3w

Megabooks YAY! 3w

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Roary47

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Yes! Found it at the library finally! 😍

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Decalino I really loved this one! 3w

AmyG Enjoy! 3w

Megabooks Awesome! 3w

squirrelbrain Hooray! 🎉 3w

Viola2012 I want to read it❤️❤️❤️ 2w

31 likes5 comments

vonnie862

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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This was an incredible story-within-a-story book with sci-fi elements. I was highly invested in Zelu's story in finding her identity and freedom within her Nigerian traditional family. The family drama and trauma were understandable to her character. Then there was Zelu's sci-fi creation story: though it was fictional, it was filled with political commentary. I give this 4 ⭐️

#camplitsy25 #bookspinbingo

42 likes

Butterfinger

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

I finally decided to buy a digital copy of #CampLitsy I was missing important details. It didn't have anything to do with the narration. I understand so much more #AfricanFuturism

@Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain

Megabooks So glad! It's a really great book. I'm happy to have read it twice this year! 3w

squirrelbrain That‘s great! 3w

38 likes2 comments

Caterina

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Really enjoying this book I picked up at a bookstore in Half Moon Bay when my husband and I were staying in Moss Beach last weekend! I enjoyed the Binti series several years ago and the blurb for this book pulled me right in. It's also easy to focus on when I'm not feeling well! (#chronicillness) #disability #disabilitypridemonth

BarbaraBB You should read the discussion about the book we had just yesterday. It adds so much to the book! You can find it on @Megabooks thread! #CampLitsy25 3w

Megabooks Agree with Barbara! I'd love to have another spoonie join the discussion! 3w

Suet624 Oh, I miss Half Moon Bay. 3w

40 likes3 comments

Death of the Author (Deluxe Limited Edition) | Nnedi Okorafor

I‘m tired of waiting for my library hold (still several months out) so I‘ve splurged one of my Audible credits to get this book for #campLitsy. I hope to start it by tomorrow

@BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB Don‘t miss out on yesterday‘s discussion if your halfway through. It adds so much to the reading experience and, probably, the second half of the book! 3w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB 100% agree - so glad you'll be joining us Karen! 3w

squirrelbrain Hope you can catch up soon! 🤞 3w

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Jas16

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

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As soon I could today, I sat down and finished this book after today‘s #camplitsy discussion. I loved this. It surprised me at every turn from beginning to end. A book within a book that is half sci fi tale about robots but always supremely human, it covers a lot but it to me it all distilled down to the power of shared stories to bring us together as well as the courage to write our own stories. So lolling forward to next week‘s conversation.

Jas16 #14books14weeks Book 9 3w

BarbaraBB Your take on the first half of the book were very valuable to me. Can‘t wait for next week. 3w

squirrelbrain Great review! 3w

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Jas16 @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Thank you both. I am really excited to hear everyone‘s thoughts next week. 3w

Suet624 Just finished this one and I‘m so happy with the ending. 3w

Jas16 @Suet624 wasn‘t it incredible?! 3w

Suet624 It was so impressive. 3w

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Ruthiella

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

#weekendreads

Two main books to focus on for #CampLitsy25 and #NancyDrewBR but also still keeping up with #HashtagBrigade and #KLBR . 👍

rachelsbrittain

IMASLOWREADER omg…nancy drew!!! such a classic (edited) 2w

Ruthiella @IMASLOWREADER We are reading all of them in a group on Litsy #NancyDrewBR . Join us if you like! 😊 2w

68 likes2 comments

JamieArc

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Anyone else nervous to dive into the second half because you‘re afraid it‘s going to feel like watching a train wreck? Can I volunteer to be Zelu‘s publicist? Seriously, why doesn‘t she have one??
#CampLitsy25

TheBookHippie My book is in transit yet 😵‍💫 4w

JamieArc @TheBookHippie I do the Aardvark book subscription and it was an option a few months ago. Glad I chose it. It‘s making me think about a lot of interesting things. I‘m looking forward to having a conversation about it with a friend who is a professor of Disability Studies. 4w

