Have you ever regretted not reading a book earlier? That was me with this novel.

I found Death of the Author hard to put down. It’s brilliantly written, smart, funny, and the plot is captivating. I felt invested in Zelu’s story, her unexpected success, her publishing journey, and the family drama that unfolded.

What I absolutely loved was the way Zelu’s story intertwined with the plot of her novel, Rusted Robots. This allowed the novel to blend literary fiction with science fiction, which I found original. I enjoyed both stories and would definitely read a full-length Rusted Robots novel. The book also explores the themes of diversity, disability and complicated family relationships.

To sum up, it’s a brilliant read blending sci-fi and literary fiction. It deserves so much more hype.

This was such a fascinating, genre-blurring read! I loved how the writing style shifts between Zelu’s perspective, the Rusted Robot chapters, and the retrospective interviews—it added so much texture to the story.
The plot follows Zelu, a Nigerian-American writer who pens a viral sci-fi novel about robots on a post-human Earth, bringing her unexpected fame. I found Zelu’s rise to literary stardom and her messy, layered family dynamics utterly captivating. The Rusted Robot excerpts were interesting, but they didn’t quite live up to the hype they get in the story, which stretched my suspension of disbelief a bit and I liked the subplot about Zelu’s life as an author, even if it felt a bit removed from real-world publishing.
My main gripe? The ending. The scattered, retrospective interviews teased a big reveal about Zelu’s life, but it never materialized, leaving me confused and a bit let down. Still, I had a great time with this one, even if it wasn’t quite the sci-fi novel it was marketed as.

Many thanks to Orion Publishing and Nnedi Okorafor for the advanced copy of Death of the Author via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
Death of the Author is definitely a book that you need to sit with before reviewing it. You need to mull it over and reflect on its contents, and everything that the *actual* author wanted to tell us.
Firstly, this is a wonderful #OwnVoices work. Okorafor has been recommended to me by several people, but this is the first of her works I’ve managed to read, and I will definitely be searching out more.
Death of the Author is a double #OwnVoices work in that Okorafor is both a Nigerian-American writer, and formerly had paraplegia. The former is well known, of course, but the latter perhaps isn’t so much – but it shines through in the writing in this novel and its protagonist, Zelu.
Overall, I enjoyed the interweaving of the two storylines throughout the book. They were distinct, yet complementary, and never jarring. I love Okorafor’s own term of ‘Africanfuturism’ and it suits this novel extremely well. I can see how it would be classed under SciFi, and I can see how some may be disappointed, but I enjoyed the high-concept literary aspect of it very much.
The only aspect I did not enjoy as much was the slight way we were left hanging with Zelu. The interviews felt like they were all building up to something *big*, but ultimately I felt that was left unfulfilled. Maybe I’m missing something. This book is excellent for a book club to discuss and dissect to answer those types of questions.
Moods: adventurous, challenging, dark, emotional, inspiring
Tropes: None, it’s unique
Pace: medium
Character development: medium
Plot or character driven: 50/50
Diversity: medium-high
Trigger warnings: Ableism, Death, Death of a family member, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Guns/weapons, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness/panic attacks, Misogyny, Physical illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War
Rating: 4/5

I got an ARC of this book.

I am not even sure where to start with this one. I loved the audiobook. The narrators were amazing. I loved the clear distinct voices between the characters. I was very invested in each part of the story.

Could I tell you what happened? Nope. But I was along for the journey and I loved it.

Was the robot story the best sci-fi ever written? Probably not, but I really enjoyed those chapters. I loved the way they were sort of following the MC's journey with her exoskeleton, but also dealing with so many more issues. It didn't feel like it was one to one. It allowed for unique stories to exist.

This was my first by Okorafor, I will need to read more.

I’ve been wanting to read a book by Nnedi Okorafor for a long time, so when I saw her new novel at Netgalley I hit the request button without hesitation. Knowing nothing about the plot I had only one expectation for this book: to read a science fiction story. The thing is, most of the book doesn’t read like a sci-fi novel (even if it have bits of it like the “exos”). It is mostly a literature fiction about an author struggling to write the sequel for a very successful debut novel. Parallel to this story we have a second story line about robots, but I couldn’t care at all about the characters on this, and would probably be glad if they all died in the end. The last chapter of the book, when you finally understand the title is the highlight for me and the reason I’m giving it 3 stars (and not just 2 like I was feeling before this last pages), but you have to endure a LOT to get there (a less 100/150 pages would do this book a lot of good).

After several tries of reading this book, unfortunately I have to DNF. I think I was expecting this book to be more in the side of sci-fi instead of literature and although yes this was definitely a mix of both, the literature side took over and I was not a fan of the info-dumps at the beginning of the book.

