Dreaming In The Dark

How do we critically engage with complicated, even toxic, fantasy fandoms? In our longest episode yet, we talk to Stitch, a Black fan, writer, and critic, about their history with fandom, writing & working in different spaces, and their advice for those who are new to fandom.

How does reimagining the stories of marginalized superheroes reshape the canon itself? In this episode we talk to Stephanie Williams, comic historian, pop culture critic, and author of several webcomics such as Living Heroes as well as the DC Comics Nubia & the Amazons and the upcoming Nubia: Queen of the Amazons series, about the critical process of choosing a creative medium, playing with longstanding comic characters, and the visibility of Black characters in adaptation. [NOTE: This episode was recorded in 2021 before the launch of the first issue of Nubia & the Amazons.]

What does it mean to illustrate an extraordinary Black girl's ordinary coming-of-age? In this episode we talk to Robyn Smith, the Jamaican cartoonist & illustrator of DC Comics' Nubia: Real One, Black Josei Press' Wash Day, and her own mini-comic The Saddest Angriest Black Girl in Town, about her journey to working on comics and the power of showing the everyday moments of growing up Black.

What does it mean to reimagine fantasies we grew up with & the world we want to see? In this episode we talk to bestselling author Kalynn Bayron, bestelling author of Cinderella is Dead and This Poison Heart, about fairytales, abolitionist worldbuilding, and the stories publishing needs. Episode Transcript

How can Black scholars write & teach Black futures in the academy? In this episode we talk to Dr. Stephanie Toliver, professor of children's science fiction and fantasy and curator of the Reading Black Futures database, about public scholarship, endarkened storywork, and her journey into academia. Episode Transcript

We're back! In our first episode of season 2, we share what we’ve been up to since last year, some of our favorite recent shows & books, and preview this season’s amazing guests. Episode Transcript

What have we learned about Black fantasy after our first season, and what are we looking forward to in 2021? In our season finale, we discuss lingering questions about representation and speculative historicity, and share thoughts on new and upcoming Black fantasy media. 

How can we trace the evolution of scholarship that centers Black girls in fantasy? In this episode, we talk to Dr. Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, the author of The Dark Fantastic: Race and the Imagination from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games, about writing and publishing a book that helped build our emerging field, as well as about her formative experiences in academic and fandom spaces. Episode Transcript

Who gets to have legacies, and where are the legends celebrating how Black girls move in the world? In this episode, we talk to Tracy Deonn, the New York Times bestselling author of Legendborn, about matrilineal legacy, Black girls’ emotional agency, and the specificity of worldbuilding Blackness in contemporary fantasy. Episode Transcript

How does a literary agent approach Black fantasy manuscripts? In this episode, we talk to Leah Pierre of Ladderbird Literary Agency about her manuscript wishlist, how she came to agenting, and what she loves about Black fantasy. Episode Transcript

How is the fantastic built into the ways Black people move in the world? In our third episode, we talk to bestselling author Roseanne A. Brown about her formative experiences with fantasy, African storytelling, and character building in A Song of Wraiths & Ruin. Episode Transcript

How can we define “Black girl magic”? In our second episode, we talk to award-winning filmmaker, playwright and director Micah Ariel Watson about the inspiration behind her web series “Black Enough” and the intersection of faith and the fantastic in depicting Black Girl Magic through the visual arts. Episode Transcript

What does it mean to dream in the dark? In our first episode, we talk about our motivation for creating this platform for Black fantasy, our different approaches to studying the fantastic, and the gap between visibility and representation in the fantasy we grew up with. Episode Transcript