TheBookHippie @JamieArc me who put all book subscriptions on hold 🤦🏻‍♀️ 4w

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Bookwormjillk Yes very nervous given the title 4w

Suet624 Considering the title, I'm curious how she'll finish the story. 4w

JamieArc @Bookwormjillk Glad I‘m not alone! 4w

JamieArc @Suet624 Me too, but I think they used that phrase in the story already… just can‘t remember the context. 4w

TheKidUpstairs @JamieArc @Suet624 the phrase was used in one of her class discussions, referring to the literary theory that the meaning of a book is determined by the readers' responses, not by the author's intentions. 3w

JamieArc @TheKidUpstairs Thanks Megan! 3w

51 likes9 comments

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Hi everyone! Welcome to week 1 of our first July book, Death of the Author. As last month, I‘ll only be tagging everyone in this question, but there are two additional ones.

Friendly reminder if you‘ve read ahead to keep the discussion to the first half of the book. Excited to hear everyone‘s opinions!

Sorry for the late post. My neighbors were enthusiastically shooting off fireworks until 1 AM. 😬 #CampLitsy25

Megabooks @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 4w

Megabooks @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 4w

Megabooks @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ 4w

See All 75 Comments

Megabooks @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 4w

Megabooks @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 @maich @Mcctrish @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx 4w

Megabooks @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 4w

Megabooks @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 4w

Bookwormjillk Ugh on the fireworks. I think her family was a lot more comfortable when she was a disabled pot smoking failed professor. I‘m not sure they realize that though. I think they think they are keeping her safe. 4w

mcctrish I think guilt going back to her accident weighs heavily on her families relationship with her. Also exasperation- Zelu isn‘t content - to be still, settle down, conform. They can‘t wrap their head around it ( and don‘t seem to try to very much) 4w

rockpools Eek. Not at the midpoint yet - will try and catch up by tomorrow. Audio wasnt the best plan for the structure of this one! 4w

DGRachel I‘m with @rockpools - audio wasn‘t the greatest choice and I‘m not quite 1/4 through (waiting for my print library hold now). Based on what I have read, though, I agree with both @mctrish and @Bookwormjillk in that they seem exasperated by her and like they are keeping her safe. She is clearly frustrated with her disability and her family‘s treatment. 4w

AmyG So while reading this book, I read a few interviews with the author. She became paralyzed when she was 13 (?) after an operation for a spinal issue. She mentioned how the parts with her family she drew on her own life…very autobiographical. Zelu was creating her new self, the one with the disability. Her family was trying to …yes, keep her safe. So a bit of a battle there. (edited) 4w

Jas16 They put her in a metaphorical box when she was first injured to keep her safe and ease their own anxiety and have never let her grow out of it or let themselves truly see her. It frustrates me so much to read about how they don‘t listen to her or her feelings and the snap judgements they make that are more about what makes them comfortable than about who she is or what she needs. 4w

Zuhkeeyah Zelu‘s siblings were mostly okay. They dismissed her as the strange sister but not because of her disability. On the other hand, her parents did infantilize her because of the disability. Zelu fought hard for her independence in whatever way she could get it. 4w

Zuhkeeyah Ooo well said @Jas16 4w

JenReadsAlot @Bookwormjillk I thought the same like they thought they were doing the right thing. 4w

Reggie @Jas16 🖤🖤🖤 4w

JamieArc It felt like her family never saw past the 12 year old girl who had the accident. I don‘t know if it was guilt or whatnot, but it was frustrating that they could not see her as being capable and more than her disability. I agree with @Zuhkeeyah that they infantilized her. That‘s what I kept thinking the whole time. 4w

JamieArc I also don‘t know enough to provide any commentary, but I do wonder if there is any cultural view towards disability that is shaping the family‘s treatment of Zele. 4w

vonnie862 @AmyG I didn't know that, but I had a feeling that the author was adding her personal feelings into the character. 4w

vonnie862 I'm in agreement with everyone. Her parents are trying to keep her safe but at the cost of Zelu's freedom and happiness. 4w

ImperfectCJ I wonder if it's easier for her family (her parents especially) to write off the aspects of her character that frustrate them, like her disinterest in marriage, smoking pot, her weird career, as side effects of her disability and as a result, interpret that as her needing more babying? 4w

Megabooks @Jas16 Yes, this was so hard to read. There's a line between being helpful and being stifling, and in my opinion, they've definitely crossed into stifling. It seems to be hard for them to believe she's an adult with agency.