I will try to pick up this book up again when I think I'll appreciate the literature side more. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

This is a fascinating book, and a difficult one to review, since it's incredibly difficult to unpick the metatextual nature of the story from how it functions as a novel. Where this book really shines is in the light it casts on the commodification of #ownvoices and often complicated relationships between artists and fans. The most compelling parts, for me, are watching how Zelu reacts to other people's interpretations of her work, and how she tries to remain true to herself even while everyone else is determine to market her based on her identity. I think the genre hybrid elements actually work really well here; since what is science fiction if not a mirror to complicated human emotions we've historically consigned to lit fic.

The part that didn't work quite so well for me is that the robot story within a story is, frankly, not that engaging, and I often found myself skimming those sections. That would haven't been such a problem if the main plot didn't hinge so much on Zelu, as the author of said story, being shot into the stratosphere as a result of this supposedly genius work. But then again, a lot of other mediocre works hit the big time, so maybe that's the point?

This was a complicated book to read and review, and it took me two attempts and several months to become interested in the book. It's clear that the author is a talented writer, with realistic and flawed characters. That said, I felt let down by how the book was marketed. It was labelled as science fiction, but in reality, it leans much more toward literary fiction, and it isn't something that I would normally reach for.

The core premise was promising. Zelu, the protagonist, becomes an overnight sensation after the release of her book 'Rusted Robots'. However, the book-within-the-book didn't work for me - the snippets we do see from Rusted Robots feel underdeveloped, which made it hard to understand why it caused such a stir. I also felt like the ending of the overall novel, while going in interesting directions, felt unsatisfying and too abrupt.

Thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

A complex story, not one to review easily without giving too much away. Being a long-time reader of the author it is good to have a book which is officially available in the UK, to have in our store!

On the surface this is a story of Zelu, a struggling writer with mobility/health issues following a childhood accident, who finds in quick succession further rejection of a novel and dismissal from university teaching. Zelu sets out and writes something completely new, a SFF story which becomes wildly successful. This book has Zelu's story intercut with extracts from the story of her written book, As Zelu's life spirals into something new, for better and worse, there is a feeling that there are more links to emerge...

An excellent multi-layered book of Zelu's life, the family and other relationships, exploring the cultures and history of their backgrounds. Interspersed with this is the story of forms of robotic and AI life in a post-human world, with it's own conflicts and threats. Ultimately a story of personal strength, resilience and determination to follow and forge paths. It seems wrong to say 'against the odds' as that detracts from the personal drive and determination to live life as desired. Whilst the ending has other things to reveal, this 'desire' for life feels like the core of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the arc!

🌟🌟🌟✨/5

Oof, this one's tough to judge. This doesn't read like a sci-fi novel. It's a litfic novel about a sci-fi novel, and I think I liked it?

As someone who's recently been on a litfic streak, I enjoyed the narrative set in the 'real' world, set in the near future. Zelu is undoubtedly a complex, fleshed out character but also quite unlikable. There were moments where I resonated with her and moments where I was exasperated by her. It's not often you get to see a disabled protagonist and the author's perspective was refreshing. The family dynamics were definitely the highlight of the book. Nigerian culture is an integral part of the novel. The parts about the publishing industry, some of which reminded me of Yellowface, were fun to read.

The other part of the novel, Rusted Robots, was not my cup of tea. The chapters from Zelu's novel few and far between, with chapters from Zelu's POV dominating the book. While I was invested in Zelu's narrative, the sci-fi chapters felt like interruptions rather than something that merited attention as much as Zelu's POV. The worldbuilding just didn't have enough time to be developed. It didn't feel immersive at all. Only the final two chapters were excellent, which made me even more disappointed because of the wasted potential. In Zelu's chapters, it was mentioned that Rusted Robots was over 500 pages long, which makes sense considering the epic scope of the novel. The few extracts we get barely amount to a 100 pages.

At its heart, Death of the Author is a love letter to the art of storytelling. The discussions about the power of storytelling will be something that'll remain with me, even if I forget the rest of the plot. The final line was particularly impactful for me.

While this is being marketed everywhere as a sci-fi novel (and I'm pretty sure it'll end up as a Goodreads Choice sci-fi nominee) I would recommend this to litfic readers who enjoy complex family dynamics and discussions of tradition vs modernity. I've heard amazing things about Nnedi Okorafor's actual sci-fi novels and probably will read some this year!

This was so close to being perfect for me, but there was just something that seemed to drag around halfway through, that made this harder going for me than the story either side.

