PageTurners: These Titles Were Written in the Stars…Literally

If you live in a place where you can’t see the stars but still want to go stargazing, have no fear, this week’s literary releases are here.

Before we go into the 6 star-studded releases that dropped, we have to talk about Amazon’s newest literary venture: Amazon Original Stories presents Black Stars. 6 titles by prominent Black authors are available free to read and listen to with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

The titles include 2043…(A Merman I Should Turn to Be) by Nisi Shawl, The Black Pages by Nnedi Okorafor, The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, These Alien Skies by C.T. Rwizi, Clap Back by Nalo Hopkinson and We Travel the Spaceways by Victor LaValle.

Each read is under an hour long and explores how the future for us all, but particularly for Black people, varies from varied perspectives. The audio narration features a cast of characters such as LeVar Burton, Indya Moore, Naomi Ackie and more, according to a press release provided to The Root.

Individuals who don’t have Kindle Unlimited have the option of purchasing the book as a digital copy and receiving a free audiobook file along with it. The collection is now live on the Amazon Originals homepage.

Speaking of the stars, Stephon Alexander wants to show us a new way of viewing the universe through a Black—and Blackhole—lens in Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider’s Guide to the Future of Physics. The celestial theme continues on a more earthly realm with Queen of Urban Prophecy by Aya de León, as hip hop musician discovers what it means to be a star and the consequences that come with it. Moving even further into the stratosphere, Ishmael Reed offers a space for Broadway critics to openly critique the lack of space given to Black performers on the Broadway stage in Bigotry on Broadway.

There’s a lot happening in the universe—and the world—right now, but these new releases make it a bit easier to understand.