Retro-Km: Land of the Landlords presents a future landscape not very common in science fiction. As a huge fan of the genre, I have absorbed science fiction in all of its formats, from print to television to film. Let's face it, the science fiction we grew up with, that we still love, is overwhelmingly white. In Star Wars, mostly white humans and their alien allies squared off against a white human male dominated tyrannical regime.Battlestar Galactica, original and remake, tilted heavily on the lighter end of the monochromatic spectrum. Star Trek envisioned a racially diverse future for humanity, but until Commander Sisko reached centerstage, a strong black authority figure was a rarity in this universe. The youth utopia in Logan's Run was populated by a sea of healthy, vigorous, under-30 whites.The profusion of white extends to the books I've read. The heroic figures fighting against alien invaders, taking on the might of oppressive interstellar empires, commanding powerful space ships, travelling through time, making first contact, using and creating super advanced technology, unravelling mind-boggling scientific concepts...those endeavors have long been the sole province of white males and a few white women. The same has been true of the fantasy genre. Fantasy writers Charles Saunders, Milton Davis, Nnedi Okorafor, Sharise Moore, and Gregory Walker, among others, have added a splash of color to fantasy literature with their own unique visions, where black people are prominent, not relegated to the periphery.Edward Uzzle's science fiction offering is an explosion of violent action, fast paced adventure, hi-tech hardware and hard nosed heroics. Set in a near distant future, Retro-Km focuses on the exploits of Kashta, an elite soldier fighting for Ta-Amenta, a black nation carved out of what used to be the United States. Ta-Amenta is truly a black utopia, peopled by black folk who not only enjoy the benefits of a techologically advanced, ecologically sound society, but are deeply proud and rooted to their heritage and tradtions. The story's frequent flashbacks to the 21st century reveals to the reader how Ta-Amenta came into existence...or rather how the idea of such a society was born. Both past and future inter-relate in the story without taking away from the overall narrative. The protagonist is dedicated and well meaning, though sometimes conflicted and rash. The usual ingredients for a hero. Retro-Km is epic in scope, unaplogetically Afrocentric in direction while adhering to the formula that make for exciting, compelling action adventure science fiction.
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