I was initially so engaged with Zelu's rise to authorial fame that I was expecting some kind literal "death" of the author, and I'm still not entirely certain how much of the more conceptual meaning was actually in the text (I guess part of the point, or one of the layers of interpretation of Zelu's own writing). When it wasn't clear that this was happening, either literally or literary, I wasn't sure where the novel was heading next.

I also initially enjoyed the Rusted Robots chapters that were interspersed with the story, but the writing of them felt relatively poor (I suppose making it clear that Zelu and the author are different entities too), but it meant that I was then critiquing the writing and wondering how this became a bestselling novel.

I loved the writing of Zelu's family - she's clearly incredibly frustrated by them, but her family ties are essential, even when they aren't being supportive of her dreams (basically all of the time) but that's immaterial because they are family.

There is a twist though, and the twist is surprisingly unexpected, and certainly very brilliant. It makes you question yourself as a reader, and what role you are playing in the story. It nearly completely redeemed the part that had dragged for me, and it's just plain clever.

This was my first book by Nnedi Okorafor and I'll definitely be looking out for more.

Really, this was more like 4.5 stars.

A superb fantasy action adventure that will have you on the edge of the seat right from page one. A must read that is highly recommended.

Yet another book to add to the list of 'something beautifully brand new'.

This story was an incredible experience to read that forced me to ask many questions of myself, and was left with many that I wanted the book to answer...but wasn't that what we were warned against throughout?!

Also, I want a full copy of Rusted Robots as well!

dnf at 14%

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t what I expected going into it and I found myself getting very bored while reading. I do, however, see myself picking up a different book by this author as I’ve heard amazing things.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gollancz for the advanced digital copy.

This is another author who I’ve been meaning to check out for a while and this was certainly an interesting one to start with! I enjoyed the dual narrative with some of it being Zelu’s story and some of it being Ankara, the robot from her novel.

I can’t say how the representation of a paraplegic women was as I don’t have that life experience, but I did feel that Zelu was a very strong character who was given agency both by the other characters and the author, which is something I look out for with disabled characters. She receives cutting edge treatment during the book, but it is made clear that what she gets is mobility aids and not a cure. Her disability is integral to both the plot and character and it was really enlightening to see how she was treated, especially in Nigeria and by her family members. From a cultural aspect, I felt this was important.

I enjoyed the robot parts most. It makes me think that I would like Okorafor’s sci fi books a lot

Really glad I finally got around to reading this author and I can’t wait to read more of her stuff.

Great novel, enjoyed reading this so much on a recent trip.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my feedback.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to this ARC!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it's crazy combination of sci-si and lit-fic rolled into one. I found Zelu as a main character fascinating and her journey so interesting to follow, from it's beginnings to the insane conclusion. The sci-fi elements, while sparser than I expected, were a delight to read every time we got to another chapter about the robot adventures. I even found myself longing for the sequel Zelus fans were egging her on to write.

I also loved the commentary on personal independence, how art can turn into a product, the use of technology in society and how those in the public eye have to treat social media often like they are walking on eggshells. Zelus family playing a hug part in her story too added a layer of relatability that I cherished, coming from a similar family dynamic as hers.

I had a few issues with things like pacing and sometimes a lack of focus when it came to Zelus character journey, which knocked a star and a bit off my rating.

All in all I enjoyed this book and while I feel like it may not be for everyone, it for sure was for me.

3.75 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Orion publishing and netgalley for providing this arc.

Unfortunately, after 10% I had to dnf this book, as it was nothing what was promised. I picked this one up as it was going to be (and think it was) illumicrate's new scifi box's first book. I was super interested, as good scifi books are amazing and I love all the technology advancements and stuff like that in scifi. Well, consider me very disappointed with this one.

I read the 10% already back in February, and since then I have been wondering whether I should continue or not, but I've read the other reviews, and I know this book won't turn more scifi in the future, so why bother.

This book didn't hook me at all, and while I think the idea seems okayish, it wasn't what was promised, so that ultimately is the reason I won't be continuing.

This is a wonderfully unique book. It is told in two storylines - the tale of Zelu, her path from unknown author to successful author, and her journey. It also includes her story, a beautiful science fiction tale of humanity and struggle. Zelu is a flawed yet strong and determined main character, and I was cheering for her success throughout, although there were times when she made that challenging. She comes from a very successful family and is seen as the black sheep and looked down on by some for her lack of success and her disability.

I think this book needs to be read a couple of times to take in the story to its fullest potential.

I’m really struggling with what to say about this book. For a large portion of it, I was not enjoying it at all. I never really warmed up to the main character, and the plot felt quite boring. That being said, the last 100 or so pages I liked a lot better, and I thought the ending worked really well! Anything more than 3 stars would feel disingenuous as I was very close to DNFing this at one point.