Afrofuturisms

Isaac Vincent Joslin is an assistant professor of French at Arizona State University, where his research interests include theories of representation, theories of cultural hybridity, ecocriticism, and African futurisms. His journal publications include articles in the International Journal of Francophone Studies, Contemporary French and Francophone Studies, African Literature Today, French Review, Oeuvres et Critiques, and Nouvelles Etudes Francophones.

Acknowledgments Introduction: Africanfuturism, Development, and Humanities 1. Afrofuturist Ecolinguistics: Redefining the "Science" of Science Fiction 2. Birthing the Future: Metissage and Cultural Hybridity in Francophone African Women's Writing 3. Child Soldiers: Reinscribing the Human in a Culture of Perpetual War 4. Alienation, Estrangement, and Dreams of Departure: Emigration and the Politics of Global Inequality in (and out of) Francophone Africa 5. "We Don't Need No Education" Alternative Pedagogies and Epistemologies in Bassek Ba Kobhio's Sango Malo (1990) and Le Silence de la foret (2003) 6. Paradis Artificiels: The Lottery of Global Economies in Djibril Diop Mambety's Le Franc, Imunga Ivanga's Dole, and Fadika Kramo-Lancine's Wariko 7. Arguing against the Shame of the State: Sony Labou Tansi's Ecocritical Womanism and Gaiacene Planetarity Conclusion: Toward an Afrofuturist Ecohumanist Philosophy of Experience Notes References Index

"A sophisticated and compelling investigation of Afrofuturism as an alternative discourse for imagining (and potentially building) a fairer world. Isaac Vincent Joslin offers incisive theoretical observations and deep explorations of numerous African francophone texts, amounting to a valuable contribution to global literary and cinematic scholarship." - Vlad Dima, author of The Beautiful Skin: Football, Fantasy, and Cinematic Bodies in Africa "A remarkable contribution to African literary and cultural studies." - Alexie Tcheuyap, author of Postnationalist African Cinemas "Written in an accessible and elegant style, [this] book is a veritable tour de force. In this highly original, innovative, and thought-provoking exploration of speculative, futurist science fiction in the Francophone tradition, Isaac Vincent Joslin demonstrates the unprecedented nature of the interconnected crises facing global society in a time of tremendous uncertainty." - Keith Moser, author of Contemporary French Environmental Thought in the Post-COVID-19 Era "A refreshing scrutiny of African cultural productions, Isaac Vincent Joslin's book raises key questions concerning the politics of aesthetics. The study explores both male and female authors, as well as both literature and cinema, which is what makes the project strong and fascinating. Because it proposes groundbreaking perspectives on 'humanities and the future of Africa,' this is a work for the pedagogy of African literatures and the indispensable discussion of humanism and futurism in African contexts." - Herve Tchumkam, Southern Methodist University A seminal and groundbreaking study [and] a unique and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and academic library collections. (Midwest Book Review)