MACMILLAN Critical Black Futures: Speculative Theories and Explorations

Critical Black Futures imagines worlds, afrofutures, cities, bodies, art and eras that are simultaneously distant, parallel, present, counter, and perpetually materializing. From an exploration of W. E. B. Du Bois’ own afrofuturistic short stories, to trans* super fluid blackness, this volume challenges readers―community leaders, academics, communities, and creatives―to push further into surreal imaginations. Beyond what some might question as the absurd, this book is presented as a speculative space that looks deeply into the foundations of human belief. Diving deep into this notional rabbit hole, each contributor offers a thorough excursion into the imagination to discover ‘what was’, while also providing tools to push further into the ‘not yet’. Review “Crafting a present from our future and a future from our past is the time shifting charge articulated by this book. Critical Black Futures engages the speculative with an eye to the future that acknowledges a complex history of agency, identity, and both pre and post colonial Black identities. Thinking on legacies and futures, Critical Black Futures maps identity in liminal spaces recognizing that the imagined future spaces and cultural production are portals of transformation.” (Ytasha L. Womack, Author of Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci Fi & Fantasy Culture) “Drawing on a broad range ideas and scholarship from the humanities and the arts, Critical Black Futures is an indispensable guide to the intellectual landscape of Afrofuturism. Rooted in knowledge of the past, and looking ahead to craft visions of an uncertain future, Critical Black Futures is a crucial resource for anyone interested in what Blackness is and what it may become.” (David Livingstone Smith, Professor of Philosophy, University of New England.  Author of On Inhumanity: Dehumanization and How to Resist It) From the Back Cover Critical Black Futures imagines worlds, afrofutures, cities, bodies, art and eras that are simultaneously distant, parallel, present, counter, and perpetually materializing. From an exploration of W. E. B. Du Bois’ own afrofuturistic short stories, to trans* super fluid blackness, this volume challenges readers―community leaders, academics, communities, and creatives―to push further into surreal imaginations. Beyond what some might question as the absurd, this book is presented as a speculative space that looks deeply into the foundations of human belief. Diving deep into this notional rabbit hole, each contributor offers a thorough excursion into the imagination to discover ‘what was’, while also providing tools to push further into the ‘not yet’. About the Author Philip Butler is an Assistant Professor of Theology and Posthuman Artificial Intelligence Systems at Iliff School of Theology. He is the founder of the Seekr Project, a distinctly Black conversational artificial intelligence with mental health capacities. His work primarily focuses on the intersection of neuroscience, technology, spirituality and race. He is the author of Black Transhuman Liberation Theology: Spirituality and Technology (2019).