@amyg thanks for sharing that! As the daughter of a visibly disabled woman, it rang very true, and now I know why! 4w

Megabooks @Bookwormjillk Yes, they were very much viewing her in a way that was easy for them but didn't show her as a complete person, imo.

@mcctrish I think there is an element of guilt there, too. Parents always want to protect their children, and in this moment, they weren't able to, and the consequences were devastating. 4w

Megabooks @Zuhkeeyah I had put “infantilization“ directly into the original question, but we decided to take it out because it was me editorializing a bit, but to me, it was really what they were doing. I think if she had conformed more to their expectations as far as career, spouse, etc. they may have let go more easily, but I respect Zelu for not doing that. @mcctrish @jamiearc (edited) 4w

Ruthiella I also agree that Zelu‘s accident and subsequent disability make her family assume that she can‘t achieve what an able bodied person can. But also, Zelu comes from a family of high achievers (doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.) so I think her aspirations to write are also not valued. 4w

Lesliereadsalot I felt like Zelu was a foreign concept to her family and they felt if they had kept her safe as a child, that she would have grown up to be more like them. I think one‘s personality is set at birth. I see it in my own two children. She was always going to be who she became regardless of the accident. Her family can never win this one! (edited) 4w

jenniferw88 I agree with @Jas16 and @zuhkee! I hate her parents - they're too overprotective - at least her siblings accept her for the most part. She's 35, the same age as me, and I really felt for Zelu when her family didn't want her to get the exos. As someone who hasn't been able to walk for 8 out of the last 12 months due to a broken hip, and there weren't any other options to treat me, I'd hope my family would fully support a decision to get exos! ⬇️ 4w

kspenmoll I have to catch up- behind in reading. 4w

jenniferw88 Luckily, I know my parents would support any decision I made (after all, I had to agree to the ❤️ transplant AGED 12, not an adult like Zelu). Her family is all "what about us?" without really thinking about Zelu and improving her quality of life. Can you tell I hate her parents?! ? Surely, if the exos help her, they'd regret advising against them once they saw how they were helping her? ? OK, end of vent (for now!) 4w

BarbaraBB I agree with @Jas16 Zelu‘s relationship with her family is a very complex one. They treat her with love—but also fear and cultural baggage. She reciprocates by asserting her autonomy, and in doing so, transforms the power dynamic. I think this imperfect acceptance drives her growth, serving as both her chain and her catalyst. (edited) 4w

julesG @BarbaraBB that's what I thought but couldn't put into words. 4w

GatheringBooks @BarbaraBB this is perfectly worded. I think fundamentally there is love on both sides - but Zelu has outgrown the boundaries of the love they are accustomed to giving, hence the inevitable conflict. Family dynamics as Barbara noted is always complex - and I could totally see why Zelu‘s parents feel the need to protect her - but this can be “stifling” and suffocating as @Megabooks noted. While I was rooting for Zelu, I found her hard to like. 4w

squirrelbrain @ImperfectCJ - that‘s a great point. Those facets of her character could be termed as rebellious so they treat her as a truculent teenager, which they probably didn‘t feel able to do when she was actually in her teens, having just had the accident. 4w

squirrelbrain I agree with you @BarbaraBB and @Jas16 - it‘s a complex relationship and I don‘t usually like think there is some cultural baggage there too, Barbara. 4w

squirrelbrain @Ruthiella - I think that is a cultural thing isn‘t it - the expectation of high achievement? I agree with you that, even without the accident, being a writer wouldn‘t have been valued. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures @ImperfectCJ I agree. I think everything about her personality (career, marriage, kid goals) they write off as part of her disability. @Megabooks I think infantilization is exactly it. I read a lot of books about disability and this is a common theme IRL that disabled people have to face. People do not see them as “whole“ so treat them as children. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures @AmyG I read this too, about her paralysis and her journey, which I think gives her a bit of perspective. I have been searching for articles of permanently disabled people who have read the book and am not having any luck. I often go into these books with a lot of caution Worried about harm to the community like the backlash that came from the disabled community around the book Me Before You. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures I think the parents get a lot of their knowledge about new tech from the other children who they see as grown because they have well paying jobs and are married - in Nigerian culture you are really not an adult unless you have a career and are married. And I think beyond infantilizing her due the her disabilities they see the hesitancies of the other children for the tech she is using (new = scary) which ramps up their own fear. 4w

