Book Review: Binti, by Nnedi Okorafor

I don’t read a lot of science fiction, but I kept hearing a lot of good things about Binti… This read followed a disappointing tale by another award-winning novelist. Much to my delight, Binti was well worth the time.

Actually, both of the novellas I read were part of procrastinating my read of a trilogy that’s been sitting on my bookshelf for far too long. Don’t get me wrong, I want to read the trilogy. Another famous author. What if we call the novellas a warmup? I’m warm now. In fact, I’ve already started the trilogy. Had to pull myself away from it to write this review before I forgot what I was thinking about it!

Is this book Flinch-Free? Why, yes, it is!

REVIEW of “Binti”

I found the story fascinating, and it wasn’t difficult to read in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s excellent storytelling ability and imagination, though there was one rather large point I found hard to swallow. Saving that for the moment, I was swept up in Binti’s radical decision to leave her tribal home (which no one did, ever)—not to go into a faraway city, but to go to a faraway planet. Courage, determination, and terror came through nicely. Realistically. The cost of trying to achieve one’s dreams is *not* free.

The introduction of magic as mathematical knowledge and/or ancestral ability in order to manipulate electrical currents was an unexpected delight. It brought to mind the Navigators in “Dune” and their ability to fold space. The combination of traditional folklore with a futuristic twist is winning.

The otjize (a mixture of red clay, oils, and perfumes) is wonderfully symbolic of Binti’s heritage and her identity. And this, too, she fears she will lose. “If I couldn’t make otjize here, then I’d have to … change.” The risk of losing that symbol spikes when she discovers it can heal the enemy Meduse. Will she have to give away all of it? And will that sacrifice purchase her own life? But the story suggests more than that stark simplicity: culture may not necessarily be tied to a single place. It is not necessarily rigid, but can be shared, even recreated.

As for the snag… (Spoiler Alert!) It is suggested that the Meduse have been at war with humans for decades. They hunt and kill humans. They are utterly dangerous. While Binti’s experience with them was terrifying and exceptional, the Meduse killed hundreds of people aboard her ship alone, and planned to kill more when they attacked the university planet. Yet… there was no reaction to that, no accountability, and no justification for that oversight from the Powers That Be.

Aside from that, the writing was captivating, managing to maintain the tension while exploring the deep notion of culture and humanity.

SUMMARY

Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs.

Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti’s stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach.

If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself ― but first she has to make it there, alive.

This book is for you if you:

• appreciate cultural diversity
• like science-fiction with a fantasy twist
• are looking for Flinch-Free Fantasy

This book is not for you if you:

• are looking for a full-fledged, in-depth tale
• are looking for complex magic systems or world-building
• want something light-hearted

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