The Binti Trilogy, complete with a bonus short story in the omnibus, is definitely aimed at readers growing up in the 21st century. Author Nnedi Okorafor is incredibly creative, and her world knows few bounds when it comes to using imagination to build the universe in these novellas.
These four pieces of short fiction are only 356 pages combined, but the world Okorafor creates is such a beautiful mix of real-world Namibia and an expansive universe that derives from solely her mind.
What makes Binti a modern-day science fiction classic?
Built delicately within the boundaries of the narrative lie themes that are important to our world today. The lead character, Binti, must deal with social issues of the 21st century. She enters a world of diversity, inclusion, and gender fluidity, and she deals with social awkwardness, anxiety, self-discovery, and transitions in her life.
She has to navigate through the ingrained mores of her native people, the Himba, who want to stay isolated from the outside world and to maintain their way of life.
She unfairly has to seek acceptance from her family, friends, enemies, and herself. She has to learn to accept herself for who she was and what she ultimately becomes.
She is the first of her people to be accepted into Oomza Uni, a place of learning for all the peoples of the universe. Binti is a mathematical genius. She sneaks away from her disapproving family to accept her place at the university.
The narrative itself takes ahold of the reader quickly, as Okorafor leaps into the story with the core event that lies at the foundation for the rest of Binti's tale. She must overcome a tragic and harrowing experience in a short amount of time and make decisions that she could never have imagined she'd have to make.
Binti comports herself with courage and arrives at a solution to fix the conflict, though something happens to her that will change her forever.
As the story leaps ahead, she goes back to Earth on a peacekeeping mission. While there, she must learn more about her heritage, what she is, and what she is becoming. Mysteries that have haunted her for years are revealed, though not necessarily in ways she wants to accept.
Her mission is a failure, and she is betrayed by her people and her enemies both. It costs her in the most horrible way. That failure, though, leads to an incredible conclusion with not one but two unforeseen twists that lead to a surprising end to Binti's story.
Binti also does a fantastic job at highlighting the Himba culture, giving a glimpse into it that most western readers will not have been aware of. This is obviously something that is close to Okorafor's heart, and she explains the culture in a loving, caring manner.
While Binti shows how people can deal with all the personal and social issues people have to deal with and beautifully details Himba culture, the story does bog down in a few spots. After the explosive start to the narrative and the immediate repercussions of the early life-changing event, the story does slow considerably.
Binti also deals with stress, anxiety, and fear in an odd way for most people (though perfect for her) in that she “trees.” She uses equations and numbers to soothe herself and to use her extreme mathematical skills to extract currents from around her. This process is challenging to wrap one's head around at times, and it didn't seem like it was fully explained, just that it was. Her journey of self-discovery also tends to be a bit repetitive at times, but the ending makes up for these mid-story lags.
Finally, the sci-fi world Okorafor creates is vibrant and imaginative. Her descriptions are detailed without being too much. It is a wonderful world of diversity and inclusion that everyone should strive for. The juxtaposition between that broad, vibrant world and that of the stark, simple, isolated tribal life of Binti's family adds layers to the story, which enhances the narrative tenfold.
Binti: The Complete Trilogy is a terrific, unusual story that includes so many important challenges that exist in our world today. The heroine's journey is one that should ring familiar to many in this crazy 21st century in which we find ourselves.