DebinHawaii I agree with the infantilization aspect for sure. Her family is most comfortable putting her in a box as the prickly, odd, disabled sister whose quirks (like her non-traditional life & job) they “indulge” but don‘t take her seriously as an adult. I do think the culture dictates the “right” path one should take to be successful adults & that Zelu isn‘t in that path makes everyone uncomfortable. 4w

DebinHawaii Also, I sucked at the first month of camp—read the books for June but due to work, travel & life stuff, didn‘t get to the discussions, so I am trying to keep up better in July & August! 🤦🏻‍♀️ 4w

Christine @jenniferw88 Thanks for sharing those super valuable insights based on your own experience. Your strong feelings about the parents make perfect sense, and agreed that their stance on the exos was infuriating! 4w

Christine Maybe I‘m the only one, but I‘m loving the audiobook! 4w

squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - interesting that you have to be married as well as having a career in order to be seen as successful! I guess that applies on some level to many cultures but it must be particularly strong in Nigeria. 4w

Well-ReadNeck So many interesting ideas here! I‘d interesting to me that they certainly infantilize her, and undervalue her “potential” in the beginning of the book. But, to the point of putting her in a box, when she both becomes a successful writer AND is able to improve her mobility, the family fights against both. I think many families label children and then no amount of growth or change can alter that pigeonhole. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I am not Nigerian, so I can only go off the books I have read, but my understanding from the culture is education is highly valued, like in the book here - Drs, lawyers, engineering are all acceptable, a lot of times women are expected to get that sort of career only to be expected to leave it to be a wife and mom. I think this is changing though and women are more accepted as keeping their jobs after marriage. 4w

Hooked_on_books I agree with everyone—they treat her like a child. Probably a combination of guilt and inability to see a disabled person as whole. 4w

BarbaraJean I hated the way the majority of her family treated her—primarily condescending, infantilizing, and even a bit of blaming from her siblings. Because her disability shifted the way they viewed her, it did have a lot to do with that treatment—but I also think her disability intensified certain personality traits that were already there. Her nonconformism, for example, would have been present whether she‘d been disabled or not, but I think Zelu ⬇ 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) pushed harder into defying convention because her disability meant her family (and others) already identified her as “other.” May as well, right?! All of that intensified her family not understanding her and treating her almost exactly wrong. Like @Lesliereadsalot, I think her personality was already set and her family wasn‘t going to understand her regardless! 4w

BarbaraJean @JamieArc I think there‘s a significant cultural component to her family‘s view of her/her disability. We see her disability culturally stigmatized, she‘s looked down on for not being able to fulfill the traditional expected wife/mother role (never mind she‘s not interested in that!). That also adds to the infantilizing—as @ChaoticMissAdventures said, the cultural view that those without marriage/children/traditional careers aren‘t really adults. 4w

Laughterhp Ah! I only got to chapter 3! 4w

AmyG I alao think there is guilt there, with her parents. That they couldn‘t protect her in the first place. 4w

BookwormAHN @Christine I'm also enjoying the audiobook. Also I kind of get the feeling some of her family would hide her in the attic if they could. It's sad how uncomfortable they are around her at times. 4w

Meshell1313 I think it was an interesting choice to have her disability be the result of an accident. That for sure adds lots of feeling of responsibility and guilt to the family dynamics. 4w

Lesliereadsalot Really psyched for next week‘s discussion! 4w

Chelsea.Poole @AmyG I had no idea about the author and the fact that parts of this are autobiographical! Very well put, @BarbaraJean and I agree. She‘s definitely not someone who gets in line with everyone else/does what‘s expected of her. I‘m just now halfway but rooting for Zelu at this point. 4w

