Who Fears Death Summary
Nnedi Okorafor

Who Fears Death Overview

Through a fast-paced first person narrative, Nnedi Okorafor’s Who Fears Death explores political violence, sexuality, family, and human-nature relationships in a futuristic sci-fi Sudanese desert. The main character, Onyesonwu (whose name means “Who fears death?” in Igbo), is the daughter of an Okeke woman who was raped by a Nuru man during a wave of military violence as the Nurus expand east into Okeke land. Her ewu heritage (mixed Nuru/Okeke) and the fact that both of her parents are sorcerers lead her to develop supernatural powers including shapeshifting, disembodied travel, and resurrection, using which she is able to destroy the Nuru military leadership and change the course of the Nuru-Okeke relationship forever.