Riot Baby
AuthorTochi Onyebuchi
CountryUSA; Nigeria
LanguageEnglish
GenreScience fiction
PublisherTor Publishing
Publication date
21 January 2020
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages176
ISBN978-1-250-21475-1
Preceded byWar Girls 
Followed byRebel Sisters 

Riot Baby is a science fiction novella written by Nigerian-American author Tochi Onyebuchi published in 2020.[1][2][3]

Plot

Ella Jackson is a young girl with clairvoyance and telekinetic powers, which she calls her "Thing". Her younger brother Kevin “Kev” is born during the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. Ella’s powers grow as she ages; she has seizure-like episodes that cause furniture to fly around and harm nearby onlookers. After almost accidentally killing her mother, Ella disappears.

Kev is convicted of attempted robbery and incarcerated at Rikers. Ella visits him regularly via astral projection. In a prison riot, Kev realizes that he may also be developing telekinetic powers. Kev’s mother dies while he is imprisoned. He considers suicide but changes his mind, eventually becoming a counselor for other suicidal inmates. After eight years of imprisonment, Kev is released on parole and decides to move back West.

Ella becomes increasingly angry with the violence and racial discrimination directed against Black Americans. She shows Kev a vision of his birth during the riots. In a series of increasingly abstract and violent images, Ella and Kev plan to use their powers to forge a better world for Black people.

Awards

Year Award Results
2020 Nebula Award for Best Novella[4][5][6] Nominated
Goodreads Choice for Science Fiction [7] Nominated
2021 Alex Award[8][9] Won
Locus Award for Best Novella[10] Nominated
World Fantasy Award for Best Novella[11] Won
Hugo Award for Best Novella[12] Nominated
Nommo Award for Best Novella[13][14][15] Shortlisted
Ignyte Award for Best Novella[16] Won

References

  1. ^ Editor, PW (October 25, 2019). "Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Book review: Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved August 2, 2021. ((cite web)): |author= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ Coldiron, Katherine (June 10, 2020). "Katharine Coldiron Reviews Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi". Locus Magazine. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  3. ^ Cathryn Haight (March 3, 2021). "8 Takeaways From Riot Baby Discussion with Author Tochi Onyebuchi". Boston.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "Nebula Awards® Nominees and Winners: Best Novella Nebula Awards®". The Nebula Awards. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  5. ^ "Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi Nominated for Nebula Awards 2020". Nebula Awards. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  6. ^ Liberty Hardy (March 16, 2020). "These Are the Finalists for the 56th Annual Nebula Awards". Book Riot. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  7. ^ "Riot Baby". Goodreads. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  8. ^ Young Adult Library Services Association (2012-02-27). "Alex Awards". American Library Association. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  9. ^ "Tochi Onyebuchi's Riot Baby wins 2021 American Library Association Alex Award". Brittle Paper. January 26, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "2021 Locus Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2021-06-26. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  11. ^ Community (2021-07-22). "2021 World Fantasy Awards Finalists Announced". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  12. ^ "2021 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 2021-01-01. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  13. ^ "2021 Nommo Awards Shortlist". Locus Online. 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  14. ^ Chukwuebuka Ibeh (May 24, 2021). "The 2021 Nommo Awards Longlist Announced". Brittle Paper. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  15. ^ "2021 Nommo Awards Short List". African Speculative Fiction Society. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  16. ^ Templeton, Molly (2021-09-20). "Announcing the 2021 Ignyte Awards Winners!". Tor.com. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

External links


World Fantasy Award—Novella
Works by Tochi Onyebuchi
Categories