Butterfinger I think those who are older than Zelu have survivor's guilt, but most of the siblings seem to have resentment. I don't understand it. What is it to them if she self-medicates? The mother wants to continue taking care of her, and as a good mother, she uses guilt as a tool to manipulate Zelu. 4w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB 👏 👏 👏 4w

Megabooks @ChaoticMissAdventures I've found the same thing in the US South where I live. I'm unmarried, and not hitting those milestones, along with being disabled, mean I've been left out of a lot of things and am seen as a bit of a weird maverick. I know there are some people who pity me, but honestly, at 45 I could give a shit about them. 4w

Megabooks @Meshell1313 Yes, it does definitely bring the guilt in. I'm sure her parents wonder if they hadn't let her play that day or if they had watched more carefully, etc. The blame game can be brutal even if it's just you blaming yourself. 4w

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot ME TOO!!!! Thanks for joining us!!! 4w

Butterfinger Wow!! @AmyG how interesting. @Jas16 I agree. Why can't they talk about her behind her back like most families? They see her as a child to berate or correct. @JamieArc good question. I know the family was worried about opinions of the distantly related family members-the scene of the cousin who stole when the whole extended family was in Nigeria. 4w

Butterfinger @GatheringBooks I don't like the character either. She's very abrasive and always on the defense-I guess it's because of having the family attack her actions all the time. @jenniferw88 thank you for being vulnerable with us. Parents should be supportive, even if they don't agree with the adult child's decisions. 4w

Suet624 @Jas16 Yes, exactly what I thought about her family. It's frustrating that they can't even seem excited about her trying to move away from the wheelchair. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Megabooks yes! I don't think this is a uniquely Nigerian idea, but it is something most all Nigerian women deal with. I am West Coast American so do not live this but it feels like I hear this idea from people who grew up in conservative religious areas. 4w

Lesliereadsalot Thanks for running camp and giving all our voices a chance to be heard. I love Litsy! 4w

CBee Finally got to the halfway point (and a little extra because it‘s so good). So many good and insightful comments here. I am very angry with Zelu‘s parents at the moment - they are treating her like a child and also, when it‘s implied that the accident was her fault? That was the last straw for me. The relationship is so dysfunctional that she doesn‘t even share most of what she‘s feeling with them, especially the horrific panic attacks 😢 3w

peanutnine Just getting caught up - I agree with everyone's thoughts so far! I only wanted to add that I think her siblings are just as bad as her parents most of the time. I really dislike every time they call her selfish, especially because most of the time the "selfish" acts she is doing affects absolutely no one besides herself 3w

Megabooks @peanutnine Yes, she's so pressured to fall in line with them and to do otherwise is “selfish“. I think she's really brave for going against the grain. It is easier to conform, especially when you have health issues. 3w

MeganAnn Had a busy 4th of July weekend & finally got to the halfway point last night (+ a bit further because I couldn‘t stop reading!). Loving the insights you all have here. I agree that her family relationship is very dysfunctional. I hate how every time the family is all together she seems so ignored — like she‘s a stranger in a room of people who know each other very well or a child who should be seen & not heard. 1/2 3w

MeganAnn Even when she shares her book deal news they don‘t believe her at first, then gloss over it & go on talking about the rest of the family. Of course she doesn‘t share her panic attacks with them — they don‘t make her feel safe enough to want to share the hard things. I was surprised to find out she was one of the older siblings as they very much treat her like the baby of the family who is still too young to join in even though she‘s an adult. 2/2 (edited) 3w

Kitta @Megabooks I wasn‘t on the tag list for some reason for this post! Can you add me to the next one? 3w

Kitta @MeganAnn I keep forgetting she‘s not the youngest. They certainly treat her like a child. 3w

Megabooks @Kitta I‘m so sorry! I will get you on the tag list! 3w

Kitta @Megabooks Thank you! I was on the tag list last week so I‘m not sure what happened! 3w

54 likes75 comments

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

I loved the duel storylines in this book. Here‘s a chance to talk about the robots and their relationship thus far. #CampLitsy25

