How Long 'til Black Future Month?
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | November 28, 2018 |
| Founder | N. K. Jemisin |
| Products | Science fiction and fantasy short story collection |
| Parent | Orbit Books (Hachette Book Group) |
How Long 'til Black Future Month? is a compilation of science fiction and fantasy short stories authored by American writer N. K. Jemisin, released in November 2018 through Orbit Books, a division of Hachette Book Group. The collection's title alludes to Jemisin’s 2013 essay on Afrofuturism (which is not part of this anthology). Among the 22 included tales, four were debuting in print, while the remainder—composed between 2004 and 2017—had previously appeared in various speculative fiction periodicals and anthologies. Notably, three stories laid the groundwork for her novels: The Killing Moon, The Fifth Season, and The City We Became.
Background
At the time this collection was published, N. K. Jemisin, aged 46, had recently earned the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novel, Nebula Award for Best Novel, and Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel for The Stone Sky, the concluding volume of her Broken Earth trilogy. Since her debut with The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms in 2010, she had become primarily known as a novelist, though her short fiction output dates back to 2004, including the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated story "Non-Zero Probabilities" from 2010. Between her novel projects, Jemisin devoted significant attention to crafting short stories.
As an African-American figure within the U.S. speculative fiction scene, Jemisin actively promotes increased diversity and challenges damaging stereotypes prevalent in publishing. She has voiced criticism against the industry’s tendency to produce self-validating "comfort fiction" aimed at its established readership. In 2013, she authored the essay "How Long 'Til Black Future Month? The Toxins of Speculative Fiction, and the Antidote that is Janelle Monáe", and later curated the 2018 edition of The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, selecting works that defy norms or introduce novel viewpoints. Although this essay is not included in the anthology itself, its underlying themes are addressed in the introduction, where Jemisin explains that short stories allow her greater freedom to spotlight protagonists of color than is often possible in full-length novels.
Style and themes
Reflecting its title’s nod to afrofuturism, the collection encompasses a wide range of speculative fiction subgenres. For instance, "The Effluent Engine" presents an alternate-history steampunk narrative set in nineteenth-century New Orleans; "Cloud Dragon Skies" explores climate change; "Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows" involves time travel; "The Storyteller's Replacement" fits within sword and sorcery; "On the Banks of the River Lex" depicts a post-apocalyptic world; and "The Trojan Girl" ventures into cyberpunk territory. Jemisin also pays homage to classic works through pastiches such as Ursula K. Le Guin’s "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas", reimagined as "The Ones Who Stay and Fight", and Robert A. Heinlein’s The Puppet Masters echoed in "Walking Awake." Additionally, three stories served as conceptual seeds for later novels: "The Narcomancer" inspired The Killing Moon, "Stone Hunger" preceded The Fifth Season, and "The City Born Great" formed the basis for The City We Became. Science fiction critic Gary K. Wolfe characterizes Jemisin as an author who delights in exploring narrative possibilities through plotted storytelling.
Though varied in subject matter, many tales center on characters marginalized by dominant cultures, highlighting themes of empathy and power relations. These protagonists frequently strive to break free or assert agency against oppressive systems. As observed by a review in the Los Angeles Times, characters such as those in "Stone Hunger" resist sectarian identities imposed by those wielding control over their fragmented realities.
Synopsis and format
This volume comprises 22 short stories authored by Jemisin, preceded by an introductory segment. Except for four, all stories were initially released between 2004 and 2017. The collection features the following narratives:
| Title | Year originally published |
Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| "The Ones Who Stay and Fight" | 2018 | Draws a comparison between the almost-utopian society of Um-Helat, Omelas, and the United States. |
| "The City Born Great" | 2016 | Follows a homeless man who learns to embody New York City itself. This story was later expanded into The City We Became (2020). |
| "Red Dirt Witch" | 2016 | Centers on a magic user in Alabama confronting a fairy intent on claiming one of her children. |
| "L'Alchimista" | 2004 | Revolves around a chef tasked with preparing a recipe from an unknown visitor. |
| "The Effluent Engine" | 2011 | A Haitian intelligence agent in New Orleans enlists an engineer to develop an airship engine fueled by sugar distillation waste. |
| "Cloud Dragon Skies" | 2005 | Depicts a girl and an atmospheric scientist living in the sky working together to repair environmental damage. |
| "The Trojan Girl" | 2011 | Features AI entities within a simulated environment attempting to integrate new programming code. |
| "Valedictorian" | 2012 | A graduate faces the choice of joining transhumans who extract society’s most intelligent individuals. |
| "The Storyteller's Replacement" | 2018 | Tells of a king pursuing dragons, believing their hearts will enable him to father a son. |
| "The Brides of Heaven" | 2007 | A woman interferes with water purification systems on a female-only planetary settlement. |
| "The Evaluators" | 2016 | Communication records disclose the outcome of a first contact expedition on an alien planet. |
| "Walking Awake" | 2014 | After assisting parasitic species in inhabiting human bodies, a woman revolts against the system. |
| "The Elevator Dancer" | 2018 | Set in an authoritarian regime, a security officer searches for a woman captured dancing in an elevator on surveillance footage. |
| "Cuisine des Mémoires" | 2018 | A skeptic visits a dining establishment that recreates meals from history. |
| "Stone Hunger" | 2014 | A young girl seeks the man who controls stone and destroyed her hometown. This story was later expanded into The Fifth Season (2015). |
| "On the Banks of the River Lex" | 2010 | Death journeys through a post-apocalyptic New York, interacting with anthropomorphic concepts such as Sleep. |
| "The Narcomancer" | 2007 | A religious figure confronts pressure to abandon his celibacy vow. This narrative was later developed into The Killing Moon (2012). |
| "Henosis" | 2017 | Focuses on the interaction between a writer and a fan before and after an awards event. |
| "Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows" | 2004 | Survivors in a depopulated world that resets each day maintain social connections electronically. |
| "The You Train" | 2007 | A woman encounters enigmatic subway trains in New York City. |
| "Non-Zero Probabilities" | 2009 | Following changes in probability laws affecting only New York City, a woman adjusts to this altered reality. |
| "Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters" | "2010" | "During flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina, a stranded man in New Orleans searches for supplies while being trailed by spirits." |
Publication and reception
Released by Orbit Books, a speculative fiction division of the Hachette Book Group, the collection first appeared in hardcover format on November 28, 2018, with a paperback edition following one year later. Hachette Audio produced an audiobook version narrated by Shayna Small. The collection was nominated for the 2019 World Fantasy Award—Collection and received an Alex Award from the American Library Association. It also secured the 2019 Locus Award for Best Collection.
Both Booklist and Library Journal emphasized the collection's broad appeal, attracting readers of general science fiction, fantasy, and admirers of Jemisin's previous works. The Los Angeles Times commended stories such as "Red Dirt Witch" for their exploration of racism within accessible contexts. NPR’s Amal El-Mohtar praised Jemisin’s talent in merging character development with vivid settings, highlighting "The Narcomancer," "Stone Hunger," and "Cuisine des Mémoires" as particularly notable, while considering some narratives less engaging. In Locus, Gary K. Wolfe characterized Jemisin's work as a blend of anger, humor, surrealism, and bitterness, focusing on real-world horrors rather than mythical creatures.
Awards
| Award | Result |
|---|---|
| Alex Award | Template:Won |
| British Fantasy Award for Best Collection | Template:Nom |
| Locus Award for Best Collection | Template:Won |
| World Fantasy Award for Best Collection | Template:Nom |