The Ones Who Stay and Fight by N.K. Jemisin

 Afrofuturism.

N.K. Jemisin, renowned for her groundbreaking 'Broken Earth Trilogy,' continues to make waves in the SF/fantasy realm. While I've only read into the first two books of the series, they revealed an author of tremendous talent and boundless imagination. I found her unique spin on Afro-futurism and the distinct second-person narrative voice to be incredibly refreshing. Moreover, she seems to have picked up the mantle from Octavia Butler, who was instrumental in ushering in a new-wave of Black science-fiction authors. 

This short-story collection was one of my most anticipated reads last year. With a respectable author at the helm, a great title, and beautiful cover art, my anticipation soared. Yet, due to procrastination and various other life stuff, I only ended up reading one story from it. While that single narrative was fantastic (review pending), I never returned to discover any other other hidden gems--until now. 

The first story to appear in this magnificent collection, "The Ones Who Stay and Fight", is an obvious nod to Ursula Le Guin's famous SF short story with a similar title: "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." The intertextual connections might be apparent to anyone who is familiar with Le Guin's story, a haunting dystopian tale that explores themes of free will, equality and justice. I applaud N.K. Jemisin's for her ambitious endeavor to re-envision such an iconic work through a black cultural lens, despite the final outcome not achieving the intended emotional resonance. Personally, the narrative felt gimmicky and more of an homage with an ending that seemed predictably heavy-handed. On a more positive note, the world building is impressive and the author showcases her mastery of the second-person narrative voice. By directly addressing the reader as "you" this narrative technique not only envelops the reader within the fantastical setting but also serves a rhetorical purpose, compelling you to align with the narrator's distinct sociopolitical viewpoint, which unfortunately, happens to be a little on the nose.