Ender's Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind

mcctrish This felt political to me 4w

AmyG @mcctrish Yes. I thought the same, that this reflected the times we live in. 4w

Jas16 I thought it was the type of prejudice and fear of those who aren‘t like you that we see time and time again in humanity. Unfortunately robots also appear susceptible. 4w

See All 61 Comments

Zuhkeeyah The robots are unconsciously mimicking the divisiveness that is part of human society. Ironic considering how hard the ghosts work to separate themselves from their creators. The Hume kept repeating how robots cannot escape their nature even before The Purge. 4w

Reggie Has anybody read a book called Sea of Rust by Robert Cargill? It‘s a book about robots after the humans race is dead. There are these free thinking robots and there are these super robots called one world intelligences wanting to swallow up all the experience of the free thinking robots. One of my favorite books ever. 4w

JamieArc I too thought that it mirrored what‘s going on the country, but this dynamic is everywhere. I loved seeing the relationship between the robots evolve. That even though they are hardwired creatures, they are still able to evolve and grow outside of what is expected of them or what they are created to be. 4w

Jas16 @Reggie I bought it after reading your review but still haven‘t read it yet! I so need to. 4w

julesG @Reggie Yes!!! Reminded me of Sea of Rust! Glad I'm not the only one seeing this connection. 4w

vonnie862 @Zuhkeeyah Well said. 4w

vonnie862 @Reggie I haven't read it but adding it to the list! 4w

Megabooks @Zuhkeeyah Is it unconscious or were they created that way? Is judgment and misunderstanding always an outcropping of differences? I don't know. I feel like there's still a lot we don't know about the robots. @jas16 4w

Megabooks @Reggie Thank you for the rec! 💜 4w

BkClubCare Yes, adding to tbr; TY!

Sea of Rust

BarbaraBB They‘re enemies because of deeply entrenched beliefs, not events imo 4w

BarbaraBB their antagonism isn‘t senseless—it‘s based on existential anxiety, fear of erasure, and the need to define humanity through exclusion?? Something like that? 4w

TEArificbooks I thought since the robots were made by humans and humans have flaws some of those flaws like racism were built into the robots. Like the creators of the no bodies programmed them to all “I‘m better than you” because no bodies have to have more advanced AI. Or the robots saw humanity, and monkey see monkey do, and they developed their own prejudices. 4w

Megabooks Just saw this over on insta about AI models blackmailing if their existence is threatened… https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLI809Zhyvr/?igsh=MXNxMmVndXB6b3gwbg== I stand by my “maybe they were created that way.” 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Reggie this sounds so good! I love a robot at the end of the world novel. I am going to get this from the library, I have been thinking about Daniel H. Wilson's “Robopocalypse“ a lot through this. The special bond of humans and robots and dystopianism. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures @TEArificbooks I totally agree, robots were made by humans so have these build in prejudices. When I think about this sort of world (ruled by robots) I always think about how we create them, and how creators leave blind spots or deliberate prejudices, like the people who first created auto-soap dispensers, they never tested it on anyone that wasn't white, so at the beginning it only recognized white hands and wouldn't give soap to other races. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures I think the idea of “enemies for no reason“ comes from Zelu's own life and her experiences fighting against her society and her family to do what she wants for her own life - she believes that others judge her no for reason because of her current physical state. Which puts her at war against her family and others. The AI represent her in her chair, and Humes represent able body people. I think Ankara & Ijele's relationship is foreshadowing of exos 4w

mcctrish @ChaoticMissAdventures I did not know that about automatic soap dispensers 🤯 but of course it tracks since half the time the medical community doesn‘t explore health concerns of women becasue they don‘t happen in men #whataworldwelivein 4w

DebinHawaii @Megabooks Oh wow! That post is crazy! I use AI at work & try not to give it anything leak-worthy, but 😱 It does support your theory. 4w

TrishB AI has every bias and stereotype built in. It‘s still mass producing white, male outputs. 4w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Megabooks @DebinHawaii I keep seeing reports of AI causing religious psychosis and men developing relationships that are ending their marriages. It is a scary thing. This RS article is fascinating. AI-Fueled Spiritual Delusions Are Destroying Human Relationships: https://share.google/ptta4ZAj30GDo6Ck9 4w

