10 awesome science fiction and fantasy books by Black authors

6. Tristan Strong by Kwame Mbalia

What’s that, you say? You’d prefer a bit more humor in your fantasy? A bit more fun that you can share with kids? Books that are good for the whole family, but feature Black American gods and folk heroes that are rarely seen in middle grade fantasy?

Reader, meet Tristan Strong, the brainchild of author Kwame Mbalia.

After being in a bus accident that killed his best friend, Tristan is sent to his grandparents in Alabama for a summer of healing. Or so he thinks. His first night, a strange creature sneaks into his room and steals the journal, his sole memento of his best friend. Tristan chases the thief, and during the struggle to get back the journal accidentally punches a magical tree and causes a rift to open that leads to the MidPass.

Thus marks the beginning of a tale that is strange, fun, and exciting, as Tristan teams up with the Black American gods John Henry and Brer Rabbit to try and convince another God — Anansi, who should sound familiar to fans of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods — to seal up the rift that he made.

To date, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky is the only entry in the series, but book two is on the way this October (which apparently is going to be the month of months for books).