Protected by her supernatural powers, Sankofa is able to evade the dangers faced by young women traveling alone, allowing her to claim a level of agency and freedom that is usually limited to men. Sankofa’s reputation precedes her as she moves through towns and villages of a near-future, technologically advanced Ghana. This tragedy sends her on a quest to understand her powers and recover the mystical seed from the government. Sankofa is initially unable to control this dangerous ability and accidentally kills her entire hometown, including her parents and brother. As a child, Sankofa discovers a mysterious, glowing green seed, which, before her father sells it to the government, gives her the power to take away life. a charming read, opening up a universe of possibilities for more (or perhaps, in a world where we expect things to go on forever, perhaps Remote Control is, in fact, just right as it is).A young girl known as “the adopted daughter of death” comes of age in the electrifying latest from Okorafor ( Akata Witch). Okorafor smartly avoids needless worldbuilding details-instead, she drops neatly-sized crumbs that draw easy parallels between our current reality and Sankofa’s world. It speaks to a long heritage of fiction that explores young personhood and its place in nature, where human concepts of control are absurd and arbitrary.

Some of the most pleasant passages are where Sankofa spends time in the bush, away from prying eyes and opportunistic adults who might use or abuse her. while references to 'remote control' within the context of witchcraft escaped me, it conjured an elusive sense of mystery that kept the pages turning until there was nothing left to read. Okorafor adds just the right touches of adult condescension and pubescent compliance to build a familiar scenario that resonates with many a reader-memories of being young and confused and stubborn, but secretly hoping for guidance and acceptance. Here, Okorafor illuminates a painful part of the teenage psyche.

One of the most striking sections of the novella is where Sankofa is persuaded to embrace the idea of normalcy. At times bloody and grim, Okorafor’s straightforward prose highlights Sankofa’s precociousness as she tries to make sense of her frightening new abilities. a richly rewarding look at identity and independence as Sankofa develops her own convictions, even as everything she knows and loves-her home on a shea fruit farm, her family, her identity-is taken away from her.

Remote control nnedi