What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Black Fantastic
andré m. carrington · Book · 2025
If you loved The Black Fantastic, start with The Fantastic 4: First Steps (Matt Shakman, 2025) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Black Fantastic across media.
If you loved The Black Fantastic, you appreciate how speculative fiction uses unsettling, imaginative narratives to interrogate the complexities of Black identity.
Films on the same thread
The Fantastic 4: First Steps
Matt Shakman · Film · 2025
Explores: Family Dynamics, Cosmic Threat, Balancing Personal Life and Heroism.
Like the stories in The Black Fantastic, this film uses a retro-futuristic lens to explore how family bonds endure when characters are forced to confront overwhelming cosmic threats.
Black Panther
Ryan Coogler · Film · 2018
Shares 2 threads with The Black Fantastic: Cultural Identity, Afrofuturism.
This film shares the commitment of The Black Fantastic to Afrofuturism, grounding its high-concept technological setting in a profound investigation of cultural identity and the weight of legacy.
The Life of Chuck
Mike Flanagan · Film · 2025
Explores: Interconnectedness, The Meaning of Life, Mortality.
Much like the diverse anthology in The Black Fantastic, this film uses the framework of magical realism to examine the interconnectedness of ordinary people facing extraordinary existential circumstances.
Sorry to Bother You
Boots Riley · Film · 2018
Shares a thread with The Black Fantastic: Afrofuturism.
This satire mirrors the social commentary found in The Black Fantastic by utilizing a surreal, macabre universe to dissect the realities of racial identity and late-stage capitalism.
Series on the same thread
Black Mirror
Charlie Brooker · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with The Black Fantastic: Social Commentary.
Fans of the speculative, mind-bending tales in The Black Fantastic will value how this series employs anthology storytelling to reveal the unintended consequences of our modern, technological world.
American Gods
Bryan Fuller · Series · 2017
Explores: Gods and Mortals, Clash of Civilizations, Modern Mythology.
This series captures the mythic, weird energy of The Black Fantastic by blending contemporary settings with ancient supernatural forces to explore a clash of civilizations and spiritual awakenings.
The Underground Railroad
Barry Jenkins · Series · 2021
Explores: The horrors of slavery, The fight for freedom, Hope amidst despair.
This series resonates with the speculative historical focus of The Black Fantastic, using an alternate reality to center the resilience of Black characters against the horrors of slavery.
The Outer Limits
Leslie Stevens · Series · 1963
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Existential Dread, Technological Anxiety.
If you enjoyed the weird, horror-strewn stories in The Black Fantastic, this anthology will satisfy your interest in how science fiction can provoke existential dread through moral ambiguity.
Podcasts on the same thread
Black Praline - Assaggini di Paura
Podcast
Explores: Fear, Dark tales, Short stories.
This podcast echoes the dark, short-form storytelling of The Black Fantastic, focusing on the intersection of noir fiction and the raw, evocative power of fear within dark tales.
The Orphans
The Light and Tragic Company · Podcast · 2025
This audio drama mirrors the imaginative scope of The Black Fantastic, utilizing a cinematic approach to explore survival and complex A.I. emotions within a harsh, far-flung future.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Black Fantastic a novel or a collection of stories?
The Black Fantastic is a curated collection of twenty short stories. It features contemporary Afrofuturist fiction written by various Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker award-winning Black authors, rather than being a single novel written by one individual.
What kind of stories are included in The Black Fantastic?
The Black Fantastic contains twenty tales that span horror, weird fiction, and speculative themes. These stories are designed to celebrate Black identity, community, and imagination through the lens of modern Afrofuturist writing.
Who edited The Black Fantastic?
The Black Fantastic, published in 2025, is a collection compiled and edited by André M. Carrington. It brings together work from award-winning Black authors to showcase the current state of contemporary Afrofuturist fiction.
Does The Black Fantastic feature work from established Afrofuturist authors?
The Black Fantastic highlights the evolution of the genre, building on the legacy established by Afrofuturist masters such as Octavia E. Butler and Samuel R. Delany. It showcases twenty contemporary authors who have received Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker awards for their contributions to speculative fiction.