Quotes from Nnedi Okorafor

Science fiction is the only genre that enables African writers to envision a future from our African perspective.

I love and am terrified of the water, particularly the ocean.

I see the world as a magical place. Therefore, it was only natural that magic wafted from my fiction like smoke.

I would try to write 'realistic' fiction, and someone would fly, or there would be a black hole full of demons or a girl who attracted frogs.

I go to the ocean to calm down, to reconnect with the creator, to just be happy.

One of my feet is a whole size longer than the other. One is size ten, the other is size eleven.

I love writing about monsters and food.

I love ocean life. I'm fascinated that so much of it remains unexplored by human beings. Diluted seawater consisted of nearly the same concentration of elements and minerals as blood plasma. They've got the same amount of sodium, too.

I grew up reading Stephen King, Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Robert McCammon, Isaac Asimov's nonfiction books, and Roald Dahl.

I think speculative fiction has fewer unspoken prerequisites than literary fiction for writers of color.

'Who Fears Death' addresses the push and pull in African culture that powerful women face when their culture has certain duties and beliefs that can stifle them.

There's a story in 'Kabu Kabu' called 'Bakasi Man' where I got to explore the mind of a 'bad man.' It was fun.

'Lagoon' is an ambitious novel.

It's more fun to write villains. They are more of a challenge, and I get a sick kind of pleasure out of delving into their minds. There's rarely emptiness, and there is almost always deep intelligence.