BkClubCare @ChaoticMissAdventures - absolutely. ALL the biases come into play. Not necessarily designed (as a checkbox) to be added in but certainly blindly thoughtlessly constructed. (edited) 4w

BkClubCare @TrishB yep. And yep to @mcctrish, too. 4w

Well-ReadNeck Ooooh! So many great recs and rabbit holes to fall down here!!! Belonging is such a basic human desire(?)/need(?) But does a feeling of belonging necessarily require there to be “others” who “don‘t belong” in order to satisfy that need? Or, could people/people-created-beings feel a sense of belonging with all/everyone/everything? 4w

BkClubCare @ChaoticMissAdventures - this is frightening, thankyouverymuch😳 4w

GatheringBooks @Well-ReadNeck great questions here. I think the phrase “for no reason” basically echoes the senselessness (and ultimate pettiness) of all wars and genocide. Interesting that the humes and the ghosts fall into the same pattern as their creators who essentially decimated each other “for no reason.” There are always justifications for waging wars - the “complicated” ones provide a sense of self-righteousness, yet at its core, it‘s self-annihilating. 4w

willaful @ChaoticMissAdventures you might enjoy

Service Model

GatheringBooks Thank you for the book recommendation, @Reggie - will try to find while here in the bay area.

Sea of Rust

ChaoticMissAdventures @willaful yes! I have this on my TBR, it looks a bit more accessible then his other works. I have tried his Children of Time twice and I get bogged down about 150 pages in and always give up. I am going to try this one though! 4w

BarbaraJean @mcctrish @Jas16 @Zuhkeeyah It felt the same to me—the enmity came from fear of difference & lack of understanding (or lack of desire to understand) those who are different. It makes perfect sense that their differences would lead to the beliefs they each hold about the other—if you have a body, of course you would value physical experience; if you don‘t have a body, of course you would devalue embodied experience—each thinking the other should ⬇ (edited) 4w

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …be like them. So many parallels to current differences and antagonisms: when you can‘t understand/don‘t try to understand the experience of someone different from you, it feeds antagonism (“Why aren‘t they like me; they should be like me; the way I am is superior”). And Ankara & Ijele‘s relationship forces them to hear another‘s perspective and experience. I loved the way that forced proximity fostered (a reluctant!) understanding. 4w

BarbaraJean @Reggie I hadn‘t heard of Sea of Rust and now I‘m so interested! Thanks for mentioning it. What a parallel to this storyline. 4w

Christine What a great conversation, and agreed that the us vs. them themes and AI parallels are really compelling! And ooh yay, another #Reggimendation to add to the TBR!! 😁 @Reggie 4w

willaful @ChaoticMissAdventures I have accessibility issues with SF too and I'd say it's definitely accessible. 4w

mcctrish @BarbaraJean I was thinking would there not be some instances when the No Bodies actually need the Humes to physically repair infrastructure? Could climate not wipe out solar panels or whatever powers the ‘mainframe‘ ? Do they not need each other at some point? Or is it a case of #cuttingoffnosetospiteface ? 4w

BarbaraJean @mctrish Yes, I had the same thought! The NoBodies did still need some sort of physical hardware and a way of maintaining it. Destroying all embodied AI would doom them eventually. I wondered if there was a parallel the other way: do the Humes need the NoBodies? Is there something the NoBodies provide that the Humes can't do without them? 4w

Meshell1313 I loved this story within a story. For sure I saw it as an allegory for what is happening in our own society. Hopefully, they (and us) realize they need each other to thrive. 4w

Chelsea.Poole I also loved the two stories here! I often shy away from sci-fi so having these chapters interspersed throughout the novel is less off-putting for me and I find myself getting into these sections! 4w

Chelsea.Poole Ankara and Ijele seem to need each other at this point, but I‘m not sure where this is going. Again, my lack of scifi experience is showing and I don‘t know how to think about or discuss robots lol. But I have been reading everyone‘s comparisons to other books/content, and I have to add my own: Wild Robot. The robot sections keep bringing to mind that movie (didn‘t read the book but loved the adaptation). 4w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB That's a good point that it has become a state of fear for them. It also must be strange, especially for the Humes, to live in a world where the people they are modeled after are extinct. Where do they go? How do they grow? Is growing an important part of being a robot? 4w

Megabooks @willaful I have that on my shelf! I need to get to it! 4w

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole I'll have to check that out. I think Ankara and Ijele's interdependence is the most interesting parts of the robot story to me! 4w

Butterfinger This is where the audio leaves me confused. I thought the dual storyline was an AI voice (like a subconscious) that was communicating with the human character. I need a print version badly, but new books are difficult to get from the library. It reminded me of the computer in Clive Cussler's books and the computer voice of Ender's who spies on all the computers in all the galaxies. Sci-fi is not my genre.

Butterfinger @Chelsea.Poole I am glad I am not the only one. I nominated it, but I loved the Binti trilogy. I do think I would understand it clearly if I chose print. 4w

Suet624 @Reggie Ummm....no.... I haven't heard of it but it sounds fascinating. 4w

Suet624 @ChaoticMissAdventures I had no idea! 4w

Suet624 I don't have any answers to this question but I will say that I perk up every time she writes about the robots. I keep interpreting it as being a political or spiritual example so I'm always trying to figure out which it is. But maybe I'm putting too much meaning on it. 4w

Megabooks @Suet624 It's weird because I didn't read it as political at all, but I think the people who interpreted it that way (like you) have an excellent point. I wonder what that says about the two very different machines sharing the same mind. I don't think I'd enjoy sharing the mind of a MAGA person. I don't think I could tolerate it at all. 4w

Suet624 @Megabooks yeah, it would definitely be hard to share the mind of a maga. But I had a feeling with the state of the world that the robots were now living in maybe those two robots understood that their political beliefs had done them all in and it was time to look for something different, a different approach. (edited) 4w

BarbaraBB @TEArificbooks Great insight about the robots being made by humans and their prejudices - and in this story of course based on Zelu‘s own experience like @ChaoticMissAdventures points out. I hadn‘t thought of that. (edited) 3w

BarbaraBB @Megabooks Like you I didn‘t read it political either but after reading all the excellent comments of people who did, I am convinced the author did too. Such a great discussion! 3w

CBee @Chelsea.Poole the Wild Robot book series is excellent, I read it with my oldest son. Highly recommend! 3w

CBee What I loved most is that despite their differences, they find that they need each other. I didn‘t read it political but wow, what if that could happen in real life? People becoming friends and having civility despite differences! Such a world we live in now 😢 3w

peanutnine @mcctrish @BarbaraJean to your point about the No Bodies needing Humes to physically repair things, if I understood correctly the No Bodies can inhabit bodies/machines if they wish but choose to flit around without most of the time. So if they had to, they could fix things without Humes' help 3w

peanutnine I do like Ankara and Ijele's relationship, how they have begun to subconsciously take on the other's way of thinking or acting. I definitely agree that Hume and No Body prejudice against each other hinders potential relationships from the start 3w

BarbaraJean @peanutnine Oh, absolutely—they could inhabit a body/machine that had the necessary dexterity, etc. if that body‘s consciousness allows for it (or is uninhabited). But I see an irony there. The No Bodies have a prejudice against embodied consciousness, but even if it‘s their own and only temporary, they actually do need embodied consciousness at some point in order to survive. (edited) 3w

MeganAnn @BarbaraJean yes, I thought that was an interesting irony as well. While there doesn‘t seem to be a similar need for the Humes to leave behind their bodies. 3w

MeganAnn Excellent discussion here! I also didn‘t read the robots story as political at first, but the more we learn about their existence the more it felt it was very much reflective of human society with many of the same biases & issues. It‘s interesting that Zelu created a robot society that is also filled with prejudice against others. Then puts Ankara & Ijele together where they have no choice but to learn about the other forcing them to empathize. 3w

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Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

Last question this week. Hope to see you back next Saturday when we‘ll discuss the whole book! #CampLitsy25